Tilleys, Tilleys and more Tilleys…

So I’ve started my first proper Tilley restoration on the freebie X246 (first pic on here) that was given to me by a neighbour. Stripdown was remarkably painless, although the tube appears to have some odd kind of black varnish on, and the burner nuts are solid. Would a good soak in paraffin be recommended for those? Pics at end of this text…

However, I’m now sure that these Tilleys keep multiplying… a visit to my localish restoration yard discovered two more for £10 each. Pics here… one seems to be virtually identical to the X246 I’m already working on, albeit it came with a very loose reflector and asbestos wick tray.

The other - an X246b - is quite tidy and is stamped 1269 on the base. December 1969?

It’s the left hand one with Tilley stamped on the side. It also seems different to my other X246b (on the right) and I’m guessing is earlier? That one has no stamps anywhere. Anyway, onwards and upwards! This is really quite addictive…

C

 

The black varnish like sustance is fuel residue and will need a long soak in varnish remover / acetone before attacking it with wire wool.
Paraffin is very searching so will act as a penetrant but when those nuts are tight, they are TIGHT. You may strike lucky but don't expect it to work after just one overnight soak.
It's rare to find an X246B with no stamping, I'd expect a date at least. Are you sure the date stamp isn't just very faint ?

 

Thanks Henry. I’ll get started on the soaking. The threads by the nuts are all full of solid carbonised crud as well so that’ll hopefully soften that.

I’ve double checked the base of the second X246b and there’s a very faint ‘T’ but that’s all. I will be stripping the paint off that one however when I get around to it, so more might be revealed.

On a different note, is the knurled nut at the base of the vaporiser removable as in the Bialaddin 300X? The reason I ask is that in the recent X246 from yesterday the pricker is well and truly seized in there. I’ll soak it first naturally, but taking the nut off may help too.

best Chris

 

It depends; if the bottom is brass yes, if it's a later steel one no.
The preheater is a user modification; it's probably off a Bialaddin 310.
As for the reflector, a pic would help, but it might be a Bialaddin/Vapalux one as they do sort of fit on Tilleys.

 

Well done, it looks we have other person with lampitus.

 

Happy fettling!

 

As requested … any thoughts ?

 

My guess is, it's a Tilley PL53 reflector.

 

Or Outdoor Wall lamp ' Hospital lamp' etc

 

See here:

tilley pl53 reflectors

Cheers

Tony

 

Yes it is but you'll find that once loosened, it will tighten up after a couple of turns so lubricate, wind back in a little, unscrew a little further than the last time, lubricate and repeat until it comes out. It will go back in easily enough but as with the Vapalux, I always put a little copper grease on the threads.

 

So… here we are after a full strip down and inspection if anyone’s interested. Basically, despite having sat in a shed for 30+ years everything seems pretty intact albeit in need of a good strip down and clean.

Two questions … is the hood saveable or is it best to just leave as is? And what would be best to strip the paint from the tank. I’ve done tests with both Nitromors and Paint Panther (I saw a recommendation on this forum) but both don’t want to touch it… not even the faintest sign of a blister.

Thanks as ever in advance

Chris

 

Hot water seems to do for Tilley paint. As for the hood - I would live with it until a better one comes along. It all looks very promising

 

Yep tried that just now and incredibly it works - the paint seems to soften and blister much better than the actual paint stripper! Not sure what the mrs will say when she finds a slightly paraffinish Le Creuset but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it

On the minus side I’ve got the burner off but two of the nuts are dented - old injury, not me - will that affect performance? Also the whole thing is crudded up to an incredible degree. It and the vaporiser are soaking in paraffin now …

C

 

As long as the nuts go up and down the thread they should be fine. They may be a little eccentric but if they are you may be able to squeeze them back to being a bit more round. That crud is probably an effect of it not running very well for a while, or with odd fuel. Don't go too mad cleaning up the brass as it will discolour as soon as you light it up.

 

@Automedon

I took these photos then something happened this end but @Fireexit1 has sorted you out

As you can see, these two are misshapen..



..but they can still screw on a fair way



I don’t usually unscrew the air tubes as the threads can get messed up easily but this one was loose and came out easily

you are making great progress

 

Hi both, thank you. I’ve attached a pic of what I mean … they’re more dented at the end that is not screwed on and I was worried that would affect performance in some way? Perhaps just best to replace ?

The fuel that had been in there for 30+ years incidentally was bright green - same colour as Fairy Liquid… possibly some kind of specialised lamp fuel? It doesn’t smell like paraffin but has the same oily consistency

C

 

Hi @Automedon

like @Fireexit1 said, as long as you can screw them far enough along the air tubes they will be fine
The green fuel may be the same fuel that left the black ‘varnish’ on the pump tube?
I would keep it for cleaning parts as the price of everything seems to have gone up

regards
pb

 

Most likely T.V.O. i.e. Tractor Vapourising Oil which was withdrawn from sale in 1974 so that fuel was OLD!

Tractor vaporising oil - Wikipedia

 

@henryplews

I can well believe it - the layer of dust on it was quite something when it was unearthed so it had been there a long time! Good tip about the acetone btw … worked a treat on that varnish although the pump has now turned pink which I imagine will polish out.

C

 

They're amazing lamps/lanterns. We here in the USA never see them... As you probably feel about Colemans over there.

I'm trying to figure out where to start with a Tilley... But it's my understanding that they're really easy to work on (fettle) so usually the worst off you are is some gaskets...
Nice collection...

 

Ah yes - Colemans we have aplenty - but not all of the models that's for sure. Some were even made here a while ago. The more exotic US ones are a little more rare, as are the older ones.
There were a fair few Tilleys imported to the USA, so not totally unheard of, but I am not aware of Vapalux/Bialaddins being formally imported to the USA.

 

Yeah @Fireexit1 never seen one here, but think if I did get one it would have to be through the bay...I just hate the damage it might take if I do.
On the other forum I have been talking about a Shmel 4 that i got from Ukraine...the slavs sure know how to pack a stove...I was surprised that the box looked like it was destroyed but inside the stove was perfectly fine (pot too) but we are not talking about a glass globe attempting to cross the Atlantic.

 

David Shouksmith used to have a Bialaddin badged 315 lantern (the rare cream variant) with an importers sticker (Anderson of Florida), but yes, most of them were imported under the "Imber Research" brand.

 

Start here: https://classicpressurelamps.com/threads/tilley-fl6.23363/

 

@Fireexit1 yeah I dont mind importing one myself, I just have no idea what model of Tilley to start with. Seems like the model X246(B) seems to be the most abundant online, just pricey little things to come all the way to los angeles...haha

 

@Remus1956 pm me and we can maybe work something out.

 

Just a quick update...

So, the first X246A from the top of the thread (the one that had the 'varnished' pump) - had its first successful light today. No glass, just blue flames from the burner. An initially hairy 30 seconds where it looked like a flarestack quickly subsided into a nice roar - I'm guessing more pre-heat needed, plus a slight leak from the vapouriser gasket - I'll get a new washer from Fettlebox.

More digging into X246A number 2 - the one that came with the Bialaddin pre-heater as an extra - has thrown some issues. First the burner looks distorted - the ends of the air tubes look wonky for want of a better word - a quick test on X246a number 1 did get them down to a nice blue burn but only after there was a flaming leak from where the vapouriser met the burner. Prior cleaning had shown them to be crudded up to the max with a carbon-varnish for want of a better word. And... the vaporiser is blocked - have tried quenching, acetone, soaking in paraffin, banging it, swearing at it, offering it untold riches and scraping the inside but no joy. It's one with a nice brass nut too, so I'm reluctant to get rid - have had the nut off, and managed to free the very stuck needle but the end is resolutely blocked. I have six spare vaporisers heading my way shortly but I'd rather get the original off the blocks... anyone want a go at attacking it?

On the plus side - tank holds perfect pressure and pump is just fine

Best

Chris

 

Well the vaporisers were designed to be a consumable. Sometimes they just don't want to come back to life.. Burners can wear out as well, and with a lot of use can warp/bend. Often they continue to work OK. The mantle support (bottom part of the burner or spigeot) is also a regular replacement part.

 

Are you 100% sure the end of the needle hasn't broken off the wire and is stuck in the orifice ? The end should look something like this. If it doesn't, don't throw the vapouriser away just yet. base-camp usualy has spare cleaning wires (#607) but at the moment, they're temporarily out of stock.