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Coleman lantern rebuilding

Started by jjmk98k, March 01, 2005, 03:46:07 PM

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jjmk98k

One of my other hobbies is collecting Coleman Lanterns. I have rebuilt better than 75 so far and own just over a 100 lanterns and lamps...

Anyone who has ever spent a decent amout of time in the great outdoors has counted on a Coleman product at one time or another.

If you have one that's old and not working well or at all, instead of throwing it out... check out

http://www.oldtownyucca.com/coleman

you can find all the stuff you need to rebuild your one or two mantle lantern and it has VERY detailed rebuild instructions for FREE.

usually a new generator or a valve stem seal is all you need.... a average rebuild is less than $10 for new parts.... and the satisfaction of doing it yourself.... thats free!

not trying to give the guy a free plug, just trying to offer some good information.

Jim
Jim

Warminster PA, not quite hell, but it is a local phone call. SUPPORT THE TROOPS!

Jeff

Can I get an igniter there for my spud gun? ;D
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

jjmk98k

If you're talking the flint "twist sytle", yes, about $3.00

Frank, the guy who runs the place, real nice, just always VERY busy!

Jim

Warminster PA, not quite hell, but it is a local phone call. SUPPORT THE TROOPS!

KiwiCharlie

Hey Jeff,
Got any good building plans for spud guns?!... :)

Jim,
When we first moved to the farm, and my parents were in the whole self sufficient thing, ie no power, all we had for lighting was kerosine lamps and Coleman lamps.  It brings back great memories of my childhood, one of which was watching Mum and Dad while reading at night (no TV either!).  They would slowly start leaning and turning slightly to get the most light on their books as the Coleman started going dim, as they do.  Finally Dad would growl out at me - " Charles, pump the Tilly"  !! :D  Dont know if its the same in the US, but we called them tilly lamps.
It always seemed to be my job to pump the thing!  >:(  ;)
Cheers
Charlie.
Walk tall and carry a big Stihl.

KiwiCharlie

Hey Jim,
Your threads got me taking a real trip down memory lane!  As it was me pumping the thing up, I used to pump it as much as I could to make it last as long as I could!
That 'roar' they make when theyre going full tilt!...  :D
Filling that little 'starter' cup thingy, and the knack it took to getting it going...
Taking it down to the river at night, trying to catch eels...
Taking it up to the shed to feed the lambs...
Taking it out to the woodpile for more wood...
Taking it out to the garage when someone got in late...

When we finally moved up in the world to a windmill power system, the tilly just got retired, from memory.  Your posts making me want to see if its still around in the shed and see if it can be got going again!  Although only as a memento this time!  ;) :D
Cheers
Charlie.
Walk tall and carry a big Stihl.

redpowerd

lantern rebulding is EXCITING! not knowing where the flame might shoot out next, the popping, the hissing. i have about 5 lanterns and one works. the other four are in bags. ill havta copy some of that great info and bring it out to the shop some sunday.
thanks.
NO FARMERS -- NO FOOD
northern adirondak yankee farmer

jjmk98k

Whew, I am glad this post stirred some interest...  I always love to hear the "hissss" of a lantern.... the single mantle lanterns are preferred for "sound"

just remember, DO NOT overpressurize the tanks, some of the older ( 40's and 50's) colemans were made with Brass tanks( called founts).   

Also the added pressure causes "blow out" holes in the mantles, which is VERY bad. I had a old single mantle and the bottom of the mantle fell off after i had lit it and I didnt notice... 30 minutes later i went back to it and that thing was HOT, I could harldy hold the tank in my hands....

all the heat was shooting straight down toward the frame rest and tank... I recon a little while later it might have "popped" if I had not seen it and turned out off right away.

and there is NOTHING like cooking bacon and eggs on a coleman stove on a brisk fall day while sipping some coffee made in a old perculating pot....

Oh yeah, Coleman stove and lanterns, good gadgets!
Jim

Warminster PA, not quite hell, but it is a local phone call. SUPPORT THE TROOPS!

Bro. Noble

We have some lanterns with wide shades that were a muxt for gigging.  The ones without the wide brimmed tops would blind you.  All the giggers use electric lights now.  The underwater ones work best,  but the game wardens frown on them :D :D
milking and logging and sawing and milking

beav

   Be careful with the mantles on those lanterns. They contain thorium, a radioactive isotope.  :o The burnt bits should be carefully disposed of. you don't want any in your lungs. :(

jjmk98k

Beav,

Some brand mantles do have that, coleman brand do NOT ( so I was told)have any radioactive material..... besides, there is probably more Radioactive matierial in the average smoke detector.

Jim

Warminster PA, not quite hell, but it is a local phone call. SUPPORT THE TROOPS!

etat

Exactly the information I needed. ;D

Now, if I could just get my hands on enough of them burnt lantern mantles with the radio active isotope so i could continue my experiments with cold fusion. :)


Old Age and Treachery will outperform Youth and Inexperence. The thing is, getting older is starting to be painful.

Furby

 :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

jjmk98k

cktate.... I might be able to help you out with that. I go through plenty.... ::)

Jim

Warminster PA, not quite hell, but it is a local phone call. SUPPORT THE TROOPS!

beav

   just take a hint from our recent ex president and don't inhale any. thorium particles lodged in your lungs are a known cause of lung cancer. don't inhale smoke detectors either. ;) otherwise enjoy your lanterns. just trying to help. ::)

jjmk98k

Thanks for the concern beav, You are right though, some mantles do have thorium in them.

but i try my best not to inhale mantles, I stopped that long time ago..... snorting it is bad too....


I used to "shoot up" smoke detectors..... I gave that up when i got hooked on Grits  :D  :D  :D
Jim

Warminster PA, not quite hell, but it is a local phone call. SUPPORT THE TROOPS!

Stump Jumper

what ever happened to them colmen gold top mantles they were tough ? do they have kits to convert the older ones to gasoline? i love my duel fule lantern  8)
Jeff
May God Bless.
WM LT 40 SuperHDD42 HP Kubota walk & ride, WM Edger, JD Skidsteer 250, Farmi winch, Bri-Mar Dump Box Trailer, Black Powder

jjmk98k

The old gold top mantles are gone, no longer made but can be found on eBay time to time. 
As far as kits to convert, I know of none. All of the older ones were made to burn either  fresh UNleaded fuel or Coleman fuel.  For a dual fuel stove, unleaded gas gives more BTU, but coleman fuel always brurns cleaner.

When you compare cost of coleman fuel to the cost of a replacement generator.... there is not much savings burning unleaded. ( unleaded gas around here $1.89 a gal, coleman fuel at walmart $3.79,( wal mart brand white gas is about 80 cents cheaper) new generator avgerages about $8 for a lanterns, sometimes cheaper, for a stove, around $12-14

I have a lantern from 1946 and it says use only clean unleaded gasoline of coleman gas.....

Unleaded fuel tends to be more dirty and causes the generator to clog up faster.

Coleman fuel ( according to Coleman website) will stay fresh in an unopened can for 7 years, 2 years in a opened can.

For the dual fuel users, it's all up to you , but I prefer the Coleman fuel just becuase it stays fresh longer and burns cleaner.

remember, dual mantle lanterns (220 228 styles)usually take a #21 mantle
small single mantle lanterns (200, 200A 242 202)use either a #21 or a #99 ( much brighter)
big single mantle lanterns(236, 237, 335, 321) use a #99 or #11 ( very bright, around 500CP)



Jim

Warminster PA, not quite hell, but it is a local phone call. SUPPORT THE TROOPS!

Stump Jumper

my single mantel red  lantern dont like unleaded burns too hot  :o
Jeff
May God Bless.
WM LT 40 SuperHDD42 HP Kubota walk & ride, WM Edger, JD Skidsteer 250, Farmi winch, Bri-Mar Dump Box Trailer, Black Powder

jjmk98k

Then there you go! Stick with the coleman "White gas" and you cant go wrong! 

try a #99 ( #999 for canada folks), it burns super bright and is just fine.

Jim

Warminster PA, not quite hell, but it is a local phone call. SUPPORT THE TROOPS!

DanG

This reminds me of a funny that happened years ago.  About 10:30pm one night, I heard a strange "bumping" noise at my door.  It was one of my neighbors beating on the door with his elbow.  It seems he had knocked over a can of contact cement, tried to catch it, and got it all over both hands. After cleaning up the mess on his workbench and the floor, he tried to wipe it off his hands, he glued them together. :o ::) :D :D :D :D  We tried everything I could find to cut the stuff...gasoline, mineral spirits, and some other things I had around...all to no avail.  Then I spotted my can of Coleman Fuel.  Just a little dash of that and he was a free man again.  8) I'm not sure what would have happened if we hadn't found something that worked, but he was beginning to wig out about his situation! :D :o :D :o
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

Paschale

 :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

That's too funny!   8)

This thread is cool!  It's funny, since when you guys mentioned the hiss of a Coleman lantern, I could suddenly hear that sound from old camping trips growing up, and it really took me back.   :)
Y'all can pronounce it "puh-SKOLLY"

jjmk98k

Believe this or not, almost every night my lady and i go to the hottub to relax..... We enjoy the night by Coleman Lantern light, a old Canadian 236 that is one of my favorites.... near 500 candle power

My camp, has 5 lanterns for general use, my house has over 100 lanterns on display/ use, some as old as 1925 and still working!

Jim

Warminster PA, not quite hell, but it is a local phone call. SUPPORT THE TROOPS!

sawguy21

Quote from: jjmk98k on March 02, 2005, 10:11:54 AM
Whew, I am glad this post stirred some interest...  I always love to hear the "hissss" of a lantern.... the single mantle lanterns are preferred for "sound"

just remember, DO NOT overpressurize the tanks, some of the older ( 40's and 50's) colemans were made with Brass tanks( called founts).   

Also the added pressure causes "blow out" holes in the mantles, which is VERY bad. I had a old single mantle and the bottom of the mantle fell off after i had lit it and I didnt notice... 30 minutes later i went back to it and that thing was HOT, I could harldy hold the tank in my hands....

all the heat was shooting straight down toward the frame rest and tank... I recon a little while later it might have "popped" if I had not seen it and turned out off right away.

and there is NOTHING like cooking bacon and eggs on a coleman stove on a brisk fall day while sipping some coffee made in a old perculating pot....

Oh yeah, Coleman stove and lanterns, good gadgets!
Ahhhh, that is one of lifes great moments
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

SwampDonkey

I enjoy using coleman lanterns, naftha gas ones, and wouldn't get along without one during my camping expiditions. Only thing that I run into is the mantles are real fragile and the glass globe easily breaks, even when inside the carry case when it tips over. They are expensive pieces of glass ($15.00 ??? ::) ::) ). Thanks for the valued info JJ and others
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

jjmk98k

Yes, the mantles are fragile, just nature of how they are made and what they are made of. The globes are a weak link as well, but a coleman lantern is really worth its weight in gold if power goes out or you're on a camping trip.


anyone ever have a question or maybe help with parts, feel free to PM me.



Jim

Warminster PA, not quite hell, but it is a local phone call. SUPPORT THE TROOPS!

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