Hi to all! I have always been fasinated with alcohol lanterns and decided to build one, because they are really hard to find these days. I have a few optimus pressure lanterns, but I do not want to convert these to alcohol use. Because of safety reasons, I decided that it would be great to build a gravity fed lantern and after some research I found lamps made by Wiktorin. I don't know about you, but I have actually had to carry a "fireball" outside. I found one patent made by Heinrich Wiktorin from 1909, but haven't found any good pictures of how they actually look under the covers. I know that they lamplanternstove.com has topics about these lanterns, but the site seems to be down. (some sql error). So, I would really appriciate if someone has bookmarks to share on this matter. Cheers!
Hi Jaakko, If you want an alcohol fed lantern you can easily get one on the “e of Bay”. There are a couple of Primus models that probably would do fine and alcohol conversions were made for several makes during, and after WW II. I’m not sure a homemade alcohol gravity lamp would be safe, but I believe it would be possible to make one. I wouldn’t try start copying a Wiktoin lamp though as these are rather sophisticated, both design and burner wise. However I have a simple built Czechoslovakian lamp made by Elektra in the 20´s, that I’ve once told myself would be possible to copy with some tin cans and brass tubes. But then again ……why do it? Here are some images of the Elektra lamp …….and here is how it works. You raise the tank to its highest position thus giving the combined fuel feed /vaporiser/ jet tube alcohol that spills through the jet on the outside of the lamp housing and is collected back into the lamp and fills a pre heater reservoir . Than lower the tank and put a match to the pre heater hole in the front. When the pre heating is nearly finished raise the tank as high as possible thus bringing vaporised fuel/air mix down to the nozzle/spreader, and hopefully light the mantle. You shut off the lamp by bringing down the tank and shutting off the fuel supply. I have only found one patent for this lamp, and that patent claims only the rights for the adjustably tank invention. You can find a good Wiktorin patent 27238[/ATTACH] /Conny
Hi Jaakko, You can access lamplanternstove.com via the Google cache. There's a useful page showing the parts of a Wiktorin here. P.S. Conny do you remember what brand of paint you used on that Electra? I am trying to decide which paint to use on the Wiktorin that I am restoring.
James - It was a couple of years ago but I´m pretty sure it was "Dupli-Color Superterm Silver". You can find it here ! Good luck! /Conny
Hi Conny If you loaded this to youtube - then it is your own fault that people falls in love with the wiktorin-alco-lamp - I did too. I love the way it lights up from this alcohol-blueflame to this silentlish nice light. I want one, but I cant find them either. But that lamp - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dROpVxy3FGo Claus C
Claus, Yes, the Wiktorin table lamp is a marvel. A similar one was on eBay 4 weeks ago. It could have been yours for ca 500€! Good luck in hunting down another one! /Conny
Thanks for the pictures and for the link (did not know that one can use google's cache!). That was all I needed. I just love the desing simplicity and elegance of the youtube video Wiktorin! And like I said, if you can't find one, build one. No problem with the swedish. Jag kan också tala svenska. I design/manufacture reactors for chemisry research with the specifications they need, so I would not worrie about the safety, at least none of them have blown out yet.. knocking wood! I think that it's just marvelous that Wiktorin came up with a desing which is just genius! Once again, thanks!
