Hi everyone this is my first project for a few months now. From information in the gallery/ forums this is the very first version of the optimus 200, actually marked 821 on the tank (though the early glass is marked 200). Can't find any pictures of these on the internet, are they uncommon? I may have to ask the odd question when I start dismantling and restoring it, don't want to damage this one. Fortunately it looks complete and original. Though the top cap has some dents the fount looks ok. It looks as though it may have had some work done (poorly) in the distant past - the control wheel is almost touching the pump, the base has been over-tightened onto the fount and it has been over-polished. There is no sign of the needle breaking the surface of the jet and the control wheel just seems to turn without any resistance at all. Looking forward to this one... Cheers Trevor
Congratulations on the Optimus 821. This is the first one I have actually seen. From what little is known, these were only made for a year in 1930. It will be interesting to see what the parts look like when you start dismantling this lantern. I'm guessing it will be very similar to the first variation of the Optimus 200, but there could be differences.
Hello, nice lantern you got there. Could it be that this one was made at the same time the Petromax 821 was manufactered in the 1930's? From what I know, these companies were busy copying eachother's lanterns. The Petromax Baby 821 is such a lantern. Maybe Petromax was first in making this type of lantern (the 200 series?), and they didn't like the fact that Optimus even copied the number, so they made Optimus change it to the 200? I could be completely wrong, I'm just speculating. Best regards, Frank
That is about right. Optimus used Petromax style numbers in 1930 for one year or so with models 821 and 826 which makes the lamps very rare because in those early days not so many would have been made and being older not so many survive either. That is one very nice find and the only example I know of one of those early Optimus lanterns. ::Neil::
Many thanks for all the info. It's nice to know there's at least one left then, I'd better be careful with it. I started dismantling it today and it came apart surprisingly easily. There was no trace of a packing washer between the vapourizer and fount, causing the control wheel and pump to almost touch. If someone can tell me how thick this washer should be I can make one. Tomorrow I'll dismantle the vapourizer and hopefully post some more pics. I'll post some proper ones in the gallery when it's finished. Cheers Trevor
I've just about dismantled the whole lantern now. Looking at pics of the early ones in the gallery there are some differences in the mixing tube and the pump, and maybe a few minor parts. I'll post some better pics of it dismantled in the gallery later. Unfortunately there is a part missing, the whole pricker rod assembly. I have a spare pricker, since the length of the pricker-rod looks adjustable in the diagram will one from a later 200 fit, or a 930? If so, if anyone has one spare from a scrapper it would be very much appreciated. On the bright side everything else is there and looks original to the lamp, possibly even the glass is original. All the parts are cleaned up now, just a case of giving everything a light polish, making some lead washers and putting everything back together. Thanks Trevor
I'm looking forward to seeing some more photos. There should be a lead washer between the vapouriser and the tank. I don't know about the thickness but 2 to 3 mm would be about right. It has to be enough so it can squash down when you're aligning the control wheel. The pricker rod is quite likely the same length as a later 200. A 930 pricker rod would be too short.
Thanks for the info Nils Only the fount and base left to polish now, then I'll make the lead packing, photograph the parts and then put it back together again. The screws holding on the top cap are actually steel, not brass as on my other early Optimus lamps, and were seized solid. Took ages to get them out by heating and quenching lots of times, probably the longest part of stripping it down. They have an odd thread size too. Cheers Trevor
If the top cap screws are the same as the first 200 lantern then they are a whitworth screw. 5/32 or 3/16 if I remember correctly.
Thanks for that, Nils. I decided to keep the original bolts and tidy them up a bit, since they looked a bit chewed up after being forced out. Actually, they're not only hard to remove but difficult to replace because the ends aren't tapered like the brass bolts on my other 30's Optimusus (or should that be Optimusi ?). I've cleaned all the parts and photographed them, just a case of putting everything back together now. Cheers Trevor
One other question. I'm just about to screw the vapourizer into the fount minus the pricker rod assembly and a thought has occured. If I can get the rod assembly at some point will I be able to drop the whole thing down from the top of the vap. after removing the jet, or will it need to be fitted from the bottom. Baring in mind this is a one piece vap. I'd hate to have to dismantle the whole thing again. Cheers
I'm pretty sure the pricker rod base (or whatever it's called) will not fit down the vapouriser. Especially the part between the two attachment points of the coil. Looks like the only way to fit one is to remove the whole vapouriser. Probably why they invented the two piece version.
