Finally I've started my Vapalux 320. Pump leather was made new, from the jet was squirting thin jet of kerosene, full preheater of meths burnt... The mantle (intended for the gas lamp) gives weak light -- inside of the mantle is visible some blue flame, mantle glows white, but nothing spectacular... (the bottom string got loose and part of the lower rim is not tight). Preheating Work... Work still...
That is certainly not working as it should If you do not have the correct mantle , this may be the problem . These lamps are so very easy to fettle, and are very good working lamps. You need to do a little bit more work to sort it out. Shout if you need help. Steve.
Is it the hole in the glass? I guess no, the old versions have hole for match... Mixing chamber seems to be clean inside (no spiders and cockroaches ) From the jet nozzle is squirting ca. 30cm high stream of kerosene, so the fuel supply is not blocked, and the working lamp is producing a gentle hiss... The mantle should work, anyway, but on its rim remains some soot, so the flame from the burner is not reaching the rim, otherwise soot will burn-out... Any ideas?
I would take the glass out, take the mantle off and after a good double pre-heat, try the lamp without a mantle. Do not over pressurise it! If you get a nice even pattern of flame from the burner then it will point to the mantle being the problem. In-doors, with no draughts, the lamp should work OK without a glass. Next, try it with the correct manmtle. If all is then OK, get a new glass. Best of luck - Steve.
Thanx, Steve. I'll do it. The mantle is one distributed by German company Max Fuchs AG for gas lamps, diameter 7cm (2 3/4"). If the experiment result will prove that the mantle is guilty, I have set of Primus gas lamp mantles (slightly over 7cm dia., rated 70-120 Watt). If this will not work properly, I'd have to order from the UK, which seems to be time-consuming (and more expensive... )
You need to be careful using gas mantles. No problem with using them but some are double walled and they will not give you a decent light in a pressure lamp. Single wall types are good though and if the size is about right will work fine. ::Neil::
So I did according to tip of Steve -- fired the lamp without globe and mantle. The pattern of the flames is even, but I expected bigger ones -- they are ca. 8 mm long, max. Please look at the pics and tell me -- should they be bigger (jammed fuel line), or OK?
It isn't totally blocked, you mean... You should get a much taller jet than that. In fact, it shouldn't be difficult to hit the ceiling - don't ask me how I know. You are pumping the lantern sufficiently, aren't you? About 70 pumpstrokes or until your thumb hurts. Edit: Looking at the top pics, the mantle doesn't even seem to have fully inflated properly the first time it was lit - another indicator of insufficient pressure, perhaps...
70 strokes, you say? I haven't exceeded 20 - somewhere here was about rounding of the bottom of the fount due too hard pumping... (and 20 in my Brüder Mannesmann, Petromax clone was sufficient). The conclusion -- clean the vaporizer again and pump more. I hope that the fount will not turn into a sphere... :o
All night vapourizer was sitting in the rust remover (top part, with jet nozzle, I didn't risk to put in it for long time the rear part with brass thread -- phosphoric acid removes zinc from brass too). Cleaned the wire part (with needle) with # 1000 sandpaper, rammed the vap with clamped in cordless drill derailleur inner cable (LH revs -- wires in the cable are LH twisted)... After pumping ca. 70 strokes the jet of fuel reaches the ceiling (on the attic, so not very high. Shall it reach the ceiling in the living room, 3meters 18cm, David? ). When the darkness will come, I'll fire the beast... Any more tips?
At least... That's referring to Tilley lanterns from the early 60s onwards - the X246A and B models. Bialaddin and Vapalux are nothing like that and I've never known anyone manage to pump either of those sufficiently to bow the base down. Your thumb will give up long before the lantern does.... Click here - these are instructions for the bowl fire but it's the same for the lanterns. Fifty to seventy-five pumpstrokes is recommended and also note the bit about there being no danger of over-pumping and therefore not being afraid to pump adequately...
