Hi Everyone I just stumble across this Tilley Flood Light & fell in love with it. I have lots of questions about this flood light, but start of with the basic first. Is this a FL5 or FL6 flood light? Do I restore it or is better left alone? I think it runs on kero but how does it actually work?
@Curley It's an FL6, post 1937/1938 (wide pump). It runs on kerosene. You are luck to have it with the tripod! If you wanted to make it run, you would need to do a thorough fettle (service) of the light as it will need its seals replacing and probably other bits and pieces fixed. But it's pretty straightforward once you understand how these thinks work. The principle is that the tank holds liquid kero; you pre-heat the vapouriser; you then pump kerosene through the preheated vapouriser and burner: the kerosene then becomes gas, and the gas is lit to produce a blue flame inside a mantle that produces white light. Have a look here at one of these being fettled (a 1937 one with the narrower pump: Tilley FL6 (1937) and here: Fettling notes for my 1937 Tilley FL6 And this one here by @loco7lamp: FL-6 Restoration started Cheers Tony
Thanks Tony Wow the pictures look great! Don’t won’t sound dumb but this is my first lamp, Fettle is servicing the light? Should I look at tackling a smaller lamp first before the FL6. Are the seals for the lamps only in the U.K? Thanks Curly
@Curly An easy one for you to start on is a Tilley X246 (not the X246B). But you could take the challenge of starting at the big end with your FL6. The lights work in the same way. The best source of seals etc is from The Fettle Box (sponsor of this site). If you became a subscriber to the site, you would get access to the Reference Library that has much information from catalogues etc. Before you embark, though, spend a couple of hours looking through the Tilley information here. I’m happy to give you advice if you send me a message (through “Conversations”). Cheers Tony
A nice complete looking example. These are pretty simple to dismantle and fettle. A set of seals, a new mantle and some fresh kerosene should have you a working beauty. To restore / repaint or preserve ?? the choice as they say is yours. Enjoy
Welcome aboard! That is an excellent find and there are several Australian collectors who are members of this forum and perhaps some of them reside near to you.
Nice looking example of a 1950s FL6. Good enough lamp to start on. Back in the dim mists of time when we were very young a pair of FL6 lamps were my first introduction to Tilley lamps as well. I had no one to ask and had to work it out for myself. Not the case now and if you PM me with an email address I will send you the instructions for your lamp. ::Neil::
I have one of these now hoping someone here has had the front glass out of one id like to see the original seal material i have some heatproof material to put around my glass i would like to see how and where it should be fitted i cant leave my glass rattling loose it will eventually break
Garth. The front glass has no sealing material it just rattles around it wont break tempered glass. Bob .
Thats a relief that part is normal now to get it to produce a good light i suspect the vaporiser has issues i have a brand new one to fit and will clean glass and reflector while im in there would autosol be suitable to polish it? Id add pics but for some unknown reason they refuse to post here a few of my actual lamp are on the pressure stoves site under tilley floodlight
It's meant to be a bit loose to cope with expansion when things get hot. If it was firmly fixed it would crack the first time it was used...
What @David Shouksmith said I had my FL6 running at a Scout event earlier in the year. I shut it off to head home and when it was put in the car I could comfortably touch the metal, including the chimney, but the glass was still to hot to touch. Traveled home with the lamp facing forwards so not to damage the car seat.
