oil lamp test run.

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Terri9630 said:
Check them to see if the tank leaks. I've had a couple of really nice looking ones that I picked up that would leak along that bottom seam.
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The two lamps I unwrapped... I pulled out the wick and spayed the inside with WD-40 for protection, and checked for leaks with the excess fluid.
I purchased my original big green lamp at a flea market, still going strong...

Weedygarden said:
I wonder if there is any way to repair that?
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https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/permatex-fuel-tank-repair-kit
Permatex Fuel Tank Repair Kit
SKU # 102178399
$7.99
JBWeld is excellent but clunky to use.

@Weedygarden My very first job as a welder… the very first week. A tanker truck, 18 wheeler, had been in an accident. It pulled up in front of the shop leaking diesel fuel out of the main tank. My boss welded up the crack in the tank with fuel leaking out. Diesel fuel needs pressure to explode… ;) Made me nervous though...

hiwall said:
I have always been interested in one of these lamps but so far I have been too cheap to buy one.
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@hiwall that lamp with the pot on top? Do you have a link?
 
It seems I just lost most of my post. I will come back later and add it again.

Meerkat said:
JB Weld, next best thing to duck tape.:D
Chinese oil lamp.jpg
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Typical railroad lantern.The guys in the caboose used them to heat coffee and beans. They were rugged lamps but the modern versions tend to be less than rugged.
 
I don't think I have seen one from China but I have seen some cheap knock-offs. The problem with then is that the seams usually leak. You can solder all the seams before you load it with fuel easily enough but once it has had fuel in it you are better off using tank sealer. Other than that they have been serviceable. They used to come in three colors Red, green and clear or amber. It has been a long time since I have seen any in green but you still see the red lenses occasionally. The red lenses are great for night use as they won't affect your night vision like the others do.
 
SheepDog said:
I don't think I have seen one from China but I have seen some cheap knock-offs. The problem with then is that the seams usually leak. You can solder all the seams before you load it with fuel easily enough but once it has had fuel in it you are better off using tank sealer. Other than that they have been serviceable. They used to come in three colors Red, green and clear or amber. It has been a long time since I have seen any in green but you still see the red lenses occasionally. The red lenses are great for night use as they won't affect your night vision like the others do.
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Mine has a sticker underneath that says, "Made in China." I have some red, green and blue, the body, not the lenses. I will have to get out my soldering iron and solder the seams before I fill it up.
 
SheepDog said:
Typical railroad lantern.The guys in the caboose used them to heat coffee and beans. They were rugged lamps but the modern versions tend to be less than rugged.
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They are definitely collector's items. We had some in the family, they were my grandfather's, he was a railroad man. Someone probably sold them.
 
jimLE said:
And i probably would of bought some of them if i was there and had the money for them.I've. Got at least 2 or 3 thats probably antiques.on account i enjoy collecting them.no matter if their antique or not..
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I'm with you. If I see one that is missing the chimney, I will get it. Chimneys can be replaced. Reminds me that maybe I should have spares for my lamps. I have one in my garage that is made of pink glass with designs in it. When I get to the garage for cleaning and organizing, I will get it cleaned up, ready to use, and share a photo of it. I have two that are glass.

I just did a Craigslist search for oil lamps, and for the greater Denver area, there are 675 listings, although a closer search shows they are not really all lamps. That is a lot, but one of the things that I really liked was that there are brass lamps that attach to the wall. If those are hung safely, they would be safer than free standing lamps. They are not cheap, even used. I did have one of mine burning decades ago and someone decided to touch the chimney, which was hot and could have been catastrophic.
 
Patchouli said:
They are definitely collector's items. We had some in the family, they were my grandfather's, he was a railroad man. Someone probably sold them.
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Patchouli said:
Check pawn shops. That may be where ours went. :(
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Did someone in the family take them, or was the house robbed? Vacant houses get stripped.

My uncle told me my grandparents had a 50 gallon crock that they used for making kraut that was stolen shortly after grandpa had his heart attack and moved to town. I have always questioned that they had a 50 gallon crock, but they were Czech and German and both of their parents were born in the old country, so kraut was probably made in large batches to get them through until the next year. The crock may have come from g grandfather's store where grandpa was a meat cutter for a while.
 
Weedygarden said:
I'm with you. If I see one that is missing the chimney, I will get it. Chimneys can be replaced. Reminds me that maybe I should have spares for my lamps. I have one in my garage that is made of pink glass with designs in it. When I get to the garage for cleaning and organizing, I will get it cleaned up, ready to use, and share a photo of it. I have two that are glass.

I just did a Craigslist search for oil lamps, and for the greater Denver area, there are 675 listings, although a closer search shows they are not really all lamps. That is a lot, but one of the things that I really liked was that there are brass lamps that attach to the wall. If those are hung safely, they would be safer than free standing lamps. They are not cheap, even used. I did have one of mine burning decades ago and someone decided to touch the chimney, which was hot and could have been catastrophic.
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Never thought of the chimney thing. I guess I better take better care of ours.
And the globes on the glass lamps too. We used a lot as a kid when power went out so I take care of them.Of course these are not the ones we used back then, clear that up.
 
I bought all these lamps at yard sales.the 2 miniatures 20 cents each.the square enclosed one. And wall hanger.$2 or $3 each.the deep well lamp.im not sure of on price. Im not sure of the quality of the 2 metal one's. So im waiting to find someone with knowledge and experience with.so i can have them checked out. And restored if it aint to expensive to have done..


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jimLE said:
I bought all these lamps at yard sales.the 2 miniatures 20 cents each.the square enclosed one. And wall hanger.$2 or $3 each.the deep well lamp.im not sure of on price. Im not sure of the quality of the 2 metal one's. So im waiting to find someone with knowledge and experience with.so i can have them checked out. And restored if it aint to expensive to have done..

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I can't even begin to imagine who would work on oil lamps, besides the owners. The one that hangs on the wall would cost you a pretty penny.
 
jimLE said:
Thank goodness for yard sales..
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And anyone who is zeroing in on certain items, Craigslist. You can join and then get emails when certain items are listed. That is how I found my $400 wheat grinder for $24. The one thing I have learned is if something is listed for free or a popular item for sale, you need to respond ASAP.
 
jimLE said:
That look's like a good oil lamp. and it has 3 mirror's for reflective light .
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The mirrors could make a difference if you are relying solely on oil lamps in the dark. Having walls painted lighter colors would help as well. Someone posted that someone had painted a room black. That would be hard to see in in the dark or with little light.
 
backlash said:
I have a couple oil lamps that I am going to give to my daughter.
She lost power for a couple of days and her lizard got really cold.
I think an oil lamp will generate enough heat to keep the lizard from dying.
I have NO idea why she has a lizard but she does.
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My daughter has a rat, I'd prefer the lizard.
 
I seem to be a collector of oil lamps and lanterns. Innumerable Deitz, a Petromax, and tons of glass base lamps adorn our shelves. The local Menards big box store has a couple of sizes of lamp chimneys. Lanterns are tougher, I usually wait for a substantial order and hit Lehmans Hardware for parts. Wicking I can find on amazon or Lehmans, depending on when and what I need. Spares are in the box :).

BTW, NEVER get the citronella oil for a lamp, it clogs the wick like you wouldn't imagine possible after a couple years. Citronella is for the torches with a round fiberglass wick. (Don't ask how I found that out :()
 
This is my favourite lantern. As it is hanging it is over 26" from the ceiling to the base of the lantern. It has a fresnel lens to focus the light. It was originally used as a navigational aid on the end of a fish trap to keep ships from hitting the trap and to help the cannery tender find the trap so they could brail it out. The base holds about a gallon of kerosene. Inside has a regular flat wick and chimney.

Fish traps like this were built a hundred yards or more out from the shore. The frames were made from logs with a heavy chicken wire making up the sides and bottom of the trap. there were chicken wire leads further out to direct the salmon into the trap. These traps became illegal in 1959 when Alaska became a State. This lantern was not made in China.

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