I am about to start work on my Frankinlamp Aida, which can been seen on this post http://0flo.com/index.php?threads/8736 A few questions however. The tank seems very brassy to me, although there are remains of chrome. I am guessing here the best thing to do is take it to the Brass only. Will the softest of buffing pads polish it but keep the etching and logo intact? The Vaporiser and burner look very black. How would you guys clean these up? is it simply scrubbing with hot water then some wire wool and buffing or better/easier ways? Citric acid, where can I get this from. Tried B&Q and they looked at me blankly.... I am itching to get going and scared to start in case I mess it up
Another question I have, is in taking out the generator, it seems to have been sealed by Solder/lead. There is no washer and I have had to scrape out a good deal of lead flashing. I am assuming this is also not standard? I am beginning to think this lamp has been fixed to within an inch of it's life.
Definitely sounds frankened if the parts are soldered in. Guess they wont leak that way. For some gentle cleaning I have had good results with white vinnegar. I let things soak for around 20 mins for a gentle cleaning and then with a mild scrub pad take off the grunge. One possibility is that there was a lead washer to begin with and it got very hot and melted into place. Just speculating.
Hi, possibly it was melted in situ to create a seal if they didn't have access to the proper size lead washer? Just a thought!
Citric acid is easy enough to find. Just buy some bottles of the cheapest supermarket brand fizzy stuff you can find. All "Lemonade" is basically flavoured citric acid. Not as agressive as vinegar but does the same job and buying a gallon or so won't break the bank. The valve is sealed to the tank with a lead washer but after removal it is sometimes not possible to get a good seal with the valve facing the right way and I have seen solder runs around these seals before where some previous owner has fettled a minor leak. Fill the tank with water and apply heat whilst unscrewing. The valve should come lose as soon as the solder runs. ::Neil::
Ok So Citric acid is pretty much lemon juice. Was not aware Vinegar was the same, but I guess I did not listen when at school. The lead flashing came away when i unscrewed the generator, but some seems to be let in there. I was not sure i should try to dig that out or not. Seems I do need to dig it out, so will follow your tips Mackburner, apply some heat then get the rest of it out. I have a feeling my first fettle is going to be a bit more in depth than i was hoping. The Vaporiser also seems to be slightly bent, and when i took the nipple off the top, the wire pricker was bent, and in trying to unscrew the "middle bit that holds the wire pricker" this seem to snap off. There is a screw thread, but it seemed to snap. Is this a need for a new vaporiser?
Citric acid and vinegar are not the same, but they do pretty much the same job. I think we need some pictures here to go with the descriptions. It will make it much easier to give advice.
Agreed. Citric acid is just that, solutions can be made up to most concentrations for various purposes. Lemonade is basically sugar, citric acid and carbonated water. Sour sweets are dusted in citric acid for a "tang". Vinegar is about 10% Acetic acid in water, more or less. People often use vinegar instead of citric as its a ready-made solution. Sometimes there can be difficulty getting citric in some areas as its affiliated with the drug-making/cutting fraternity! Usually found in baking, wine-making or health-food shops. Tartaric acid works in approximately the same way as citric acid and is a reasonable substitute. DO NOT USE LIQUID AMMONIA, terrible stuff, it may be OK for a poker handle by the fireside but it has dangerous affects on thin pressure vessels. For this reason I avoid "Brasso" and stick to a citric bath and "Autosol" polish. Have fun and remember if your arm isnt sore you aren't polishing enough! (I actually prefer patina to see-your-face polished....) Alec.
No I would leave it in there. The correct fettle is to remove it and replace with a new lead washer but being an idle old git I normally wind a little electrical solder wire around the thread and shove the valve back in. This adds a little compressible materiel and will give you a seal and allow you to adjust the position of the valve. You only ever take heat to a tank as a last resort because of the danger of compromising other soft soldered seals. ::Neil::
Ok thanks for all the help. Pics to help be clearer for you all. First is the Vaporiser, I said it was bent, but I am no longer sure on that. One problem I do have though is being able to unscrew the top from the bottom? Next is the top of the Vaporiser where I removed the Jet nipple. Inside was a little brass spike with a wire on the top (pricker I assume) thats shown on the following pic and the wire was badly damaged. Should it simply screw out? The end of the brass bit seems to have a screw thread in it. The next post will have a few more photo's seems I need to make the file sizes smaller next time
It seems I can load no more pics. Is there a maximum limit to what I can upload? I will look on the forum on where to manage that for the moment
Yes, but it's more than just three. You might be able to straighten out that pricker wire if you're very careful but I think you'll end up replacing it. I'd be guessing but it'll either unscrew or be a push fit. Doubtless, someone who actually knows what they're talking about will be along shortly...
This may help it is from the CPL referenc library, if you are a subscriber you can access it and more.
You still have the valve block fixed to the generator. Unscrew them and the pricker rod can then be unscrewed from the eccentric block. The pricker rod is threaded and a new pricker can be screwed in. I think a Petromax pricker will fit. ::Neil::
The problem I have is I cannot unscrew them. They seem quite happy joined together. I will try some of the special mixtures mentioned to see if I can un-seize them. Looks like I will be becoming a subscriber, and everyones patience is much appreciated. I will post more pictures when I am back next week, with more questions. By subscribing it appears i can find many of these answers myself which I would always prefer.
