I picked up what i think is a Vapalux 300X which is in GWO but needs some cosmetic attention. The fount seems to have been stripped and left to build-up a coating of grime/oxide, but there is some bluish-grey paint left on the base. Can anyone recommend a spray paint that is a good colour match to whatever colour it was supposed to be so I can repaint the fount and cage. The ventilator is brass but seems to be coated in a layer of silver metal. At first I thought it was just silver paint. Did W&B ever do one of these lamps with a plated ventilator? The ventilator is date-stamped 1946. I suppose someone may have painted it with aluminium paint and the paint has burned off leaving behind the metal residue. The enameled top is a bit rusty. Is there anything sensible I can with it? I was thinking of giving it a citric acid bath to get rid of the rust and then giving it a coat of VHT clear lacquer to protect it from further rusting. On the subject of the enameled top, I have seen some W&B lamps that have a raised bit in the centre like mine and others where it is the same style but flat on the top. An example can be seen here. When did they switch between the styles?
Hi James, What you have there is a Vapalux 300, looks pretty original apart from the alloy filler cap, that has come from a Bialaddin 300x, the cap should be brass. W&B started producing the 300 in early 1942. The early ones have steel tanks and frames but towards the end of the War they returned to brass tanks and frames. This is a very late one I haven't seen many at all with a military mark for 1946. This lamp was superceded by the Vapalux 300x in that year. A good paint match for this lamp is plasti-kote super gloss medium grey. The frame rods and top wouldn't be painted, left as brass. If you put some paint stripper on the hood that should remove the paint and then you can clean and polish it. I have only ever seen the hoods in brass, so as you suspect it probably is paint. Don't put acid on the enamel heat deflector it will ruin what is left of the enamel. Enamel is always a problem. Re enamelling is so expensive it is not really an option. The best you can do here is rub it over with autosol and fine steel wool, it won't scratch the enamel but will remove the rust. If it still looks awful, look for a replacement! You seem to see the heat deflectors with the blisters on early and late lamps but I wouldn't be too specific on that. You have to realise that Willis and Bates were not a huge firm producing to a very strict pattern, they would use whatever was to hand. They probably had two different heat deflector dies that were used ad hoc. Let us know how you get on!!!
I think I've noticed three, maybe four, variants - my memory's rubbish and I'm at work at the moment. IIRC, there's no blister, flat - what I call 'plateau' - blister (as in the image above) and possibly two types of rounded blister. I'll have a look tonight when I get home...
Ah yes I have got the right filler cap, it just needs a new washer. I tried paint stripper on the ventilator and it didn't touch the silver stuff, which is why I wondered if it had been plated.
Hi James Nice lamp! I was given one of these with a steel fount in poor condition. Follow this link to view start to finish. http://www.be-back-later.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3030&p=21311#p21311 As Ian stated Plasti-kote Mid Grey is a good match, and was used in my project. Regards, Jeremy
Thanks for the link, looks very nice. I couldn't find that colour of Plasti-Kote in any of the local DIY/Craft/Housewares shops, looks like I'll have to order it online.
Hi James Wilkinson stores and B&Q stock plastikote from memory. http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/page/store Regards, Jeremy
James, Whatever color you decide on that is going to be a very nice lantern - I think I might polish up the brass and see how that looks before commiting to paint. Brass font with a dark (black or blue) vent is a nice combo.
