Not so grand a ‘time capsule’ find as Jeremy’s house clearance Primus 1050 but this Bialaddin had immediate appeal as unrestored, put away and forgotten about maybe, but dry stored and not decayed. ‘Honest’ is the term often used to describe a bygone in this condition I think. Globe is sound and original. Dust, cobwebs, screw slots not mangled - encouraging details. More dust and cobwebs. Those nuts are going to unscrew, no bother. The hexagonal air buttons unscrewed effortlessly. Remains of its last mantle still present. Non-return valve covered in varnish. I cleaned that off, but more importantly off the internal bore of the NRV and the seal ‘pip’ holder to ensure free movement. New NRV-to-pump seal stamped out of viton sheet, a job for my Måby punch set. New NRV pip too. ... more to follow.
The orientation of the needle control and handle is not only practical but adds symmetry as well. I find it very pleasing to the eye. Henry.
Yes, they're about still... 1946-51 Bialaddin 300X ...even if the seller wasn't quite as honest as the lantern! John, are the two patches of enamel loss on either side of the hood in the same place?
@Gareth Shepherd Thanks Gareth! @David Shouksmith Yes, I’d previously read your post on that one and the use of a shagpile carpet by the seller to mask the loss of paint around the font base rim! Correct, David. I suppose a breach in the enamel top surface allowed water penetration and rust taking hold would lift more enamel top and bottom. I’m tempted to seek a better colour match of enamel powder than the red I already have and have a go with the tripod-and-blowtorch enamelling technique. Not so much for the appearance, but it’d be good to weatherproof the patch. Should be easier to do the detached cap, if only for access, than the caps of the one-piece hoods I’ve ‘torched’ so far. John
That is a lovely lantern in original ‘unmolested’ condition, as some sellers refer to these days. Well done. I wonder if you can be prosecuted for ‘lamp molesting’ these days....?
If the crime were ‘re-purposing’, ‘up-cycling’ by drilling a hole in the font for electrocution, that’s the punishment I’d wish on the perpetrator to fit the crime.
Yes! Do you mean drill a hole in their "fount"? Let the punishment fit the crime. The Mikado - Gilbert and Sullivan.
Something like that John. For my money a font is definitely found in a church for Christenings or it is a style of text. It's a fount on a lamp or stove or come to that a person who needs punishment for those misdeeds!
I thought of two other possible explanations:- 1. There was some impurity/inclusion in the metal there, or; 2. surface contamination of the metal e.g. the hood top fell on the floor and someone picked it up with bare finger and thumb Either of these -as well as your explanation, of course - might result in the enamel failing to adhere to the metal substrate Whatever, it's strange in my experience to have enamel loss at exactly the same place on both sides of the metal...
Could it have had an impact that was enough to crack the enamel but not enough to show? But a few light ups later...?
Thanks, Tony. That kind of thing is ubiquitous on Bialaddins which have the two-piece, welded hoods. I presume the weld metal and substrate metal have different expansivity (is that a word or have I just made it up?) so when they heat up they expand by slightly different amounts which sets up stresses in the enamel. This then cracks, water gets in, rusting starts and the enamel comes off. I suspect that's why W&B went on to using (true) one-piece hoods... IIRC, one of my less-than-superb Superbs has four such areas...
In case you are all wondering, I accidentally deleted my post. It said: @David Shouksmith & @presscall I have an enamelled hood somewhere that has enamel loss in 4 spots at 90 degrees from the centre. I think it is a Gloria. I’ll look tomorrow. Cheers Tony
