Pressure lantern

[Mike Kelly]

Something different. I recently found an old kero pressure lantern and after a bit of googling I found some background.

http://www.pressurelamps.co.uk/index...s/39-austramax

Wondering if these were used by the Aust. military in WW2 , after a quick AWM search I found a pic of one in use at Noemfoor 1944. The advert is from 1941.

Appears that these Austramax lanterns are still in production at Brunswick and very little has changed design wise since 1941 !
http://www.oillamps.com.au/presser%20lamps.htm

[Mike Kelly]

After more searching, apparently the military preferred the 'HANDI' lantern, these were manufactured in Brisbane from the 1930's onwards. The Noemfoor pic: the lantern does appear to be a Austramax so maybe both types were used by the services. The adverts are somewhat misleading ( and potentially dangerous ) because they state either Kero or Petrol as the fuels. Reading the fine print however reveals that Shellite is the optional fuel to kero . Myself, I would say some prayers before running these things on automotive petrol

http://handimuseum.tripod.com/the_factory.htm

[Mike Kelly]

The ubiquitous British made Tilley lantern as issued during WW2 .

[maple_leaf_eh]

The equivalent lantern in Canada is a Coleman white gas device. https://www.colemancanada.ca/en_CA/l...aphtha&start=1 Pressure tank on the bottom, feeding a generator, and the vapour burns in a rather fragile fabric mantle. The flame is contained by a cylindrical gas globe and a steel cap. To hang and carry it, there is a swinging bale handle.

The scale of issue is quite good. Someone figured out that the best container is a rectangular sheet metal box with a hinge and hasp. Throw some spare mantles, a generator and a 2" diameter fuel funnel inside, and that bad boy is a lifesaver. The heat from a lantern will keep the arctic tent warm and toasty!

I have seen a sheet metal reflector from the bottom that screws down with the top nut, and resembles a giant coffee cup. Otherwise, the heat coming off the top hat will cook your hand (and burn your glove or mitt).

[Lynn Eades]

Shellite, White gas, N.L.gas, White spirits. These are all non leaded petrol.
Is Naptha another one or is it something else?
I have a brand new 1966 dated British army issued lantern. It has a heater shield / reflector that came with it. I will post the brand name later.

[Mike Kelly]

Shellite, White gas, N.L.gas, White spirits. These are all non leaded petrol. Ah OK but the white spirits the hardware sells here isnt petrol.

Yes Nth. America is pretty much Coleman territory but they do turn up here as well.

Apparently the British forces also used the Vapalux brand during WW2 , the WW2 dated examples are worth big bucks as are the genuine Swedish made Primus lanterns. Seems that from the early 1900's onwards just about everybody ripped off the original Swedish Primus concept and it's been ongoing since then.

[Mike Kelly]

A wartime advert for the Handi lantern. I don't know how they can claim it is 'all British' because these lanterns were made in Brisbane.

1940 and 42 Coleman adverts. Apparently the KAYEN was an Australian copy of the Tilley

[Mike Kelly]

More strange wartime adverts. The British Coleman ! Seems everything is British made.

[Lynn Eades]

Mike I'm not sure what makes up the fuel sold for running cookers, stoves, lights etc. but those fuel names I mentioned were just petrol without the lead additive back in the day. See the wording with your add for the Model no. 3 lamp.
My unused lamp is a British made "Bialladin" Model 305, made in 1964 and broad arrow marked and has a W.O. Cat No. JA5557.

[Mike Kelly]

That's a nice lantern.

Some info here http://tgmarsh.faculty.noctrl.edu/uklant.html

Looks like Coleman maybe did have a factory in the UK , so 'British made' is probably correct for some of the Coleman models.I will ask the guys on the Coleman forum

[Mike Kelly]

It appears that most of the Coleman lanterns ran on petrol. Maybe kero was not as easy to buy in Nth America ? Many petrol stations here ( and the UK ? ) used to have a kero bowser as many houses had those smelly kero heaters .

http://www.oldtowncoleman.com/manuals/tb_qm_47.pdf

[maple_leaf_eh]

Kerosene is not common, except for those portable carbon monoxide generators, sold as indoor heaters. The typical kerosene lamp in Canada has a cotton wick on a little adjustment wheel, and it smokes worse than six old dolls out on a Saturday night at the bingo parlour. (Youtube Stompin' Tom Connors' "Sudbury Saturday Night" for more cultural reference)

What we call White Gas or Naphtha is clear and almost odourless distillate. It is sold in the equivalent of 1 gallon tin jugs with a cap and neck guaranteed to slop fuel everywhere. The Army's version of a container has a long plastic spout that is easier to control, but still manages to pour fuel everywhere. They are typically dark green and have orange fittings.

[Mike Kelly]

I found this early Austramax lantern and it appears it could be WW2 vintage.

The citric acid in warm water does wonders for cleaning up these old lanterns

[Mike Kelly]

I picked this up recently . A D/\D marked Austramax . It is a earlier model, there is a chance it was made during WW2 but not sure.

[Mike Kelly]

I managed to find a 1945 dated WW2 US issue Coleman lantern. These lanterns were made during WW2 by at least three different companies from 1943 to 45 . The basic Mil Spec lantern design was little changed and it was in production until 1991. The WW2 versions run on leaded petrol, they run at a lower pressure and temperature compared to other contemporary lanterns . Leaded petrol is not the ideal lantern fuel , it tends to foul up the vapouriser and they had to design a special vapouriser running at lower temps , the minimum required for vapourizing the fuel . These lanterns can be tricky to use but the requirement for a universal fuel that was already available in the field was important.

These lanterns have a spare parts well in the fount. The colour is the original forest green.

A rebuild log http://www.colemancollectorsforum.co...pid=1303026524

Some of the various wartime lanterns were made with steel founts, brass was in short supply and the lanterns were not expected to last for a extended period.

[pauldavies]

Hi Mike and I have quite a few old Tilley lamp spares in my possession and will dig em out, your more than welcome to them as there only gathering dust. Mantels, stems etc. Kerro fuel use of course, don't like the sound of petrol in these lamps.
Paul

[Mike Kelly]

Originally Posted by pauldavies

Hi Mike and I have quite a few old Tilley lamp spares in my possession and will dig em out, your more than welcome to them as there only gathering dust. Mantels, stems etc. Kerro fuel use of course, don't like the sound of petrol in these lamps.
Paul

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your help. Yes, I have a couple of the ubiquitous Tilley lanterns - a simple design but generally reliable .

As for the petrol , I agree it appears to be hazardous but 'gas' as the yanks call it seems to be a relatively safe fuel in lanterns.

[pauldavies]

Here they are and there yours for the taking, if you want them send me a private or something with your address on and I will send.
Paul

[David Dunlop]

Paul. Did they make ‘SAD MANTLES’ as well?

David

[pauldavies]

Hi David and the only thing I can say is I don't know! Tilleys came from Northern Ireland (Belfast) and my dad had loads of them as he worked on British Rail and seemed to borrow them a lot, I used to have and may well have one in my storage shed but can't find it. Mike may throw some light (no pun intended) on the subject as he is a wealth of knowledge on these things.
Good luck
Paul

[pauldavies]

The penny dropped after I posted,

[Mike Kelly]

Originally Posted by pauldavies

Hi David and the only thing I can say is I don't know! Tilleys came from Northern Ireland (Belfast) and my dad had loads of them as he worked on British Rail and seemed to borrow them a lot, I used to have and may well have one in my storage shed but can't find it. Mike may throw some light (no pun intended) on the subject as he is a wealth of knowledge on these things.
Good luck
Paul

Yes, they moved the business to Northern Ireland sometime around 1960. The earlier pre Ireland X246A Tillies are considered to be of better quality , The 246 B models were changed around by the accountants. The 1946 to 50 models are highly sought after, all brass construction.

I will PM you Paul.

[pauldavies]

Will get the bits away this week Mike, C8 radiator was blocked and had to do a full strip down, currently getting a thermostat housing forged as it's been repaired so many times it's cactus. Will be posting a 20 minute drive around Hervey Bay QLD in the C8 on you tube. Going well after I fixed the no2 inlet valve which was bent, not till you start driving these old things that problems jump out at you. All part of the fun.
Paul

[Mike Kelly]

Originally Posted by pauldavies

Will get the bits away this week Mike, C8 radiator was blocked and had to do a full strip down, currently getting a thermostat housing forged as it's been repaired so many times it's cactus. Will be posting a 20 minute drive around Hervey Bay QLD in the C8 on you tube. Going well after I fixed the no2 inlet valve which was bent, not till you start driving these old things that problems jump out at you. All part of the fun.
Paul

Forgive my poor memory, but I think I did post the Master manual to you , on a USB stick I think. I do have a few spare radiators , these are for the six cyl. models but they do appear to be similar to the C8 radiator.

A club member down here had two of the C8 4X4 models back in the 1980's, both trucks were originally 2 pounder portees. Hughes yard at Coburg had a few NOS spares and a new unused engine but that was years ago.

[pauldavies]

Hi Mike and yes I got the manual from you thanks and all good for bits at the moment, radiator is now fully functioning and the recent job was keeping the oil in but seem to have had success with that as well but will only find out when thermo hsg comes back and we go for another drive.
Paul