Good evening, fellow Tilley enthusiasts, I would be really grateful to receive comments and advice concerning one of the Tilley R1 radiators I have volunteered(?) to restore and sell, on behalf of a charity, for whom I give my free time. It appears to be something of a mish-mash of parts to me! Basically a copper reflectored R1, finished on the back with gold paint, as is the handle bracket and fount. What interests me though, is that the complete pump mechanism and control cock are in aluminium (which suggests post-war)but the fount shape and control cock knob, might suggest earlier? Also the vapouriser tube seems to be too short; I would have thought the mantle should be central to the reflector? As I hope you can see, the fount has also been painted in some kind of black paint, in the region where the upper handle screw is located and is packed out with either plaster or polyfiller. I'd like to restore it to as near original condition as possible but, don't know what that would have been! From checking out parts prices, it's going to cost a minimum of £35.00 to restore (washer kit, ceramic tube, primer cup, etc.,) and that's without considering a longer vapouriser tube and gold paint! So I need to earn maximum profit for least expenditure (but, then, don't we all?!) Regards, Jim
Hello Jim, that appears to be a 1940's R-1, but it may be earlier, so check the depth of the control cock socket. If it's only just deep enough for the control cock which is in it, then it is a 1940's example, but if the socket is deeper then it's earlier. The pump and the control cock are later replacement parts and the vapouriser is a 606, it should be a 169. The reflector is correct and so is the gold paint on it's back, if it is a 1940's tank then it would have been painted with the same colour of paint, there should be a wire guard fitted to the front of the reflector and the wire mesh mantle is missing. The link below shows a complete R-1, but the wire guard which is on it is a later example, Jeff. http://0flo.com/index.php?threads/2761
I can't see a profit in this. To restore to near original it wants a new vaporiser and period valve and pump. Then a paint job and at the end you might get £30 odd for it. I don't normally advocate this but it is probably worth more broken up for parts than you might get as a restored heater. If it was for your collection and you wanted to have the pleasure of displayng a restored and beautiful heater then perhaps it would be worth the effort but for a charity it is a lot of work for little or no profit. ::Neil::
What Jeff said and the Polyfilla definitely worries me. It's probably hiding a dent and pressurising the tank - thus flexing it - may cause the Polyfilla to fall out. Car body filler might have been a better choice but, again, may fall out when flexed. If you're going to sell this for charity, it really needs a guard for safety reasons, although the effectiveness of the original type was questionable in my view. If it had been a better example and complete then a light fettle and respray would have seen it OK. As it is, I think you'd probably pay as much, if not more, for parts than you'd get back for it - sorry... Edit - crossed with Neil...
Thank you, Gentlemen for your frank and honest replies. I now have to concur with you, so, I will keep this to one side and "do-it-up" for my own use, as time and money allows. With regard to dating, Jeff, I have checked the depth of the socket, as suggested and, yes, it is deeper than the thread on the ally control cock, so I presume it is 1940's as earlier. Where does this shape of fount fit into the date line with the "pork-pie" and the later dome shapes? Does it have a model number? I also have a later aluminium-shield R1 and the same comments would apply. I'll keep this one as well, for use in my shed, while the copper one will be kept for "best". Thanks and regards, Jim
Hello Jim, in that case, that tank is pre 1940, Tilley changed from the XN., control cock to the GF., control cock in 1940 and the link below shows information on Tilley control cocks. The pork pie tanks were introduced in 1946, but they were not used as heater tanks. The model number for that heater is R-1, but Tilley did not give model numbers to the tanks. However, in later years when they changed the style of the tank, then the R-1 became the R-1-A. If the reflector on your other R-1 is an aluminium example and not a speculum plated copper reflector on which the plating has dulled, then it is actually an early reflector. Jeff. http://0flo.com/index.php?threads/3607
Hi Jeff, As far as I can tell, it's an ally shield. I attach a photo of the bits and also the bottom of the fount. As you can see, partially repaired with a weld! I'll have to ensure this ia ok., before I use it. Not having the best start in this hobby, am I? Still, onward and upward! I have an X264 and an AL620, which only need a bit(?) of fettling as well as the hanging lamp (as it turns out) that I had thought was a table lamp but, that needs a lot of work and parts! Regards, Jim
Hello Jim, that looks like a plated reflector to me. That is a 1950's tank and it's the first one which I have seen that has needed a repair to the base plate. I see that you have a Tilley asbestos mantle in it's box and in my opinion, that is the best place to keep it. I never use asbestos mantles only wire mesh mantles. I look on Tilley R-1 heaters as a source for spares, (but that is not everyone's view) as I can often buy an R-1 for under £10 and the vapourisers are worth that, I do use an R-1 in my shed. Happy lamping from Jeff.
Wrong colour for aluminium. That is a chrome plated copper reflector. As Jeff says a 1950s R1 probably 1950 to about 1954. Odd repair that because that is about the best engineered tank Tilley ever made. I am not a big fan of the heaters although they can work well. These from the 1950s in semi rough condition like this I generally don't bother trying to restore but dismantle for scrap by removing the base plate and saving the parts. The base plate from this tank is a very nice 6 inch dish which can have all sorts of uses. For instance that is what I heat up a bed of sand in for tempering springs and I have also reworked the rim to make a pretty fair reflector for an AL15 because the dish is about right and if you flatten out the rim and then roll the edge it is the right size. ::Neil::
