Hi all, Here's another odd ball lamp I recently restored, picked up two weeks ago from my "hopeless cold case restoration lamp" box. This lamp is a alcohol fed, gravity stand lamp I bough from the Czech Republic about eight years ago, during my gravity lamp period. I knew this would be hard call receiving this lamp from the Czech seller, but also a demanding challenge. I started to clean it up but saw early that the fuel container was rotten and the generator and fuel pipe had cracks. The fuel valve control was stuck and the ceramic burner nose had broken threads. The threads connecting the lamp base and stand tube was beyond repair, so off it went down a box, to the rest of the cold case lamps I had. Before I dumped it I had found an original shade for it and I also had a coppersmith made me a new fuel container. Looking for parts for another restoration I saw this lamp for the first time in eight years and I decided to have a go at it. I fixed the stand and lamp base connection, made a new generator with a steel mesh packing and made a new copy of the broken fuel feed tube. Soldered all parts back together, found a burner nose to fit and made a lighting try with a great success. This lamp has a badge with "Patent O. Karlin" on it and I believe it is made in the former Czechoslovakia ( or Empire of Austria before 1918) somewhere around 1910 -1920. I can't find any patent or other paperwork for this lamp but there are similar alcohol fed lamps found also from Czechoslovakia with the brand name of "Elektra". In around 1910 and later, there were several alcohol fed gravity lamps with good quality manufactured in Europe from Wiktorin & Co./Vienna , Hugo Schneider (HASAG) and Gebrüder Lauterbach from Berlin. My lamp and most of the Elektra lamps are not that sophisticated as the Wiktorin and Hasag lamps, more kind of crude and rough made and more simple in construction. /Conny .....and some "before" shots.....
@Lundo007 ....kind of, but I would say more middle-class as this lamp have some semi-sophisticated features. Working man/class alcohol gravity lamp is for sure the Elektra lamp @Dusan posted here a couple of weeks ago. I also have that lamp, and simple built it is kind of very clever for getting the blue Bunsen flame we need for making incandencent light....Elektra I think one could make a lamp prototype of this kind with just a few tin cans and some brass tubes, maybe I will try this later. /Conny
I saw @Dusan s post.I appreciate the simplicity. I am thinking of trying to make an alcohol mantle lamp with this cheap propane burner.....after a little more research perhaps! .I like your Idea of making your own Elektra style lamp....keep us posted.Lundo.
