Hello there. Haven't been around for a while, but still alive an' kickin' 8) Have put my greasy hands on two Geniol 150's (Well, one belongs to Nils, but, at least for a while, it is enjoying it's retirement here...). Both suffers the same problem: When starting up, after pre-heating, the top is engulfed in yellow flames. At no point the lamps are burning correctly. What am I doing wrong? Best wishes and seasons greetings Ben
Hello Ben, you need to pre heat the lantern for longer and i prefer to pre heat using meths rather than the rapid pre heating blow torch. I cannot see if your lantern has a meths trough or not. Also, is the jet properly tightened into the vapouriser? Jeff.
Hi Jeff. Thanks for the quick answer. Will check tomorrow morning, if it has got a cup or not, but as far as I remember , it hasn't (The workshop is in another building, and it's raining horizontally just now). Only time I got one of the lamps going, it burned with a kind of "halo" around the mantle, wonder if the mantle is wrong? I've used a 200 cp mantle from Petromax, looks like the smalles one I've ever seen on a lamp. Will also check the other items that you've mentioned.
Hello Ben, with that type of lantern everything has to be set properly and tightened properly. A halo around the mantle can be caused by the nozzle which the mantle is tied to being loose, even if it's just a touch loose and if the nozzle is a ceramic one, then is it in good condition. If any of the holes have spread into each other then that will also affect the performance of the lantern. The part which the nozzle screws into also has to be properly tightened, if any part is loose then that will cause problems with the flow of the air and fuel mix. If the vapouriser's jet is slightly enlarged then that will also cause a halo around the mantle and more severe problems. Whenever I obtain one of the Petromax genre of lanterns, I pressure test it and if it's okay, then I strip it down completely and give it all a good clean before I rebuild it. Another problem with the preston ring vapourisers, is that the ring becomes filled with carbon and therefor it does not stay hot enough, but the rings can be cleaned out and Christer has a good method for doing so, Jeff.
Hello there! I believ all those 150 CP have the small pre-heating cup; sometimes it takes two fills before it is properly heated. The rapid lighter is okay if you have nothing better to do than keep pumping for 2-2 1/2 minutes. Anyway, it will build up your arm!
George, could definitely use that strength Went to check if there's a cup, just to satisfy you guys, and, behold, there is one! It is just pressed into the bottom plate. (I'll cite my late boss: Only thing worse than querulous people, are querulous people who are right! ). The lamps are Danish Army surplus, probably bought as experimentals. The people who aquired them, have most certainly put them into use immediately, without doing anything at all to the lamps. Will now proceed to the shed!
Well well well, hope there has been learning, at least at my end! Never take anything for granted. Took the lamp apart, found all the things you mentioned, plus a few that Nils told me on the phone! First of all, the previous owner ran it on white spirit, this has now been changed. The nipple was loose, the mantle carrier just hang by its last thread, the mixing tube was badly out of adjustment. If you look carefully under the hat, you'll see a small flame. This is how I found out with the nipple. Both the nipple and the mantle-carrier is now secured with a little muffler-cement. And now look at this little "bassa": I do know, that these lamps aren't vintage or historical, but I like them for their size and look, so thanks for your invaluable help! Seasons greetings to all! Ben
Anyone on here seeing that can with the red cap left of picture will advise you that the contents are injurious to brass lamp fonts, and not recommended due to effect of ammonia causing stress cracking.
Ooops - caught in the act I actually used it when I tried to remove some of the stains on the lamp top, but thanks for the advise anyway, I wasn't aware of that problem. Ben
