Coleman 237 Empire

hello all, especially to Coleman's specialists ;-)
i have got a 237 Coleman lamp those days which have been produced in 1946 in Canada (A .46)
The collar is stamped in 3 languages (french, english, spanish)
But what confuses me, is the word EMPIRE
what does it means ?

 

Hi Michel - "Empire" is simply the name given to the model. Other names for certain Coleman lanterns include "Scout", "Junior", and "Prince".

Very nice find!

 

You have found a very desirable Coleman lantern, top of the line,and for many it is the best kerosene lantern ever made by Coleman. You are Lucky!!!!

 

The 237 is a good lantern Michel and I have found that they work better if an Anchor 500cp., type of mantle is fitted to them rather than a Coleman mantle.

The more bulbous mantles form closer to the vapouriser and that keeps it hotter, so the lantern works better, Jeff.

 

thank you guys
i'll put a picture when the will be cleaned

 

hello all
I am cleaning the lantern and i discovered an strange generator (for me anyway because I am not very used with Coleman's.
there is another big spring inside that i can't pull off
is this the good generator for this lantern ?



As you can see, the hat is in sad shape.
is anybody able to provide me a better ?

 

Yes that is the correct generator. Both springs will come out but often the outer one sticks to the tube because of the carbon build up inside. ::Neil::

 

thanks Neil, that's a good thing
I haven't to go and hunt for this spare
I will try to remove the spring by heating

I have another question :
On my picture you can see an iron circle clipped on the brass frame's leg.
What is this for ?

 

I presume that is to hold the spirit cup in place and stop it sliding up into the mantle if the lantern is inverted.

 

I'm stupid! This is certainly an effect of age
As the circle was placed high on the leg, I have not thought of this solution
thank you James

I'm always looking for the enamelled hat
At what lamp could I extend my search? the 236?

what is the color cold "seafoam", I understand "pale green", does I ?

 

Yes Michel, I'm no expert but I think yours is 'seafoam' and it is a pale green colour. I think of mine is 'seafoam' too...

 

Yes 236 and 237 are basically the same construction. The only differences are in the valves and generators so the tank, globe cage and hood are identical. ::Neil::

 

thanks guys
I keep on cleaning and searching

 

That clip is to hold the cup for the meths to pre heat the generator. Did your 237 not come with one? A must for a Kero. I find the clip is to hold the cup up off the plate, not to prevent it from sliding up. I have a 237 and they are great. 500 CP will blind everyone in the camp.

Bob
BC Canada

 

Interesting thought. Though why would you need to keep the preheat cup up off the baseplate?

Yes, I've suffered this from time-to-time. Why is it beneficial, in your view?

 

Tip it past horizontal and you will likely need a new mantle I`D have the clip above the meth`s cup.
Been there --done that

 

Yes that clip is to stop the cup sliding up the generator and destroying the mantle.

You will probably find that in this case 500cp will not blind anyone because it is a very rare Colemn 237 that manages much over 200cp. They are a good reliable and bright lamp but these old timers generally don't do anywhere near the design light power. I don't really know why though because I have seen plenty of them with new generators and cleaned out tubes but they still don't perform to spec. ::Neil::

 

I thought that the clip was to be able to raise or lower the cup, but never thought about it preventing the cup from sliding into the mantle. I am very carefull with all my lanterns so never considered this. Good point.
About "blinding everyone in camp", I do find my 237 much brighter than my other gas lamps. It lights up a significant area, but for a more moderate light, my 242 or 200 are prefered. The 237 and 236 are built like a tanks, compare the bale guage to any of the other Colemans and you will see the difference. As you can tell from my writing, I like to embellish.
Bob

 

yes boys, the clip is in place, but in another way, why would you put the lamp horizontal especially with this kind of glass. I think there should have more risk for the glass than for the mantle, don't you think ?

 

You turn the lamp upside down to empty the fuel out and you normaly do that with the hood fitted so there is no danger to the globe but doing this will damage the mantle without the clip in the right place. ::Neil::

 

OK Neil

another question please
Who can tell me a good match for seafoam paint ?

 

The color of the remaining enamel on the ventilator is the correct color match for the fount paint.

 

http://0flo.com/index.php?threads/1900

 

Mackburner, if your 237 is not blinding everyone in the vicinity, they you probably have a 237 that is improperly tuned. I have had several and kept a couple of rarer ones and I've gotten all to give out the dreaded purple spot syndrome. Check out your air delivery tubes for blockages, then retune the generator, paying special attention to the tip, and lastly get the proper mantles for it.
Stan

 

Michel....take a simple propane plumber's torch and put the generator body on a metal grid and heat it up to glowing temperatures, pick it up with a pair of pliers and quench it in some cool water. Repeat as needed, that big spring will come out eventually.
Stan

 

Hi together,

can also state that there's not much difference between a PX 500 and a Coleman 237, both properly tuned.
The mantles will also have a big influence on the light output. To my experience some of the newer models (non radioactive) won't have the light output of the older ones.

 

Teach your grandmother. I have been fettling pressure lamps for 48 years and Coleman for maybe 40 of those so I know what a new generator looks like and how to clean air tubes. Most of my 500cp lamps are fitted with Coleman 11 or 1111 mantles as a matter of course. So when I say my 237 won't do near 500cp it really won't do 500cp and that is because the lamp is not performing not because I am sloppy or ignorant about fettling a lamp. I also measure light output with a photometer not the Mark I Eyeball which is a very inaccurate instrument. In fact any lamp giving around 300cp is blinding. The problem is that the vast majority of pressure lamps actually give under 200cp and when you see 300cp or better it seems super bright. The Photometer does not lie and I have yet to see a 237 do over 400cp. ::Neil::

 

I have two Coleman 237 lanterns and they are much brighter since i fitted Anchor 500cp., mantles to them, but they do not give 500cp.. Jeff.

 

don't fight, boys, that's only lamps
I don't know if this one is 300/400 or 500 CP, but the light is atleast the same as the great PX 500
and it gets noisy if I pump it a little too much.
Difficult to see on the picture, but very bright with a basic mantle

 

you tell there there neil