A tiny 100cp lantern, in this case suffering from the dreaded English Petromax (clone) Black Mantle disease - as do all my lanterns of this type. I must be doing something wrong... Edit - this lantern is no longer in my collection.
Neat lantern. I've had that problem before of the black mantle on my Optimus 930, but that was simply because I haven't burned the mantle well enough.
I have had this problem on a lot of Swedish lanterns. Mostly Optimus but also on a Radius. I am not sure why but I wonder if it is just that these lanterns don't like English kero much. Try adding around 10% gasoline to the fuel. ::Neil::
OOOKAY? Isn't that a bit "dangerous" with a lantern/lamp without "positive shut off"? The Radius doesn't have a "foot valve" like a Petromax; or does it? Does the 101 have a "cone valve"? Bob
The lantern was designed for kerosene and does not have any safety features you would expect for a petrol lantern. I don't have a Radius, but my Optimus 100N runs fine on the kerosene I can buy here.
Here in the USA the Amish burn a 75/25 mix of kerosene/Coleman fuel in their lamps. We collectors refer to it as "Amish Blend". It shortens the carbon chain a bit but makes lanterns like the Coleman 237 burn cleaner with longer generator life between cleanings. It will increase the volatility but not to a point where it would become dangerous. I have a Radius 119 that burns K-1 kerosene just fine with no mantle blackening. Is the mixing chamber air gap set up right on your 101? Bob
I am still living My house is still standing I use for every lantern gasoline (I am owner of several)
What will you do if the NRV seal (or any of the others) fails? How will you turn the fuel supply off..?
You must use gas resistant gaskets. Open the -knob- slowly, on the fuel cap. Nothing will happen, and the mantle will be white, not black
Isn't adding even a small amount of gasoline potentially dangerous, as the gasoline will evaporate in the tank and produce flammable vapours that may ignite if the pressure is released when the lamp is lit?
No because the two liquids mix so they are not present as seperate liquids. Adding gasoline just lowers flash point and increases volatility. ::Neil::
The American collectors call it the Amish blend and according to Bob, it's 75 percent paraffin and 25 percent Coleman fuel. If I was using such a mix I would use it in a lamp/lantern which has a positive shut valve, Jeff.
The Amish are not foolish people. Regrettably, our local Amish community will not use pressure lanterns, but I'll ask around when I get a chance to see if the folks to the north use the blend.
I used to have a lot of trouble with kero lanterns until I started using top quality kerosene. The cheap stuff will foul up a gen in no time. The good stuff will run for hours with no flame degradation. Some folks I know in these parts say the Amish people they know have never heard of "Amish Mix". :-)
