1960 Military 305 picked up this morning, a local item for collection only and very cheap! Been after one of thrse for a while, just need a decent 310 at a reasonable price now to complete my Bialaddin collection. Glass was broken, hood not perfect but serviceable, the lamp otherwise looked little used. Lamp pressure tested successfully after fitting a spare fuel cap as the one fitted had a broken off release screw. Next step was a test lighting, on filling the spirit cup I noted maths all over the tank I then discovered that the aluminium spirit cup / diffuser was fractured and someone had attempted to repair (unsuccessfully) with araldite which explains why the lamp has been little, if ever, used, the wick actually looks new. Spare (incorrect type) plated spirit cup fitted, a bit more maths, a match and a couple of minutes later: It's still running 2 hours later sat on the garden table. Just got to source a replacement correft type aluminium spitit cup, a new glass, seal kit and some green (Karkhi?) paint for the tank, this should be a relatively easy project.
I'm currently looking for a reasonably priced drab olive rattle can to spray the tank on one just like yours!
If you find a reasonably priced one please let me know where you found it, only found ones around £10 for 400ml so far.
Yeah, that's about the price I'm seeing! I've looked on eBay and £8.99 for 400ml is the lowest with free delivery. I might ask at the specialist decorating shop outside town as they do paint for £6.25 for a 400ml can.If they can order me one at that price I'll get one... or maybe two!
Found a spray can that is approximately olive green on my way home yesterday evening. Tank now prepared ready for paint, just waiting for a dry spell to do the spraying, Got into trouble last time due to ovetspray in the garage!
I was driving it at the East Lancashire Railway which is a heritage line near Manchester UK, I have been a volunteer there for 35 years.
I'm not sure if it's not essential or not but I cover the screw holes and the control cock hole with tape before I spray.
Never had any problems as I only lightly spray the top, I use a coat hanger to hold the tank whilst spraying and then to hang it up to dry. Primer applied: After 2 coats of Ford Highland Green: A bit lighter than the original army olive green but I am happy with it. Note the coat hanger inserted in the control cock hole which provides both a good hold whilst spraying and a convenient method of hanging the tank up to dry. Just out of view below the tank is one if my trusty 300x's providing a bit of gentle heat to aid drying and prevent blooming of the paint as it's very damp here in Liverpool today.
I have a scrap Tilley vapouriser in an aluminium control cock which I use when spraying tanks. The cock screws into both Tilley and vapalux/Bialaddin tanks so can be used for either. I drilled a hole in the top of the vapouriser and use wire to hang it up. It can be used for table lamps too, which can prove difficult with other methods.
Ahhhh, the many uses of pressure lamps! I've just ordered a drab olive green RAL 6014 from eBay to finish off my Vapalux M1. I've no idea what RAL means or the difference between the numbers but it seems like the right one to use. It was a bit pricey at £8:99 but that included postage so I guess it's not too bad. Up in the Highlands the weather has turned - you can feel it in the air. Even though we've had some cracking sunny days, it gets chilly as soon as the sun goes down and there are no midges much now - a sure sign! When you've finished putting the lamp together it'd be great to see some photos.
I may yet order a can of bs381c item 298 olive drab and give it another coat. Most of the Bialaddin colours will be from BS381c as it was current in the 50's, 60's and into the 70"s, it was superseded by BS4800. RAL is more international I believe.
Screw the screws into their holes and then you don't block them with paint and also get the heads painted at the same time. I generally use a suitably sized cork in the control cock hole but I'm currently working on a couple of ideas; one, something slightly along the lines of what Matt suggests...
Each to their own, I have a pet hate of painted screw heads! I have done a lot of spraying and if you spray across the top of the tank at about 20 - 30 degree downwards angle and not directly onto the top face i find that very little paint gets onto the thteads. Going to have to spray it again as the colour is definitely too light, been looking at bs381c colours and it looks like Aircraft Grey / Green is the closest match to the original paint on the bottom of the tank, have also found a company that can supply this colour in aerosol, will get semi gloss finish as full gloss will be a bit too shiny.
Actually I believe you have a point. If I really strain my memory hard I seem to remember an issue - something to do with the venturi effect - with respect to getting paint to go inside small areas like holes and the insides of tubes. Under certain conditions you actually can't get the paint to go in and I think this is what happens to the screw holes if you don't cover them. In actual fact I find it hard to control the paint spray when I'm spraying the inside of the collar because the propellent forms a vortex and the paint won't stick to the insides very easily.
So do I when they're holding on door hinges for example and have been over-painted several times with household undercoat and gloss. It's a bugger to get the slot clear enough so that the screwdriver can get a grip. However that's not the case here and I think it looks badly if the screwheads were painted originally and they're left plain, especially if they've been polished to buggery - they stick out like a sore thumb. If they weren't originally-painted, then I leave them as they were when they left the factory...
