many thanks, I doubt i will be able to do it all in one bead, is it acceptable to do it in short runs then use heat to 'flow' them all together? I might as well solder round the entire thing i think. thanks Ed
@TocsinEd I had to do the same thing - ie, in sections until I had soldered all the way round. The lantern works OK now and doesn't leak. However, I would spend a little time making absolutely sure you do have a leak because broken or dodgy seals can sometimes make it seem very much like you have a leak when the kero is actually dribbling down from somewhere else. I've nearly been caught by this before!
Good point, but it’s definitely not the seals - I replaced all today. I sat and watched it for ages, and kept dabbing bits of tissue paper to various parts - all remained dry except around the big in my photo above - it’s a slow (very very slow) leak around the ‘cock control boss’ - of that I am certain. The actual threads where the control screws in and the vaporiser and the control knob themselves remained dry throughout. It was emitting a small bubble every minute or so at this joint, that I only saw on close inspection. However, I shall pump it up and drop it in a bucket of water to double double check. Or use soapy water spray or something before I solder it, thanks, double checking is well worth doing! Cheers Ed
I've never had to fix such a leak on a BiAladdin but I've done a few Tilleys. I assume the construction is very similar i.e. the fitting has a shoulder on it and is installed from the inside and soldered before the base plate is fitted. Quite often, all that is needed is to get the existing solder hot enough to melt and it will seal itself - provided the joint is held tight, you don't want the boss to drop into the tank. As always, cleanliness is paramount, so as well as cleaning the outside, clean the inside of the tank with a suitable degreaser. Remove anything that will melt and screw the control back into the tank, then suspend the workpiece with a wire from around the control and heat away. Plumbing flux will work fine but a liquid flux like Bakers Soldering fluid (applied with a flux brush or dropper) may be better in this case because it will creep into the joint. Of course, you can always add a little more solder to make doubly sure the joint is sealed. Henry
It is a trick the stovies use. The solder will not adhere to or flow over a nice thick black line drawn with a felt tip permanent marker. It can result in a much neater solder repair.
@Tony Press Being off work with a sickness bug does have some benefits! I'm really learning some useful information today. Many thanks. Regards Jeremy
