Hi all, I was gifted these 3 stoves yesterday. The hurricane lamp and glass one both seem to come from Czechoslovakia and I'm not much in to them, I'm more into stoves. The Tilley lamp however, I thought was something I could get working again and use outside. As I started to strip and clean it, I thought I'd better backtrack and take some photos first and getting some expert advice. It was pretty black before I started cleaning it, and the gallery has the sort of discolouration I'd expect from brass that's been in the sea! The fount looks like it paint with a good decal, black paint underneath with no visible markings. The corinthian column is brass and will clean up nicely as will everything else above it. The black knob is I believe a GF one from 1940's? I know I'll need to get a full set of seals and washers, as well as a mantle, globe and pre-heater burner, but everything appears to be there and functioning as it should. I do have a couple of questions to the group: 1. Is there a particular style of globe or code I should look out for? 2. How do I remove the little black knob? I've read in one place it's a straightforward pull off, another said it's threaded. 3. Is there any way of telling which model it definitively is, and a rough date? 4. Apart form the items I know I need to get, is there anything else I should get? Look forward to hearing from you.
@Colin McCarthy , hello and welcome. Nice Corinthian Tilley table lamp. Your looking for a 182 Tilley onion globe you can find on eBay, Terry @TTM , the base camp. Your cockvalve has a screw off black knob, unscrew to the left/ lefty loose. The burner is post war,leaf springs are on the outside, you may need new ones if they are fatigued, you can get the full service kit from here at the fettlebox, Give your lamp a good clean, soapy water and gentle scouring, dry of with cloth, I prefer to keep them as found patina and all it’s aged beauty as not everything needs to be overwhelming shiny. It’s your lantern / lamp to do as you please, your lamp once serviced and operational will be bright and beautiful as it is. You have a beautiful lamp there
Thanks Darryl, I think this may be a bit of an ugly duckling, but it may grow on me as I try and get it up and running. I've manged to remove the black knob safely enough (thanks again), but I thought that the spindle it is screwed onto would be free to come out, allowing the gubbins inside to come out. I can't see how this could be done, am I missing something?
@Colin McCarthy Hiya This is all that comes off the spindle but the bit near the bottom unscrews ( the bit that screws in the lamp base stem?) Cheers there you go.. there is a seal in there but not everyone bothers with that one Have you had a look at the vapouriser? Be careful with the thin needle rod. Hours of fun… Did you say you wanted to use this outside?
Welcome to the light side Colin. The control cock is a sealed unit and doesn't come apart. There are no seals or other serviceable parts inside. A good lamp and should clean up nicely .
Ah, that's all beginning to make sense now, thanks all. I was planning to use this outside, but I was wondering last night if it's designed as an indoor one, which I'm guessing it is?
@Colin McCarthy , it may sound and look cool but be aware, the fumes put out by burning kerosene are harmful/ carbon monoxide. It will render you unconscious and die, not to be used in a small inclosed space. Use outside on your patios etc. use in a big vented area inside but I stress well vented.Do not be complacent.
If the lantern is working as it should AND you have ventilation in your house you can use them indoors. I do occasionally (with windows open) but I also have a carbon monoxide detector !
Thanks for the warnings folks, but there's no danger of the lamp being used inside, I had envisioned it sitting in the centre of the patio table in decent weather. Ordered a set of seals, just waiting patiently now.
That's a nice Tilley TL10 or (TL11 according to Jim Dick's book page 22) you have found. She should clean up nicely. I also use my table lamps inside quite regularly in winter, with no problems, but they are always in my view never out of sight for safety reasons. In my shed I often run 5 or 6 lamps at a time, my shed is well ventilated. Enjoy the fettle mate.
Cheers Buggerlugs, I was just remembering last night how I would spend weeks at a time living in a 12 x 12 tent, burning Tilley lamps and kero heaters back in the 80's/90's. If it was cold outside, there would be very little ventilation, so we could stay warm!
Yes I remember using nothing but a Kerosene heater in our bungalow to keep warm, when we were kids. Also using pressure lamps in our tents when we were camping, sure does bring back fond memories as well. The main thing is to always remember they can be dangerous, so never leave them unattended and use that thing must people have forgotten these days, common sense and all will be fine. So Tilley on and enjoy.
Tilley designated these as TL10 if the lamp came with a shade and no globe, and TL11 if it came with a globe and no shade. In Australia, though, the if the lamp came with a shade it was usually also fitted with the globe and insect shield because of our kamikaze moths and beetles. Cheers Tony
I obtained the lamp with neither shade or globe, although a globe will be on order. Also, if I put a shade on as well as a globe, does that make it a Tilley TL 10.5 or a TL 21?
So, after new seals and o-rings from Fettlebox, and globe and bits from Tilleylampsandstoves, I've got her lit. BUT, surely it burns brighter than this? The Tilleys I remember, you could never look at the mantle even in daytime. This is at a fair bit of pressure and it just seems a bit dull. Is this how they're meant to be?
@Colin McCarthy That looks very nice! Is it any brighter now the light is fading?? What brand was the mantle? There are lots of threads and discussions about mantles and which are brighter than others.
It might also run better without that upper shield. That one looks a bit too restritive to me. ::Neil::
Hmmm, hadn't considered that, I'll try removing it next time I fire it up and see if it makes a difference. Cheers
