Hi all, Despite my mid-November resolution to resist any further acquisitions this year, my resolve gave out, again! I have had an Optimus 930 on my wish list having been seduced by the stepped hood and curved glass globe. I have watched a few on auction websites but couldn’t justify the cost. This one however was listed by a home clearance company and from the photos online it looked fairly rusty and covered in paint. Though it did have what looks like original glass (?) and was a quarter of the price of other 930s I’ve seen. Anyway, it came in the post today and I was pleasantly surprised. Not as many paint splatters as I thought and the corrosion is very light. It also came with a service kit, tools and the instructions (which are soaked in paraffin). Pretty pleased with my little bargain and have a feeling it would light without any work. So for the corrosion on the chrome? Tin foil and Diet Coke/WD40 seem to be the top suggestions I’ve read so far. Any other methods worth considering? Thanks Scott
There will of course be the remaining little pin pricks where the corrosion originated from. I can polish the font to give that some protection but is there anything that can be done for the hood?
Quick lunch break wire wool and mother’s mag fettle and she’s looking good. Swap out a few seals tonight and see if she’s a runner. Will need a bit more work cleaning up her less visible parts but there’s no room on the workbench at the moment so hopefully this is a nice quick win!
That is looking superb, I agree with you on the 930 it's a good looking lamp. I have a chrome plated Hipolito lamp and the surface looks very much like yours in the first pictures, I was trying to decide if it is specs of chrome which have lifted off or is it something sitting on the surface of the chrome, looks like you sorted that, I will try the same technique on a small part of mine, will be over the moon if I get a similar result.
It seems to be tiny pinprick holes in the chrome with then surface corrosion stemming from the holes. I assume I’ve just delayed the inevitable but will get a good layer of polish on the font. The hood will still be vulnerable but there’s not much I can do about that I assume.
Fine930and nice fettle! I also fixed one recently. It was ridiculously polished But they go quite warm and usually turn blue in the chrome after a while. But shines very brightly. common lamp here in Sweden.
Running a bit rich on first light up but stripped her down tightened everything up with a bit of copaslip on the threads and away she goes. Seems susceptible to gusts of wind which flares up the mantle but after 15 mins ran much better. Has anyone got a lighting method that works? I don’t have an Optimus spirit can and couldn’t get a flame up through the bottom plate so I just popped the handle off and lifted the glass to light it. Perfectly doable but there must be a better way.
Do you have one of those plastic alcohol bottles with a spout? You could take a spout from an old Windex cleaner bottle, take the pick up tube in the bottle and cut it so it fits the old plastic alcohol bottle. The you can stick it thru the bottom of the lantern. Another suggestion is a youtube video called "Lantern Lab" the fellow shows you how to make an alcohol bottle. And the do work!
Look for one of these on the Optimus page of base-camp.co.uk 2808 obsolete, substitute 20-2810 Spirit can with locking spout. I've used a washing-up liquid bottle with a piece of 3/16" (5mm) O.D. copper tube bent to shape for years. Swap the cap with tube for an original one to guard against leaks when not in use.
I had to 'adjust' the size of the hole in the bottle top but I've never needed to use a sealant because it's never leaked. Bonus: When held with the curves in a horizontal plane, the filler works well on Vapalux & Bialaddin lanterns with the tall glass cylinder.
Just the job Henry! I had to widen the top of the fuel bottle as you did, but it’s worked a treat. There’s a knack to getting it in, I just need to figure out how to make a bendy taper now to light the fuel! Thanks again!
A straight one works, just hold the business end at the lip of the spirit cup. When it's hot enough, the fuel will start to vapourise and ignite. A long nosed gas lighter or a chef's blow torch are suitable alternatives to long matches or a taper.
Thanks Henry, I have used my plumbers torch to light it today. Just a quick blast on a low heat did the job.
