Petromax 821E conversion to petrol/Benzin?

Box and contents:

 

Date on inside of box lid is

March 1970.

I can take pictures of the lamps themselves if you don’t mind telling what to capture in the photos.

Thanks for your help!

 

Well nice box.
Just to inform you: you know you are missing two foldable candle holders?

As for the fuel: pictures of the lanterns without hoods please. This will tell us what version you have.
Just curious did you buy it in the states or is it shipped from Swiss?
I guess these are Geniol lanterns?

 

I'll go get photos now.

I think I'm also missing the boxes of wooden Swiss matches. No surprise, I guess.

I purchased these from an online 'surplus' catalogue that frequently had Swiss gear of various sorts, though I thought the 'advertisement' or listing in the catalogue said "Petromax". It's entirely possible that they were using that name to clarify what type of lamp rather than who was the manufacturer. I don't remember seeing the Geniol name.

 

Looks like Petromax Germany.

 

Two nice looking lanterns.

They have the straight vapouriser for gasoline but as I said before, they will burn kero.

As well as a boxed set, I have a single lantern which although now fitted with a Preston loop vapouriser, worked well enough with straight kero providing there were no strong gusts of wind. Performance was much improved by adding 15% / 20% gasoline to the kero* and further improved by increasing the air gap.

There is no need to change the gas tip !

* I actually use heating oil, you may get away with a different mix, try a few different mixtures and see which works best for you.

 

@Henry Plews - That's brilliant news, and thanks for the heads up.

Sorry to ask such a stupid question: What is the 'air gap' and how do I increase it?

Thanks!

 

@brunop the air gap is the distance between the top of the gas tip (a.k.a. jet or nipple) and the bottom of the mixing tube (like an upside down letter J).

Although this document is for a 500c.p. lantern, the principle is the same for your 250c.p. example. Check out chapter 9 and all will be revealed - the only difference is the distance ! Use the end of the wrench to set the distance.

https://classicpressurelamps.com/attachments/px-rest-pdf.57117/

One more thing, if your lanterns are like mine, there will be a "foot valve" at the bottom of the lower generator (chapter 3 page 4) which uses a spring loaded rubber pip to shut off the fuel, it's not really necessary if you're going to use kero but it's easier/safer to transport the lantern with fuel in the tank but even so, it's best to release all pressure before doing so.

 

Yes - thanks for your time and help!

 

So I see its an 821E lantern, not an 812 table lamp. In general, it is already a kerosene-lantern based on the default original Petromax 821 design.
In my opinion, the conversion to or usage of benzin/gasoline (both by the German and Swiss Armies) on the basic lantern isn't such a great idea. It lacks some very crucial features to allow safe operation with benzin, light naphtha or gasoline. You are way better off using kerosene on this lantern design.
That's a very nice box of goodies.
No Preston loop? Looks like a straight vaporizer for 'benzin'/gasoline in the picture.
It should be easy enough to 're-convert' to kero. A Petromax Preston loop type generator with a 250hk jet would get you the intended objectives.
Happy fettling

 

Then I would first advice to make sure you know how these type of lanterns work.
So if things get scary, you know what to do.

 

The lantern pictured is a Swiss Army Petromax 523/821.This lantern has never been converted.It was ordered by the Swiss Army exactly as shown.It was only available with the straight carburettor and,as far as I know,it ran exclusively with petrol /gazoline.
You can read the age of these Swiss Army lamps on the bottom of the tank.Vintages I have seen are 1961,66,67,69,70.
The almost identical successor model was called Geniol 523/821 and was manufactured in Portugal.(Hipolito).Vintages I have seen are 1984,86,87,88,89.
For me are these Petromax 523/821 and Geniol 523/821 extremely reliable and safe.I don't know of any accident.

The Petromax 821E is a kerosene lamp with a J-tube fixation on the side from 1953 and has nothing to do with these two Swiss Army lamps.Even before WW2 there was already a Petromax E series.