I bought an Anchor 909 and can’t get it to light!

I saw a gorgeous Petromax lamp in a store for £59 and thought nah, I’ll never use it. Then I got home and wished I’d bought it, so got a cheap Anchor 909 off EBay.
It was described as good working order but these things always are……
For starters the pump valve was stuck, and it’s taken me ages to unstick it but today I finally managed it. I got pressure up, it holds pressure well, I got the mantle fitted and nicely burned in, I got the rapid pre-heater fired up which is terrifying then switched over the control dial to light the lamp and………nothing. There’s a sort of fire in the top compartment of the lamp but that’s about it.
I’ve tried preheating for longer and longer times, pumping the pressure up higher but still not the gorgeous effect I was looking for.
I’m a complete newbie to pressure lamps and any advice would be gratefully received!

 

There’s a video here of it not working……

 

Welcome aboard!

Photographs will help us to assist you.

 

Ta! I’ve attached a link to a YouTube video, but it’s awaiting moderator approval. It’ll hopefully show soon…,

 

With the lamp cold do you get a steady stream of kerosene through the air gap under the hood?

The manometer on the fuel knob needs to read above 1 bar minimum, the preheater is working nicely but it really takes the pressure down quick.

 

Photos will definitely help as you can show us some details but personally I never use the rapid preheat torch. I'm sure they work fine but they use up loads of pressure and can damage mantles, not always but they can.

It would be nice to see under the chromed hood so we can have a look at the burner and the j tube.

Just to confirm, these run on paraffin not petrol. You probably already know that but it was worth checking as using anything other than pataffin can be extremely risky, even life threatening under certain circumstances.

 

Is the jet screwed in firmly ?

Your Anchor lantern is a copy of a Petromax and although the build quality may be inferior, it is just as capable of giving a good strong light as the real thing provided everything is adjusted correctly. Read and inwardly digest the information here to learn more about how your lantern works and what to do if it doesn't. Restoration of a PETROMAX 829 Lantern
You may wish to go straight to "Rebuilding instructions" which deals with adjustments but it's all good stuff and well worth taking the time to read it.

 

Thanks Henry. That file looks like a really useful reference.
Pardon my ignorance, but which piece is the “jet”? I couldn’t see a specific reference to that part in the Petromax parts listings.

 

Hi. I’ve just checked under the hood, and there is indeed a steady flow. However, it’s in the wrong direction because I’d put the hood on backwards!!!
Thank you for your help

 

Thanks for your help. I am indeed running on paraffin, but it’s definitely good to check!
Having taken off the hood to photograph underneath it, I realised my stupid error - I have the hood on backwards!
I have now remedied this, and the lamp works a treat - thanks so much for your help

 

Thanks all for your helpful advice - you’ve set me on the road to falling in love with these wonderful old tools, so I shall doubtless be back…..

 

Part number 50. You'll find that different people / nationalities use different names for some parts. In this instance, European manufactures refer to #50 as the nipple, most Brits call it a jet because it's not unlike the jet in a carburetter, many in North America refer to it as the gas tip because that's what Coleman and other manufacturers called it.
Other examples include the leather washer in the pump referred to as "cup" or "bucket". Washer, gasket and seal are (usually) the same thing. The "one-way-valve" at the bottom of the pump tube/barrel = non return valve commonly abbreviated to N.R.V.

 

Glad to hear you've got it sorted.

You can save money by NOT investing in a grappling hook and good quality strong rope, you're already on the slippery downward slope to becoming a

COLLECTOR ! Welcome to the institution.

 

Ah, got it! I wondered if that was the part. I will check it for tightness when I next get a screen-break.

 

Be aware that both the aforementioned jet as well as the mantle holder/burner head have a tendency to loosen up with use, be it heat or dissimilar materials; it happens. It’s all part of the fun with this design.

 

Well to add: to light the mantle you need fire.
So closing the rapid to fast before the gas can ignite may also cause a dark lantern. First turn the main valve slowly to open (needle down) until the mantle lights up then close the rapid.
Also take in account that with the rapid on full military blast, it uses pressure from the tank which you have to pump in again.

 

I’ll be sure to watch that! I think the ceramic mantle holder might already be loosening….

 

Ta. That all makes sense. I’m going to try a soft ignition lest time with the spirit burner

 

We'll definitely need some photos when you've finished cleaning it up!

 

Will do! There’s still a lot of rust and pitting to remove from the chrome, but I’ll try to get some pictures up when it’s presentable.

Burning well

Now that’s bright!!

 

Just like you, I fell in love with the Petromax design and history but couldn't find one so I bought an Anchor lantern off Ebay. It ran fine, except the doggone porcelain burner unscrewed itself dropping the mantle to the bottom of the lantern. It was caused by the threads on the burner being inadequate. This happened twice before I ordered two replacements from Pitman Marine (no association). The new burners have much more pronounced threads than the one that came with the lantern and fit more securely.

A tip from another member: use some small gauge STEEL wire and secure the burner to the upper frame of the lantern. I used this method before the new burners arrived and it worked quite well.

The Anchor brand lanterns may suffer a bit from quality issues, but they work very well. Just keep an eye on things each time you light it. Oh, they are made from chrome plated STEEL and consequently will rust if left in damp areas. I put some Johnson's Paste wax on the fount of mine.....none on the top....and it shines "real purty" while keeping dampness at bay.

 

I bought a bunch of very rough old Anchor lanterns and managed to cobble together a 909 from the pieces. Good grief it's rough with loads of rust spots on the tank and collar but it's so bright and starts first time, every time.

The quality isn't the best but they seem pretty robust. This is mine...



If you zoom in you'll see the rust!

 

Mine was pretty rusty - I soaked it in mild citric acid to remove the worst of it. it removes rust to leave steel - so if you leave it in the damp it will come back... but like others here say - it always works..

 

Yeah, I think my ceramic burner is already working loose. I will have to keep an eye on that, as I imagine they can break very easily.

 

Rusty, but functional! Just like me!

 

Welcome from Queensland Australia @DarkDave
Well done on getting her up and running. Now your next lantern waits you ..... looking forward to seeing your future posts.
Cheers
Pete

 

The NRV was stuck closed when I first got it, but I managed to unstick it by creating a vacuum in the fuel tank. I’m now getting a juddering when I pump, which I guess means it’s about to jam again?? Thankfully I bought a spare from Base Camp, and my boss has machined me a handy tool for removing it. That will be a job for the weekend!

 

The juddering can be the pump leather needing some oil to soften it up. Those NRVs can be rebuilt by just replacing the rubber pip in them. Maybe put the new one in and recondition the old one for a spare or the next project ?

 

Ah, okay. I’ve slapped some coconut oil on the cup washer - let’s see if that helps for now.

 

Well it should smell nice even if it does not cure it