CARE AND FEEDING OF OLD KEROSENE LAMPS

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CLEANING AND POLISHING OLD BRASS

Old lamps should be cleaned and polished to fill the pores of the metal so it will not corrode.  A liquid car polish/cleaner such as Mequair's will clean the metal without destroying the patina, then leave a beautiful finish that will last for a long time.

The polish will make the surface shiny. That can't be helped. Brass is a mixture of copper and zinc. Zinc is a reactive metal, and if allowed to be exposed to the air the zinc can corrode, leaving the residual copper in a "spongy" state... dark and porous. You don't want that! So the cleaner/wax will fill the pores in the brass and leave a non-oxidizing coating.

Auto wax polish/cleaner is NOT a "metal polish" as such. "Blue Magic" metal polish will clean the brass to make it look new... and leave the brass virtually uncoated. Sometimes when an old patina is "spotty" and not uniform, it pays to clean with a metal polish, wipe dry, do not touch with ungloved fingers, and in 6 months or so there will be a uniform patina. Then an auto polish will maintain that same patina.

LAMP FUEL

The best fuel for lamps is Low Odor Mineral Spirits, as it costs less than 1-K clear kerosene and burns unbelievably cleaner, so clean the wicks seldom even need to be trimmed.  (Note: There is a difference between lamps and lanterns.  Dietz-style lanterns recycle the fumes and Woody Kirkman (king of Dietz lanterns) does not recommend Mineral Spirits in Dietz lanterns.)  (See Kerosene Fuel Primer)

 

INSTALLING WICKS IN CENTER DRAFT LAMPS

There were literally hundreds of patents issued for wick raising assemblies for center draft lamps.  Most of the B & H lamps use a clamp which closes to grab the wick securely.  Raising the the clamp to the top engages a wedge which forces the clamps apart...the wick can then be carefully inserted between the draft tube and the clamps, then the knob turned to lower the wick, which disengages the wedge and grabs the wick.  Adjust the height of the wick after you know it will raise and lower properly. 

Other types of wick raising systems used sharp pins to hold the wick securely for raising and lowering.  Some lamps had the the points next to the center draft tube, point outwards, while others were the Aladdin style with an arm on each side of the draft tube with the sharp points toward the tube.  In either case, slipping a wick past the sharp points can be a challenge without a wick guide.  With an inexpensive razor knife and an empty plastic jug of Mineral Spirits, making a wick guide is simplicity itself.  (See below)

Before installation, the top of the wick should be trimmed and then "charred" with a lighter.  Trimming will eliminate the fuzz and fluff at the top of the wick and charring will thin and harden the top edge of the wick, making it far easier to raise and lower until the wick becomes lubricated with fuel and normal lamp use "conditions" the top of the wick so it moves freely within the wick gap. 

Before installation, compare the "tails" of the wick with the original and cut to match. Stiff, long center draft wicks in particular may need four (4) "tails" in order to bend and thus allow the wick to lower to the shut-off position. Remember, the wick should reach the bottom of the tank when raised for burning, so when lowered to extinguish the flame, the wick MUST be able to bend in the tail section.

There were literally hundreds of patents issued for wick raising assemblies for center draft lamps. Most of the B & H lamps use a clamp which closes to grab the wick securely. Raising the clamp to the top engages a wedge which forces the clamps apart...the wick can then be carefully inserted between the draft tube and the clamps, then the knob turned to lower the wick, which disengages the wedge and grabs the wick. Adjust the height of the wick after you know it will raise and lower properly. Note: Do not force the clamps apart in B&H lamps - they may break!

Other types of wick raising systems used sharp pins to hold the wick securely for raising and lowering. Some lamps had the points next to the center draft tube, points outward, while others were the Aladdin style with an arm on each side of the draft tube with the sharp points toward the tube. In either case, slipping a wick past the sharp points can be a challenge without a wick guide. With an inexpensive razor knife and an empty plastic jug of Mineral Spirits, making a wick guide is simplicity itself.

At right is a photograph of a wick guide made from a corner of a gallon size plastic jug of Low Odor Mineral Spirits. It is 3 3/4" wide and 6 3/4" high. The stiff, very smooth plastic already has a bend in the middle because it retains the shape of corner of the container from which it was cut, so it curls easily to fit the tube.

If the lamp has the sharp wick-holding points against the pillar and pointed outward, slip the wick guide around the pillar, slip the wick over the wick guide, position the wick at the right height, and simply pull out the wick guide while holding the wick down.

If the lamp has the sharp wick-holding points on arms so the points are pointed inward toward the air tube, slip the wick guide between the arms and the central air pillar, slide the wick between the wick guide and the tube, position for height, and then pull out the wick guide while holding the wick in place below the wick guide with needle nose pliers.

 

AFTER INSTALLATION: THE FIRST LIGHTING

The new wick should be even on top and level all around with your wick tube. You simply cannot trim the wicks perfectly even with scissors.  The first burning should be with kerosene, as Low Odor Mineral Spirits burn so perfectly that the wick seemingly does not char at all.  Then extinguish the lamp.  Make sure the lamp is cool.  Remove the chimney and flame spreader and raise the wick slightly above the height of the central air tube.  Rub the charred wick down with a finger, cloth or stick in a circular motion around the wick tube to get the charred wick even. Be consistent: Rub the same direction every time - clockwise or counterclockwise - but always the same.  Repeat if necessary burning kerosene until the wick burns perfectly concentric with no high spots, then switch to Low Odor Mineral Spirits and the wick will continue to burn beautifully for a very long time.

CORRECT WICK THICKNESS

The wick should fit the wick gap correctly with little excess space. Too thin a wick can allow the flame to burn down the wick and into the font area. In the 1880's, some glass font center draft lamps were known to have fractured in the font area resulting in a dangerous situation. In general, wicks for B&H (Rayo) lamps were slightly thinner than wicks for P&A (Royal) lamps. A wick which is too thin cannot support proper capillary action, and as the fuel is consumed too fast to be replaced, the top of the wick can become too dry and actually burn down beside the wick tube. Vent holes should be kept free and clear to prevent the buildup of fumes.  (Thickness and dimensions listed on Lamp Wick page.)

Circular wick, center draft lamps should be burned at near maximum light output to properly heat the flame spreader to burn up all fumes. If used turned down to minimum light output, they will produce an aroma when burning, but not when properly adjusted for maximum light output.

KEEP LAMP BURNER VENT HOLES CLEAN AND CLEAR

There is a small air vent in virtually all lamp burners, which is a safety feature to keep air pressure equal in the tank even with a solid fill plug.  The vent hole must be keep clean and clear of obstruction.  The photograph at left shows the bottom of a duplex burner, but single wick burners also have a vent. Click on the photo to enlarge it to see the vent tube directly above the top wick slot.

Burner Repair.  See the three star wheels attached to the shaft in each wick slot above? Those cog toothed star wheels must turn in fairly precise slots, and if one tooth is bent the wick will only turn back and forth until the bent tooth hits the side of the slot.  Look closely and you should be able to identify the bent tooth.  Gently push the errant tooth back into alignment with a thin bladed screwdriver, then try the wick raising knob again. It may take a few tries, but it is often possible to make a seemly broken flat wick burner work again just like new.  This is also the time to gently push any dents in the fairing above the wick back into place, which will result in a smooth air flow over the wick and thus a nice, even flame.  Be gentle.  All of these parts are usually brass.

REPAIRING THE FONT

It is not uncommon to find pinholes in the base of the fuel tank on century-old fuel fonts, both lamps and Perfection heaters.  Then they leak fuel.  One brooder heater I purchased on eBay in early February, 2007, had a LOT of tiny pinhole leaks.  I tried radiator epoxy, but it was too stiff to fill all the tiny holes.  So I sanded the base smooth again, picked at the holes with a stout sewing needle to clean debris from the holes, removed any oil from the metal with acetone, and applied a thin layer of J-B Weld epoxy over all areas that even appeared to have indentations or pits.  After 24 hours, I sanded the J-B Weld smooth, put the tank on a piece of newspaper, and poured in some fuel.  It worked!  No leaks.  J-B Weld epoxy can be easily applied with an artist's paint trowel, so little sanding is required.  Of course all the sanding required to get to bare metal (so the epoxy will stick) removes the galvanizing, so the tank must be painted with an anti-rust type spray paint to prevent future rusting.

 

CENTER DRAFT LAMP CHIMNEYS

The chimney holders should be adjusted (bent) so they only gently hold the chimney in place - NOT TIGHTLY!  These lamps produce a lot of heat and glass expands with heat - if gripped too tightly, the base of the chimney will break.  To avoid breaking the brass fingers which hold the chimney in place, use a smooth bladed paddle pliers to bend the fingers, holding the base of the finger with needle nose pliers. 

Many P & A Royal lamps used a 2 1/2" fitter for the chimney, whereas B & H usually used 2 5/8" chimney fitters.  The fit of the chimney to a center draft P & A lamp is quite critical.  The height of the glass chimney from the base to the bulge should be 1 1/4" and the opening at the top of the chimney should be 2" minimum.  There are quite a few cheap 2 1/2" chimneys for sale which have a height from the base to the bulge of 1 5/8" and an opening of 1 3/4": the flame spreader is not in the bulge, but within the 2 1/2" base diameter.  These lamps generate a considerable amount of heat, and the combination of a restricted airflow with a 1 3/4" top opening and the flame spreader not up into the bulge often results in the chimney cracking horizontally at the base of the bulge on the first burning!   Those $4.10 chimneys that appear to be a good buy turn out to be not so charming when they break the first time you use them!

"The chimney HAS to be right. Your wicks won't perform properly if the chimney isn't exactly right. I have experimented with several chimneys hat ''fit'' the Success burner base, but there is a vast difference in how the flame works. I wish I could be more descriptive, but there were major differences. One chimney produced a perfect flame while another produced ''spikes'' of flame that prevented the wick from being raised properly."  Dick Stauffer

Any air leak at the base of the chimney will cause excess oxygen to enter a gap and upset the delicate air/fuel balance, resulting in "spikes" of flame.  One potential "cure" for chimneys which cause a "spike" of flame is to flat sand the base of the chimney.  Modern chimneys are made pretty cheaply, and often the base is not level.  Using 400 grit emery paper on a perfectly flat surface, gently and carefully hold the chimney base flat on the sandpaper and gently stroke straight away from you.  Lift the chimney, return it to the front of the sandpaper and make another stroke.  Then look at the base of the chimney.  If you see a dull spot, that is a high place that got sanded.  Sand the base again until all the gloss is gone, and therefore all the "high" places are sanded down even with the "low" places. 

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