I've just added this Bialaddin 305 to my collection. I've had it lit and it runs OK, but there is a leak somewhere around the stop cock so I couldn't leave it pressurised for long... I'll sort out shortly but I'm rather pleased with it at this stage. Looking in the reference gallery I assume frame and hood on these changed at some point in the production. Hopefully I'm right in thinking mine is a fairly early version?
I do not believe the M1 type 305 followed this one. I am not sure what happened but this 305 was replaced with model 310 in 1954. The other and later 305 is the Bialaddin version of Vapalux M1. I don't know when that model was in production but I assume there was a significant gap between the two types. Ian may know better than I do here and I would be interested to have an opinion. ::Neil::
The lamp is a civilian version of the Bialaddin 305 which was in production between 1951 and 54ish. The lighter coloured green and the 1" filler cap are the distinguishing features. The 305 model is a bit complicated, Page 32 of the book tries to explain my thoughts on it. Just to remind those that may not be aware it is available to read on line without payment at http://www.blurb.co.uk/books/1413766-vapalux-and-bialaddin-pressure-lamps. I would add one thing to that chapter. Since writing the book I have acquired a military Bialaddin 305 which is dated 1966 and a military Vapalux M1 also dated 1966. So we can assume that the association with Bialaddin was already coming to an end at that date. The lamps are virtually identical apart from the Bialaddin having a control cock knob which is fixed on a cam by a screw.
I'm really looking forward to getting this lamp sorted out, hopefully before Newark but I haven't got round to ordering the glass yet...
All fully restored, almost... I had the devils own job removing the control knob, but got there in the end. All the washers now replaced aside from the main filler cap washer as I didn't have any here. Fired up and no leaks! I still need a globe but other than that job done One slight issue though is that when I prime it I seem to end up with a pool of meths under the spirit cup too.. Am I just over filling it?
Quite possibly you are just over-filling it but there's a chance it could be leaking past where the spigot is joined to the baseplate. I think with these preheaters, the idea was that there's as much spirit held absorbed in the wick as there is in the cup. I tend to add a small amount to the cup and then wait for that to be absorbed into the wick. Then I add a little more spirit to the cup. That seems to work OK. Good job on the lantern BTW...
Thanks... I decided that other than a cleanup with some T-Cut and finishing off with good quality car polish that the paintwork was good enough to leave as it was. There are a few chips which are pretty evident but I think attempting to touch them up would have been a mistake. The only major dilemma was with the rods that form the cage. I assume these would originally have been painted but there wasn't a speck of paint left on any of them - they were just very dirty brass, so I took them back to polished brass.
Yep, exactly what I would have done. I don't like to see over-restored lamps and to my mind, there's little point anyway if it's going to be a user...
