How many hours of use can one get from a mantle? It seems to me that mantles sometimes become dimmer in light output before they eventually break. I realize that there are many factors at play here such as brand, type, lamp type, fuel, pressure, etc. Feel free to chime in with your anecdotal or technical experience.
Suprisingly the mantles on our "Scout" Tilleys have survived reasonably well, even in one case when a lamp was dropped - (The same couldn't be said for the glass). The odd poke by inquisitive fingers will obviously kill them off though....
I have a Coleman 339 here which I bought in about 1982 complete with fitted and burnt in Coleman #99 mantle. That lamp went on several Scout camps with me and has had a new generator fitted but still has the same mantle. Over 30 years and hundreds of hours and miles but still it survives. ::Neil::
@phaedrus42 I've had some mantles for years (still do). It is usually me or a moth that breaks my mantles. Badly tied mantles are the first to spontaneously break, usually by falling down. Cheers Tony
I have read of using hairspray on mantles for transport. It was said to burn off on lighting. I have never tried it. I knew one guy who transported his Coleman double upside down on long trips. He swore by it. Kid you not.
Yes I have done this many times. Use the cheapest you can get not the fancy soft hold stuff. Spray lots and it holds them well. It does indeed flash burn off on lighting and does not seem to harm them at all. ::Neil::
I have noticed them degrade, especially the thin part. Hard to judge on the dimness. I recently found a old dusty 327 Coleman Quicklite that had a old course weave mantle on one side. I left it there as it looked good, and it was brighter than the new Peerless I tied on. I cant bear to waste a unbroken mantle. Too cheap.
Aladdin wicky mantles definitely do that, but mainly because they shed material when they get disturbed at each lighting, it's almost impossible to avoid. I can't say any pressure lamp mantle of mine has suffered anything apart from shock damage - semi explosive blow backs at relighting when hot are included in that. My eyebrows went same way as the mantles. The hair spray trick works well for me for preventing damage in transit.
@phaedrus42 I've never noticed a mantle "dim" with age except for when the vapouriser starts to give out. Sometimes they get "black spot" from running too rich, but get the lamp re-tuned and they're back on track. Cheers Tony
