G'day Mick, and welcome. The lantern is a Tilley 246 Guardsman. Have a look on the bottom of the font and see if there are a series of numbers and possibly letters. Something like 1158XA. This is a date stamp, Novemver 1958. If there is no stamp I believe the lantern dates to 1956-57
Hello Martin, Thanks for the info. It does not have any numbers on the bottom only 'made in England' so I gather it is a '57' Is there a certain type of mantle these use? Thanks!!
You need a Tilley two-tie mantle or equivalent. Are you from Sydney, Australia, or Sydney somewhere else? If from Australia I can send you a couple to tide you over. You can buy mantles from Tilley in the UK, or from The Fettle Box (link from this site), or from "Justmantles.co.nz". Cheers Tony
Thanks Tony, that is very kind of you! My two lights both have broken mantles so I am after two of them and maybe a spare. Please let me know if you have three spare and I will buy them from you. I am in Sydney but have not been able to find anywhere local to get them. Thanks again! Mick.
Send me a private message with your address. I'll post you some of my "Fukashima" mantles for nix. The strings are a bit delicate but they work well: you just need practice tying them without breaking the string. Cheers Tony
Welcome Mick ......... there heaps of friendly knowledge on this forum and lots of interesting stuff. Cheers Peter
Hello Tony, Thanks a lot for your generous offer! I have found someone in Aus that have them. It is from http://maxbilt.com.au/oil (I hope it is the right ones!!) So I will get some from him and see how they go! One other question, I have just got a new seal kits for my two lights. One of the leaks from around the knob that adjust the brightness. Do you know if this comes a part, The seal kits has a few small disks (about 3mm diameter) I am hoping this will solve this problem! Thanks again.
Mick First thing is, you don't use a knob on a Tilley to adjust the brightness. If you are talking about the black knob on the control cock, that knob operates the cleaning needle (full to the right to clean - then return fully to the left) if you use that to adjust the brightness you can burn the cleaning tip off or worse. Tilleys operate at full blast (that is, about 100 pumps: 15 to 20 to start, and 80 after it gets going). If it's leaking near that black knob you have to unscrew the knob (anti-clockwise) and then the packing case (again anticlockwise). Take out the old seals (something sharp, or burn them out with a blow torch) and put two new discs or O-rings in and re-tighten to very hard hand tight. Cheers Tony
Mick If you are a subscriber, look at the Reference Library for parts diagrams. If you are not a subscriber, go to the website of Base Camp (U.K.) (for some reason I can't transfer the URL) and look at there info on Tilleys. Cheers Tony
Just found the exploded view! That will be helpful! Lucky, as these lamps are not all that bright, I never used the control cock to adjust the brightness, so hopefully it was not damaged! In the seal kit I bought there is a thing like a leather worm! Anyone know what that might be for. These lamps I got were used at a country RSL club for the emergency lighting up until 1960. I don't know if they were ever used then but was used for many fishing trips when I was younger!
...Leather worm eh?... ..maybe a real worm got in and couldn't get out again perhaps???.. ..Where did you get the kit from Mick? pb
The Wormy & Navy Stores, perhaps. Maybe it's a leather off-cut that got in there instead of a pump-cup. Otherwise a gland seal? - to be wrapped around the shaft and then tighten the nut...
I've seen some ragged pump leathers that look like they've be made from old camel scrotums but not worms!
Mick Post a pic of the worm! If you send me your email address by Personal message, I can send you a PDF of a Tilley manual. Cheers Tony
...Dear God and all that's holy... . The meths is meant for the Lamp, Mr Spiritburner.. ..hey!...It's not one of those sock filters for an old XN tap is it??? ...Mick!... Don't be put off!... We're quite normal here, really we are...
It should be fine if it's from John Gannon. That worm is to be used as packing in the control cock on the control shaft. Clean out the old washers or packing (as I indicated above); wind the worm around the shaft and screw the packing nut up hard hand tight. If it leaks, screw it a bit tighter. Cheers Tony
Thanks Tony, not sure how to do a PM on this site but my email address is: mlee@networkten.com.au If you could forward me the pdf of the light that would be very appreciated! Is there away way to polish the tank to remove the spots of discoloration. I have used brasso and it has come up pretty good. I don't want to use anything too harsh! Thanks!
G'day Mick, I have been off line but you have been in good hands. To send a PM click on the persons name LHS of topic and it will open up their profile page. In the middle is Start private Topic. Click on it and you have started a PM. Citric acid is commonly used to clean up lanterns. Here is topic with a recipe. [url=http://0flo.com/index.php?threads/7869
There are several ways to do it but click on Tony's name (in orange) at the top left of one of his posts and his profile shows up. Then click on 'Start Private Topic'. It's never a good idea to post your email address like that on any internet forum. Next thing you know you'll be getting spam emails (probably ones supposedly from me, telling you I'm stuck in Manila and to send funds!) Just look at it as patina - the unfakeable signs of a life lived and worth treasuring... Edit: crossed with Robbo55...
