Petromax 829B is it original?

You should get it to around 15-16mm for better air draw.

 

It'll drop.... frequently.. if not properly tighten, usually to the point the screw pushes an indent in the J-tube. It'll also sometimes drop due to thermal expansion and contraction. I'm not super thrilled with possibly crushing and choking the tube with that screw so would recommend fashioning a bolt thick enough to slip under the bend of the jtube and let it rest on the upper case, supporting the tube at the proper height more stable.

 

@MYN @Dashwood

I'll adjust it higher and try to keep it in place with a bolt.

 

How is it doing now? Air gap distance currently?
I still prefer the 2 flat nuts on the J-tube of the older Petromax design . It doesn't loosen that easily.

 

@MYN I'm going to try it again tomorrow it's 2300 right now. Time for bed.

 

Goodnight. Tight sleep..

 

Tmrw, before start the lantern, set the gap at around 16mm.
Refine, if necessary, from that point.

 

I am not sure if I should answer, so many things happening over and over.
J-tubes should not loosing itself.
The straight and not for kerosene vaporiser is wrong and doesn't get hot enough.
The mantle shape is wrong. And it looks to big too.

You may fiddle until Christmas but I would start with the right parts.
Don't buy new parts , just because it says petromax on it. They come from China and may work or may work not.
Try to find a local reseller who may can sell you old parts.
Try find a surplus who can sell you a genuine working ex BW Petromax.

 

Current clamping method for the jtube in my opinion is inferior to past designs using threaded jam nuts or strap that grips the tube. Optimus 1550 jtube is clamped in reverse direction (you tighten the screw from the air intake vs on top of the case) using the brace above the mixing chamber to fix it in place is another better design. Current design forces you have an indent where the screw is made to hold it in place and often times it's done incorrectly at the factory and comes already too deformed to set it at the proper height which will fall back to the incorrect factory height.

 

Well I ordered new petromax parts. I don't have a reseller of genuine parts, and I would need to buy another lantern to get parts.

If the new parts don't work, I can try Britelyt, though I think those are also chinese made.

 

@Dashwood
I've got an idea that might work.

I can stuck a bolt under the J tube like you suggested, and to make adjustments to the height of the tube, I can wrap wire around the bolt to make it thicker.

Unless I can get the current system to stay in place of course.

 

Tin foil works too,

 

Another great idea, thank you.

I'll keep you all updated as I try things out, but like WimVe said, it probably won't so much good until I get new parts.

@WimVe are there resellers of genuine petromax parts in Europe?

 

Cabana is one.

 

I've been watching this thread expand, or should I say almost explode.

@WimVe has indicated just above some things to ponder.

Having been in this game for quite some time, working just now on my first old Petromax, and having the pleasure of reading much of Lahde's book on the engineering and physics of pressure lamps and stoves, I kindly offer the following advice:

1. Start from the point that an original Petromax is a fine piece of design and engineering. It is meant to operated to the specifications it was sold with, including all its replaceable parts.

2. The basics of pressure lamp restoration are to get the lamp back to, as close as possible, the original specifications. Taking shortcuts and jury-rigging a fine bit of engineering like a Petromax will likely lead to sadness and frustration.

3. Understand the principles of the lamp's operation before starting. If you've got to a point where it's "sort of works, but not really", it's time to stop, take a deep breath, and go back to the beginning.

4. Its fine to repair things, but the repairs should be within the tolerances of the lamp's specification. Make sure your repairs aren't causing other problems.


I've stopped doing "one day" fettles for the very reason that I try to ponder deeply the lamp I'm working on -- to "understand" it. Often this leads to a 3-O'clock in the morning thought of "aahh, that's what's wrong!".


Good luck with your lantern.


Cheers

Tony

 

Getting the right parts would certainly give you a good start on anything, @Gilbert .
Did you manage to secure the J-tube at a higher position?
I'm sure you are still hunting for all the necessary parts that had been suggested.

 

@MYN,
Not yet, I just got home from work. I'll see what I can do tonight.

The new parts are scheduled to be delivered Friday. If for some reason they don't work, I'll consider ordering britelyt parts.

@Dashwood
Cabana doesn't come up in a search. Can you send me a link?

@Tony Press
I understand what youre saying, but I am most likely going to have to rely on some new production petromax or britelyt parts. I certainly don't know exactly how the petromax works. I just know the basics: fuel under pressure in fount, foot valve opens when connecting rod is pushed down allowing fuel to flow up lower half of carburetor, fuel flows up to upper half of carburetor that had been pre heated, fuel is vaporized and sprays from jet into fuel/air mixing chamber where it is ignited, ignited fuel / air flows through J tube and into the mantle.

 

I can see you can only rely on whatever parts you're having for the moment.
Cabana is probably Stuga-Cabana or hytta.de
You'd certainly get it to work somehow.
There are many others around the World who do not have the means to obtain the exact parts. Out of sheer necessity, they still managed to get their devices to function.

 

Once you get the hang of getting a Petromax-styled lantern working, your confidence levels will increase many folds.
If you are already confident with the workings on this lantern, and certain that it won't fail unexpectedly, then you can actually start experimenting on the use of Amish mixtures to improve light ups and vaporization using the straight carburretor.
For the moment, it is not advisable to do so yet.

 

@Tony Press

I absolutely share that sentiment as it hearkens me back to my very first pressure lamp, it was a current production petromax. Despite it being new, I understood very little and it took me a while to get it working and I underestimated the fine balance of engineering and conditions to get it lit.

Eventually I learned all what makes a petromax tick and even successfully fettled a genuine 1960s petromax a year later.

I say take a step back, breathe, read some literature regarding and actually understand the science and reasoning on what makes a petromax run.

I would say petromax in my opinion is not a beginners fettle, Let alone the B variant possibly being a little further up the skill ladder.

Bouncing around tweaking and fiddling things needlessly without a sense of direction will definitely lead to countless hours of frustration that had me putting away my first petromax aside a few times before I got it working. Definitely a harsh experience for me and made me reassess and dive in deeper into the lore of this hobby.

 

My mantle has broken off. Is it still possible to test for proper function without it?

I have just adjusted the air gap to 16mm.

 

@Gilbert

You could, but you're gonna need a second heat source, does your lantern come with a preheat cup and have Denatured alcohol on hand.

A mantle-less test requires the lantern to be operated at low pressures to prevent the flame from blowing out from the burner. At such low pressure and a non-ideal vaporizer, it'll be an understatement at your current predicament to get it running at all without extreme difficulty. The mantle is at the bare minimum needed to get your current setup to work at all as it's the only thing keeping the heat around the vaporizer.

You could simulate the heat around the vaporizer with a blow torch with the vent and globe off to prevent cooking.

Anyways going ahead, your naked flame from the burner without mantles should appear ghostly pale blue with very little yellow, like the clean flames from a working stove.

BIG QUESTION: Are you using pump grade kero and not water clear or 1K undyed kero?? If so, please drain it out and switch to 1K Kero. Also please don't use "Lamp Oil" either.

Some pump kero comes predyed and may not be as clean as 1K. "Lamp Oil" is also hideously nasty stuff for pressure lamps too with how thick it is.

 

@Dashwood I'm using Crown K1 kerosene.

The new jet I was using ended up being a bad one. I switched back to one of the original jets. The new production jet was not spraying fuel straight up in a fine stream.

New mantle burns bright but is still surrounded by fire. Never mind the color of the mantle in the pictures, I think it's just the white balance of the camera.

 

The air gap is still 16mm. Is it still burning too rich with fuel? Is they why the mantle is enveloped in flames? I have white gas I could mix with the kerosene... Otherwise I'm out of ideas until I get the new parts.

 

Are you pumping enough pressure, gauge should be at around 2.5 bar and no less than the red line during normal operation.

 

Is it still running?
So, what mantle do you have on the lantern at the moment?
Is there a paddle on the J-tube of this lantern?

 

@Dashwood
Had it pumped up to 2 bar. I can try 2.5 bar.

@MYN
No longer running, there is a paddle and I have it adjusted so the screw is vertical "I",) I'm using a petromax 500cp mangle.

 

@Gilbert
Once you have the lantern running again at whatever its attainable brightness or burn, you can try turning the J-tube paddle to any position including a full horizontal.
That's just to assess its influence when then lantern is operating. Don't do it while the lantern's at rest.
Just for info, I do have a couple of lanterns that attain maximum brightness or 'whiteness' in their glow at the horizontal instead of vertical 'I'. Those had been a complete contradiction to the usual practice.

 

@Gilbert
What is the current condition of the upper parts of the lantern?
- the inner hood, J-tube, burner, etc.
Do you currently find anything abnormal, out-of-shape, bent, skewed or not positioned correctly on the upper parts?

 

@MYN
I'll try adjusting the paddle. All the parts in the inner hood were cleaned and reassembled. There where no signs of a anything being damaged or out of place.