Hi guys I thought I’d share some photos of a X246 I came across in a second hand shop. I guess I was in the right place at the right time as it apparently had been dropped off 5 minutes before I walked through the door There was no price on it yet as it had just arrived so I asked how much it would likely be priced at - I was told maybe £7 - £8! I only had £10 in my pocket at that time, so I offered that to them and said I’d take it as it is. They were pleased to let me have it at that price and so was I. It really is in outstanding condition and the only issue is a small dent in the base, just below the ‘England’ stamp. It’s date stamped on the underside of the base, ‘May 1959’ (559XA). The only thing I have done is clean the globe with warm water, rub the speculum plated tank with an alcohol wipe (still showing a little dust in the photos) and removed the tarnished brass burner assembly and dipped it in a solution of vinegar, salt and flour for 3 hours, then used a brass wire brush to clean it. It has come out much better than I had hoped. I have changed all the seals with the exception of the pump. I haven’t touched the pump internals as it seemed to be OK, just the pump to tank seal was changed. I can always change the leather seal etc at a later date. At some point in the future, I may restore the cage with a new coat of suitable paint, though a few chips give a little additional character to it! I have used a new, ‘genuine 164x’ mantle. Could anyone please confirm that it is actually the ‘X246 Guardsman’ please and if it is OK to use ‘Lamp Oil’ (see last photo) with Tilley Lamps instead of paraffin/kerosene. This is what I have used in the tank and it seems OK. I guess Lamp Oil (liquid paraffin) is a refined version of paraffin that should run cleaner so it could be used indoors with less fumes/smell if required ? – many thanks.
Wow! That is the shiniest, newest looking Guardsman I've ever seen! Congratulations on finding such a perfect example. As for fuel, use standard kero and nothing else. Most if not all of the commercial 'Lamp Oil formulas will contain extra ingredients that will eventually block the jet at the end of the vaporiser. Lamp oils are generally intended for garden wick lamps, not pressure devices. My advice would be don't use anything except paraffin or kerosene which are both the same thing just with different names. Replacing vaporisers is expensive and unnecessary.
That's a very nice example, congratulations. That lamp oil is for wick lanterns not pressure lanterns. The flash point is twice that of paraffin (closer to diesel ).
Thanks for the replies and for the advice regarding the use of ‘Lamp Oil’. It had indeed been used for an indoor oil lamp with a wick quite a few years ago and was on a shelf in the garage and had been left there for some years. I’ll drain this oil and refill with the correct fuel to maximise the lamps efficiency and the lamps parts longevity. I appreciate it’s not wise to have a mixture of different types of oil in the tank, but I’m sure any hybrid oil remaining will disperse through use. Many thanks again for everyone’s contributions to this post and to the ‘Classic Pressure Lamps’ website/forums as a whole. Cheers
I'm sure the lamp oil will disperse pretty quickly once you fill it with kero... oh, and don't overfill it. I doubt you'll be running it for hours and hours so maybe a couple of inches in the tank will be fine. I only just saw how much you paid.... wow, that's an insane bargain you found, well done! I guess now you'll need another to keep it company and then maybe a Bialaddin as well... or a Vapalux. He he!
I've drained and refilled the tank with a small amount a paraffin I purchased to test and it's now noticeably brighter! Regarding the price I paid for this X246, as I said in my initial post, it was a case of being in the right place at the right time and almost certainly the shop assistants naivety on the collectability and/or the value of such an item. I almost felt guilty, just for a second or two at the price, honest! and the potential true value never entered my head! I look forward to hopefully adding to my collection of two Tilley's now. The other being a purchased, brand new, never used X264B with a red tank. I did purchase an additional two tanks with no paint which do look so much better than the painted one. I'll get round to putting a high shine on it one day. I suppose most of the 'fun' is actually turning a grim looking find/purchase/gift into a piece of art through elbow grease and spit and polish. I think on my part I should look out for one of these and try to bring it back to 'life' and maybe then I can call myself a true 'fettler' like so many who grace these forums. Cheers
I wholeheartedly agree... the fun and satisfaction for me is finding something that was destined for the scrap and turning it into a beautiful, working lantern again.
