I'm probably asking for someone to go over old ground here, and this topic must have cropped up fairly often before on here, but I can't find reference to it. I have a T10 and a Chrome 300 font, and though both are excellent, and the chrome is really very good on the 300, they have both developed stress fractures around the seam where the base plate has been soldered in and weep ever so slightly and annoyingly. I feel both are beyond the scope of an external repair, and wonder whether any of the epoxy tank sealers should be considered the most effective of all. I have a reluctance to go down this road,as it's another of those one way streets so to speak, and if the stuff fails or is ineffective getting it out would be a proper embuggerance. These are lamps I use, and just keeping them as book-ends is not really a future I can cherish. Any words of wisdom would be most gratefully received !.
Tank sealer may be the only way to go but it isn't exactly cheap (e.g. POR15 Motorcycle Fuel Bike Tank Repair Sealer Kit). Make sure to use a degreaser to wash out the tank before you start and if you decide to use the product in the link, be aware that there is enough sealer to treat 3 or 4 lamp tanks so don't pour in the whole contents of the tin all at one go. Remove the NRV from the pump barrel and screw in some kitchen roll to keep the threads clean. Removing the cleaning needle control from the 300 will make sure the fuel riser tube doesn't sealed. Taking the needle control from the T10 will make it easier to blow the pipe clear after you've coated the inside of the tank - and don't waste time, it doesn't take long to start setting ! Henry.
TVM Henry, I am grateful for your views which are probably from experience. I had to clean both of these out from the outset (amongst a good many other lamps) with drain cleaner (Caustic soda content.) and I think that solves the grease problem pretty well. I take your point about the T10 riser, as its a long way down to drill the thing out ! Much obliged, Roger
@ROGER BAKER You're welcome. I've only used POR15, there are other sealers available but most are two-part epoxy sealers, it may still be worth your while to shop around. Henry.
@ROGER BAKER When fettling this Coleman 1951 COLEMAN 249 SCOUT Fettle Mackburner suggested connecting a fish tank air pump to the riser tube to help curing. It also helps to keep the tube clear if some of the sealer gets on the end of the tube. Others have suggested placing a wire down the tube and giving it a giggle to make sure the riser doesn't block.
I have got through a lot of POR15 over the years and only had two failures. Both on the same make of tank because the base plate flexes under pressure and cracks the resin. Both were Radiolite table lamps so pretty rare and obscure. I have had many successes though and it can fix a damaged tank pretty well. It will work fine in Bialaddin stuff. No rust issues with these all brass tanks so you just need a clean and oil free inside and you will get a permanent fix. POR15 comes as a system. A cleaner degreaser, metal prep and the resin. The metal prep is an etching primer and is reusable many times. A small resin tin will do maybe 4 or 5 tanks so it is best to line up a few tanks at a time since the stuff does not survive well once opened. Do not get the resin where it's not wanted. Stuff sets like rock and can be very difficult to remove from threads or fingers. ::Neil::
I have used POR before. Once on a Vapalux 300, steel tank and a Coleman L220 slant. I still have both and they work great. The stuff is not cheap but works very well. I was concerned about the fact you dealing with a tank designed to hold gasoline or kerosene with a lot of pressure pumped in.... Take my word it's going to work.
