new addiction... lanterns!

**jonty** · 06-11-2012, 06:58 AM

hey guys i have just got my first hurricane lantern and i love it iv also orderd a tilley storm lamp which my grandad used to use.

anyone have any of these if so post pics.

thanks guys.

**turtle** · 06-11-2012, 07:35 AM

Lanterns are a cool collecting hobby. A friend of mine's father collected railroad lanterns. He must have had several hundred from every railroad in existence. When he passed away a few years ago the auction of his railroad lantern collection got nation wide attention.

I remember being in total awe every time I would see them. His dad knew them all like old friends and loved to talk about any that you showed the slightest interest in. I learned to not look at one too long otherwise it came down and I learned everything there was to know about that lantern and the railroad that owned it.

**jonty** · 06-11-2012, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by turtle

Lanterns are a cool collecting hobby. A friend of mine's father collected railroad lanterns. He must have had several hundred from every railroad in existence. When he passed away a few years ago the auction of his railroad lantern collection got nation wide attention.

I remember being in total awe every time I would see them. His dad knew them all like old friends and loved to talk about any that you showed the slightest interest in. I learned to not look at one too long otherwise it came down and I learned everything there was to know about that lantern and the railroad that owned it.

sounds like my father in law but i love it its really good to hear people talk passionatly about what they like, i still get that your crazy look when my friends see my razors and soaps lol and now lanterns.

its pouring with rain here at the mo and iv pulled the curtains and lit my hurricane lantern its a really cozy wee light very nice.

ps. dont go on ebay while basking in the cozyness of this light as it has made me purchase 3 more lmao:)

**jonty** · 06-11-2012, 10:16 AM

Attachment 250211

**kosby** · 07-02-2012, 04:06 AM

That's a cool lamp. I have a railroad lantern that belonged to my granddad and will try to post a pic when I get a chance.

**SO758** · 07-02-2012, 05:07 PM

Oh awesome! A thread about my other old stuff collecting hobby!

**jonty** · 07-05-2012, 01:57 AM

lol i just got two more hurricane lanterns and a tilley x246b stormlamp i need a mantle for it though i will post pics of them all lit soon.

**jonty** · 07-27-2012, 04:53 PM

got two more tilley x246b storm lamps and have restored them they burn really well will get pics up soon

**tinashubby** · 07-27-2012, 05:12 PM

Light is power!
Used to do some camping, bought a UCO 3 candle Candlelier. Really nice, the candles sit on springs inside a housing and as they burn down, they automatically raise up. Really nice for power outages in the house.

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/...50?cm_vc=PDPZ2

**Pkrankow** · 07-27-2012, 05:56 PM

Lanterns are a fun, relatively safe way to revel in controlled pyromania!

I have 4 Coleman white gas lanterns (3 antique, 1 modern), a modern Coleman propane lantern, and a Sears propane lantern (currently non functional. I suspect spiders). I use them a couple times a year for lighting the yard for parties. I borrow a few to have enough yard lighting for a bonfire and costume party we host around Halloween.

I like the 1 mantle versions better because they seem whiter than the 2 mantle lamps. My modern and one antique are 1 mantle, the other two antiques and both propane are 2 mantles.

Most of my antique Coleman's have been less than $20 and required a generator, new mantles, and cleaning (garage sales, flea markets, Ebay). Yes, I disassemble to clean initially (I test the lantern first, if it was used regularly it won't need a tear down), fill with laquer thinner and some BB's (count the BB's), and let it soak with some shaking for a day or two, then drain, rinse with more thinner, then take apart the rest of the way to use pipe cleaners on the little parts with lacquer thinner, remove the BB's using magnet stick if needed (count the BB's) then reassemble with new generator and mantles.

I also have a number of kerosene wick lanterns, mostly modern, which I use in poor weather (frequent power outs) or when the chimney needs heat because it is reversed and smells.

I am wanting a Petromax, but haven't sprung for one or two yet. They are not cheap.

I also have a few white gas blow torches, but have not tried to make one or more functional yet. (I like fire)

Phil

**jonty** · 07-29-2012, 08:25 AM

the petromax is a really nice lamp indeed but yes very expensive i will be getting one of the anchor clones first. and thanks for the write up of how you clean the inside that will be very helpfull but thank god i havnt had rust in my tanks yet there brass so im ok for now but the anchor is stainless steel it will need drained when not in use.

**jonty** · 07-29-2012, 08:30 AM

Attachment 261290 these are my two tilley x246b stormlamps the gold lamp is dated 77 while the other is 72

**jonty** · 07-29-2012, 08:38 AM

excellent lanterns tinashubby they have a part that you can buy that lets you run lamp oil with a wick instead of a candle aswell very well made.

**Toddy** · 07-29-2012, 03:03 PM

The earlier Tilleys from the 1940s and 1950s were better made.

If you need mantles I can get them from the hardware store in town for you.

My lanterns are the Vapalux type which IMO are a better lantern.

**Pkrankow** · 07-29-2012, 08:27 PM

I haven't had a rusty tank (neither inside nor out), but I have had full of thick pasty varnish. This is usually because unleaded automotive gasoline was used instead of white gas, then the lantern was let sit for years.

My Dad's lantern I borrow from time to time for parties sat for 15 years filled with Coleman white gas. It fired up and did not require anything other than mantles. One lantern I got was supposedly used about a year previous with unleaded and it was gummed up with varnish and would not stabilize after lighting. The pasty varnish was in a flea market find, and the only one I did not test light.

I did devalue one significantly by painting the font since all the paint had fallen off. "Collectors" prefer as original as possible. Users want it to work right! It is my favorite lantern and gets used regularly for just doing things at night. I do try to preserve things as original as I can, bit I try to be realistic about it

Those Tillys are handsome. I always liked the open look instead of having everything covered like on the Coleman lanterns.

I have been wanting a table lamp style (as opposed to lantern), of any brand, but they are desirable in less than useful condition because of how rebuildable the lamps are. Things were built to a different standard most of a century ago!

Phil

**jonty** · 07-30-2012, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by Toddy

The earlier Tilleys from the 1940s and 1950s were better made.

If you need mantles I can get them from the hardware store in town for you.

My lanterns are the Vapalux type which IMO are a better lantern.

very true and thank you for the kind offer, the vapalux m320 are brilliant lamps as are the bialladin civi models.

**jonty** · 07-30-2012, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by Pkrankow

I haven't had a rusty tank (neither inside nor out), but I have had full of thick pasty varnish. This is usually because unleaded automotive gasoline was used instead of white gas, then the lantern was let sit for years.

My Dad's lantern I borrow from time to time for parties sat for 15 years filled with Coleman white gas. It fired up and did not require anything other than mantles. One lantern I got was supposedly used about a year previous with unleaded and it was gummed up with varnish and would not stabilize after lighting. The pasty varnish was in a flea market find, and the only one I did not test light.

I did devalue one significantly by painting the font since all the paint had fallen off. "Collectors" prefer as original as possible. Users want it to work right! It is my favorite lantern and gets used regularly for just doing things at night. I do try to preserve things as original as I can, bit I try to be realistic about it

Those Tillys are handsome. I always liked the open look instead of having everything covered like on the Coleman lanterns.

I have been wanting a table lamp style (as opposed to lantern), of any brand, but they are desirable in less than useful condition because of how rebuildable the lamps are. Things were built to a different standard most of a century ago!

Phil

brilliant yes a table lamp would be really nice sitting around and mayby a nice shave by the light of it:) the tilleys in my opinion look better than the colemans but for light output those colemans are hard to beat apart from a petromax.

**packersfan117** · 07-30-2012, 12:40 PM

We've got quite a few of the antique table lamps, I'm not sure what brand they are, but I know they're from the 20's-30's. They've been in my family since they were new, and they still function; we've used them during the ice storms of '03 and '09. Of the four we have, they can light up a room just as well as an electric lamp.

**Slash McCoy** · 07-30-2012, 02:10 PM

I have a couple of cheap kerosene wick type hurricane lamps on my boat, for backup. I even used one for an anchor light, once. Cheap and fairly dependable.

**jonty** · 07-30-2012, 03:19 PM

Originally Posted by packersfan117

We've got quite a few of the antique table lamps, I'm not sure what brand they are, but I know they're from the 20's-30's. They've been in my family since they were new, and they still function; we've used them during the ice storms of '03 and '09. Of the four we have, they can light up a room just as well as an electric lamp.

definitely i was walking round my house with my red tilley lit and got a few funny looks from the family of coarse seeing as i turned of all the lights in the house for this little experiment lol and it was brighter than alot of the electric lights in my house lol.