I’ve had a superb for about a year now and never done anything with it. So having a bit of spare time I thought I’d give it a go. Much to my amazement with some fresh paraffin it lit first go. Having gone that, I have since stripped it down, I’ve put a new seal on the vapouriser and discovered that there is no spike on the pricked. It also needs a new mantle. My 500cp ones work but look too big. Can anyone point me in the right direction for some smaller ones. I’ve looked on fettle box but couldn’t see them. cheers Malcolm
@malcolm race The superb seems by general consensus to work better with the larger mantle because it transfers greater heat to the vaporiser. I believe I’m correct in saying paraffin of yesteryear had a higher octane (if that is the correct term) rating than modern paraffin. Many collectors add between 5 and 15% naphtha to their paraffin to improve the running of certain lamps. Regards Jeremy
These Veritas Superbs are good lanterns and run very well. I use a larger mantle, for the reason that @X246A said, heat transfer to the generator. I have 2 Superbs and a 350A and they are fed just the ordinary kerosene (paraffin), they run faithfully on this standard brew. Cheers Pete
Thanks very much fellows, it was partly that the mantle was almost touching the vapouriser that made me think it was too big. Any ideas where I might get a pricker.
@malcolm race I've made prickers for the Veritas 350 but I have not done so for the Superb as yet. I will be looking to do so soon-ish, so when I have succeeded, I'll let you know and arrange to send you one. Cheers Pete
In theory, you don't need a pricker as long as the inside of the lantern is scrupulously clean and you continue to use clean fuel. However, if you do get a particle of muck in the jet, you're stuck...
The combustion takes place outside of the vapouriser, however, the heat combined with combustion in the chamber can cause the jet and vapouriser to block? we know that happens as we have all seen carbon build up around the pricker rod. I've always presumes that the pricker was to unblock carbon build up at the jet. Martin
Not necessarily, Martin. Carbon seems to build up a little lower down the vapouriser where the temperature is more conducive for that too happen - too low isn't hot enough for it and higher up, the carbon is burned off. I've always presumed jet blockages are mainly caused by little bits of grot that have got in with the fuel and possibly also bits of carbon build-up that have come loose from wherever along the fuel path...
Yes, I think this is the case. Prickers tend to get a build up of carbon some way down. I’ve just checked two Tilley vapourisers at random off unsettled lamps and both prickers show some carbon build up just below the height of the burner/mantle.
Don't forget, if you have good eyesight and a steady hand you can manually prick the jet with a suitable stove type pricker. I've done it with a Tilley and a Bialaddin when necessary. Don't forget we need a money shot!
Now I could easily be wrong but I thought stoves had larger jets than lanterns - 0.23mm and 0.32mm as opposed to ~0.16mm or whatever...
Oh... maybe in which case definitely don't... although I'm sure I remember manually pricking a blocked Willis &Bates vaporiser.
Well here’s the money shot. I’m really impressed with the looks, ease of fettle & ease of use of this lamp. But now back on the shelf till a pricker comes along. I’m sure I remember someone on here saying a while ago they were going to have a waterslide made for a superb, if I’m right I’d be interested in one if there are any spares. Cheers Malcolm
@malcolm race Beautiful, she lives! Congratulations on the fettle. @David Shouksmith Now, would we? Regards Jeremy
Nice money shot, Malcolm. I really like the design of the Superb with it's barrel shaped globe and figure of eight bail. Compared to the Coleman 220 I was messing about with over the last few days, it's so simple to take apart and put together! And David, I'm aware of the reputation they 'used' to have but in all honestly, I see no evidence of misbehaviour at all. I wouldn't touch them for years, since joining the site, because I knew they were rubbish, only it turned out they weren't. Now I've got four, soon to be five and all of mine just work - I don't know what else to say. No flare ups, no drama, no second pre-heats needed, no ambiant temperature fluctuations... nothing... and all of them are the same. They even start themselves quite often which is so cool to watch! I did nothing clever with them at all, just cleaned them up, fettled the seals if required and away they went. Maybe the Dutch Army fiasco was to blame with their white gas converted lanterns that had KERO painted on the tanks - what a stupid and potentially dangerous cock up.
I’m with you @ColinG I have 3 of them and they all work faithfully and reliably. They’re a really nice lantern to have ........ everyone should have one. Cheers Pete
Tilley vapouriser 606 and 169 jets are +/- 0.20mm. The pricker tip is around 0.18mm. I’ve pricked them with fine wire in the past. The Willis & Bates jet is slightly larger than 0.20mm which will account for them sometimes being described as brighter than Tilley. Other Tilley vapourisers have different jet sizes to 0.20mm. It’s a bit of a saga about why I know this, but I’ve measured all the varieties of NOS Tilley vapouriser prickers I have (they are now all in the Reference Gallery), and I will make a post on this subject soon. In the meantime, I’m trying to get access to a scientific instrument that will accurately directly measure the jet itself, rather than the surrogate measure of the tip of the pricker. Cheers Tony
Right, that's it - I'm not letting you guys get away with this! I'll see if I can find a couple of mine in the bottom of the skip, get them out and give them one last go tomorrow... I reckon it's all down to what type of mantle is used and how well it shapes when burned in and first lit - close enough to the vapouriser but not touching...
Well, all of mine have got Chinese Butterfly brand green tops (41D from memory) - which are Coleman sock style copies.
Oh, bu&&er, it's raining here and I've nowhere to fettle indoors so that lets me out of the Veritas Superb challenge for today - Oh dear, how sad, not to worry...
