Tilley X246 Refurb

Hi folks

A little while ago I successfully refurbed a Hipolito H502. To be honest, it wasn't so much a refurb as a clean and refuel and away it went My next project might just be a little more fiddly though! I recently picked up this Tilley which I've identified as an X246.



To begin with I'm wondering if that's an original globe and also with the date code of 1160AX on the bottom would I be right in assuming that that corresponds to November 1960? If so, what does the AX stand for and if not, does any one have any idea of a date for this particular model please?

I'm looking forward to this one, I think it's going to feel quite satisfying to get it cleaned up and working again

Any tips or anything that anyone thinks I should know would be most gratefully received

 

Nice condition,no horrible plier marks on the knurling,it is nov 60 and has got a bialaddin type preheater so it wont go walkies like the tilley one, I might be right thinking its a very late model by the push on control knob, have a look for the seal kit from the fettlebox on the home page ,it'll be an OLD498 kit you need, give it a good clean up and you'll be ok.glass is ok,is it sooted up?
only thing you wont know until firing is the codition of the vaporiser,,,,

 

Thanks for confirming the age. The glass is indeed in fine condition and just sooted up, I'll be taking good care of that as I clean it up! I'll be having a look round for seal kits and the store was going to be one of the places I was going to look, thanks for the pointers for the correct kit.

I'm just going to clean it all up, the top isn't in too bad a condition although there are a few chips. I'm undecided as to how to tackle the fount. It's in good condition and would polish up very nicely, I'm just not sure if that would look a bit odd with the chips in the top piece.

Also, apologies to the mods if this was posted in the wrong forum, I'd figured to have it as a WiP thread so thought the Fettling forum would have been the correct one, thanks for putting it right

 

That's a name I recognise from British Blades isn't it ?

 

Used to be yes

 

Ooooh ok, get the hint ! Good luck with the 246, reckon that won't need to much fettling

Cheers

 

The tank looks to have a nice patina, so I'd say just a clean and then rub some furniture wax on it to bring out the colour. Clean the glass and the hood and leave it at that. I've polished these up before and having a steel cage it'll never look as good as one would like. Your cage is painted but I still think if the tank is too shiney it may look a bit odd next to the original? cage.

Just my opinion, I've fallen foul of the polishing mops many times before and wondered whether I'd done the right thing.

 

I think you're right, just clean it up and give it a bit of a waxing and leave it at that.

 

That glass probably got sooted up because a previous owner didn't pre-heat for long enough. For a first lighting, I'd fill the pre-heat cup right to the top, let the meths soak into the wick and then top up again. I'd let it pre-heat for at least 2 minutes and maybe even three. That's probably over-the-top and you'll be able to shorten it a bit with experience. But a long pre-heat will avoid any potential flare-ups and if the lantern doesn't burn correctly after that, it'll point to the vapouriser possibly needing replacement...

 

Advice for the first time Tilley fettle:

1. Take it apart gently.

2. Take the hood off and unscrew the burner from the hood. Soak it in 1/3 vinegar and water for two hours, clean it with a cloth or if it's really dirty, some 00 or 000 steel wool. Make sure there is no gunk inside the burner. Tighten all the bits up to very tight hand tight then a slight tightening with multi-grips lined with thin leather. Check that all looks clean and tight and clear.

3. Take the vaporiser off. Check that the tiny pointy end of the vaporiser needle makes its way through the vaporiser nipple (less than 1mm is needed) by carefully but firmly pressing the bottom of the needle on a hard surface and watching the top of the vaporiser.

4. Then take the needle out and soak both the needle and the vaporiser in the vinegar mixture for a few hours. Clean the needle (carefully) with steel wool and tap the vaporiser firmly many times to clean out any carbon inside it. Refit the needle and make sure it can emerge from the tip of the vaporiser.

4. Take the control cock apart (look at The Base Camp site for an exploded view of the control cock) and soak it in the vinegar mixture for a few hours and thoroughly clean it.

5. Do the same for the pump.

6. Then replace all the washers and seals with new ones (you order from The Fettle Box).

7. Clean out the fount by also soaking in the Vinegar mix, drying (with a hair dryer if need be), then flushing with kero a few times.

8. Tighten everything up. The externally fitted bits like the control cock and the pump are only fitted to hand tightness.

9. Put about 800ml of clean kero in the tank. Put on a new mantle.

I have a PDF of an old Tilley instruction book if you want it.

Cheers

Tony

 

That's in really nice condition, even the hood is pretty good... I have three of these now and not one decent hood between them!

 

Thanks for the tips David and Tony, they're really helpful! Tony I'd love a copy of that PDF, I'll message you my emaill addy.

 

I was extremely lucky with both this and the Hipolito that came from the same person, just wish I's snapped up the third one from the same seller now!