Hiya, This veritable beauty wasn't "far gone" when I recently won it over in Ebay.com. I had a lot of work to do though, it turned out; this wasn't something I'd anticipated, just by looking at its main overall appearance from the out set. After the main fettle & polish up, the fuel/ air assy was behaving like a mad dragon, suffering no continual fuel flow, with anything deemed fit for use. As I'd fettled it first (bit of an error there), I was lucky to get some good advice from NE, USA (Cheers Dd) ., and suggested that if I didn't want to risk "digging out" the main valve & F/A assy (potentially ruining the tank in the process/ stuck fast in real bad, it was), the safest way first, would be to try to "clear & irrigate out", all the lower detritus & oxidization, most probably causing the foul up ! Using some potent "rust remover", I seeped plenty in, down the main valves (bare) "thimble cup res", spending many hours before, beginning prior, totally masking off the founts fruity & pristine paint work. The safety masking/ de-masking, in between all the different cleaning/ application processes, is what stretched out the main brunt of the work; but it was essential if I was to do no damage, to what had miraculously lasted 50 yrs, without much 'a do' ! Pressurized air canisters, helped "blast out" what ever there was left in there, "sticking" the torsion coil spring, to the F/A's clearing rod needle. After all that, I gave it a good "flip soaking" in Marine Clean degreaser solution, as well as adding to this some small nuts, screws & pebbles, to shake out & knock off any obstinate portions, still reluctant to break free. When it seemed as clear as I could get it, I then fully dried the fount unit out, then proceeded to "work" the main, off/ on valve wheel (repetitively), with the fount half full with kero. I've purposely missed out a lot of the "other stuff" I also had to do (too long a type, ect), but basically after the "kero" had lubricated the F/A's workings, freeing it up much more than before, I did the same thing with "Naptha/ White Gas", only I fitted the generator back on this time (minus the stuffing), just to "see & hear" how/ if, the system was faring any better ? I'd not spent as many days (if not weeks), meddling around with a 'problem lantern' like this before, but all the effort, on that "second fire up" attempt, proved to have just done the trick; the lantern didn't "conform", on the "quarter turn", at first, but taking it near to a "full turn", time & time again, I found on each subsequent "light up", it successfully pre-heated, nearer back towards its preferable quart turn dynamic ? It could possibly have just been acclimatizing & re-setting itself; if not that, possibly it still could have been burgeoning itself of more grunge, clearing free from the F/A assy ?! Mighty fine though now, lights every time without fail, & the brightness from the Sears mantles I attached, was just phenomenal ! This one's a very quite burner, which has me suspecting "something's" still not quite right ? 'It hasn't spluttered, threatened back up or fluttering' at all, the clearing assy works sweet enough, "no tightness, requiring resistance on swivel turn"; I'd suspected it could have been a "reject", as there was quite a few parts, during the fettle up, that were marked with flaws & irregularities, I'd not seen or noticed that much before, with all the other US lanterns I'd worked on (this may be more usual though, the many score thousands, manufactured) ? Well, for one thing, that could explain why it appeared almost "brand new" on receiver ship; it mightn't have been lit more than half a dozen times, if that; the burner & generator were very clean, up top, & the only real damage, aesthetically, was to the underside of the collar, where the paint had been slightly marred & coursed, whilst being sat all those years. "Enough of the rabbiting then, here's the new look lantern", I like it a lot, finally ! "phewww, hard work, that one. . . . . . . " ! I hope this 6th one loads ?! Cheers, Jon .
G,,day Jon . it is a pretty lantern . red , black and chrome goes together nicely on that . I did wonder in the first couple of photos about the strange base . then realised it was something you had it sitting on . a very nice lantern . cheers, kerry
What a great job you've done, gorgeous lamp. I fancy one of these bases. Saw one recently at a vintage steam rally but was told that even if I could lift it I couldn't afford it! Pity.
G,,day . could you please post a photo of the base , and tell me more about what it is etc . cheers, kerry
Hi Kerry, Christer knows what type of machine it is used in, something to do with a Hydro plant, there's his explanation somewhere within the site, attached to one of my own lanterns/ lamps Gallery entries. It's a large ball race (I thought), I paid a fiver (£) for it, pulling it out of the local scrap yards 'brass box'. If I aren't beaten too it, I'll take a couple of snaps, then load it for you a.s.a.p. Cheers, Jon .
Thanks Jean, I wouldn't go paying silly money for one, 'should luck be on your side', it might be that they're two a penny, but I liked it that much, a fiver was nothing much to hand over. Try as many scrap yards as you can, there's always something curious waiting to be unearthed, in their separated metal bins. Good luck with your search, they polish up marvelously. Cheers, Jon .
Hi Jon. The explanation is a bit down on . Also a picture of one I took out of a dumpster just after they had been up to discussion here. Picture of that retainer Spoiler The bearings are not for any machine in particular. They are standard bearings and as such used on a wide range of different applications, but I mentioned that some of the larger ones I've seen thrown away were for a large hydrogen compressor we have at the plant.
Very nice lamp Jon. Good find and well-restored. I like those Big-hats a lot. Nice decalls and enamel. Lucky you - Again Claus C
Hi jon what beautiful stunning lantern, you have done a first class fettle bringing it back to perfect working order well done there
Cheers for following that up Christer, it's a while now since we'd discussed this, I could just recall the 'Hydro business' then the 'plant' part. I'd not put two & two together back then properly, it's Engineering you work at (Water Board services . . . . I'd presumed/ powerful pump link ups, ect) ) Jon.
Thanks Mr O' ! I've only just noticed the skew whiff Big Hat, in most of the scans (crumbs). I bet you can tell what happened there ? Jon .
Yes Claus, cheers for the praise, this lantern really took me to the wire, in more ways than one; I was just so really pleased when I finally had it lit up properly. The first 'light up', after the initial fettle, was a complete nightmare; all most a complete fireball, yellow flaming, higher than a metre North, then when I'd cleaned it all off, trying again with it; one of the mantles just "popped", channeling blue jet, directly into the base tray . (Close call, I used a spoon to deflect it) ! Got it going though, eventually, which is what counts, mainly (as well as the fun, also) . Jon .
Another stunning restoration Jon, This lantern looks better than it when it left the factory. Your attention to detail is incredible, as well as your patience in getting the F/A system working. Sometimes mint looking lanterns when received are hiding some difficult problems. Just when you think you've found a runner, you end up spending a week getting it to work right. But your end result is worth it. Three cheers for the Big Hat and with a color combination that's hard to beat. Dan
Thanks a lot Dan, It was a long haul, but the sound advice was greatly appreciated, beggaring the fount up (and with such a lovely looker as this,) just wasn't an option; thank crying out loud' for the end result, & it all paying off without much more grist & doom, occurring further . "Next one please . . . . . . . '! Jon .
