Anyone into old lanterns? (The Sequel Part 7, Finale - Grandma's Challenge)

[TelePlay]

Now I'm sure somewhere you did mention this John.... But to add to my growing list of lantern restoration tips & Tricks....

How much can the molasses be reused? Does it loose its effectiveness with the more rust it interacts with, being a chemical reaction after all?

I've used one jar in one pail for two lanterns back to back. But my current Grandma's challenge is most likely going to use of a great percentage of the chelating sugars and not be reusable. Once one molecule does it work, it's no longer available for use a second time.

If one lantern doesn't need more than two long term soaks and during that time produces minimal bubbles (as in the image of the Little Wizard above which was after a 3 day soak), it should be good for another lantern. With the amount of scum and bubbles coming off of the current lantern, I can't wait to dump it to see what's on the bottom of the pail.

As an  indicator of usefulness, I would think if the molasses became depleted, no bubbles would be created but the lantern would still have stuck on rust.

The solution is stable for about two to 3 weeks after which it begins to ferment and no, can't be distilled into hooch (unless you like kerosene flavored whiskey). It starts to grow and smell. Normally it's at least a month minimal between lanterns for me so I always dump it after the lantern is restored.

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BTW, very cute . . .

[TelePlay]

This is the strangest lantern restoration I done to date. This image was taken 6 hours into it's 3rd soak in molasses. The lantern, while quite clean on the last rubdown, continues to emit a large volume of gas. What's different here is the very clear image of the globe cage and carry handle on the left on hardly any bubbles or foam on the right. The right is the front of the lantern were I spent some time trying different solvents to dissolve what looks like well set and thick tar the surrounded the crud that has been dissolved from around the letters to the right of the font. So, don't know if it was the tar removal or the effect of the solvents on the surface that resulted in the lack of action on the right side.

This morning, the cage image is no longer present in that the foam built up and filled in the image. Not sure when this lantern will be done. Most lanterns stop working on their 3rd bath but this one did have a lot of rust to begin with.

[AL_as_needed]

You did have a similar experience not long ago where the gas was building up in volume under the tank. Perhaps there is some pitting or rust hidden between the inner and outer chimney that's really having a number done on it.

I managed to snag a No.2 Blizzard late yesterday off ebay, right at 28$ shipped. Pictures left a bit to be desired but I figured I'd take the leap of faith. I will try grandma at long last and try to document as I go. Hoping for a diamond in the rough.

[TelePlay]

You did have a similar experience not long ago where the gas was building up in volume under the tank. Perhaps there is some pitting or rust hidden between the inner and outer chimney that's really having a number done on it.

I managed to snag a No.2 Blizzard late yesterday off ebay, right at 28$ shipped. Pictures left a bit to be desired but I figured I'd take the leap of faith. I will try grandma at long last and try to document as I go. Hoping for a diamond in the rough.

Blizzards are great. Same as a No 2 in light output and tank capacity, just a taller globe. Grandma and Brillo will do you well. Wash the lantern with a mild soap, diluted dish washing soap or window cleaner and a tooth brush before the first molasses bath. That gets it going quicker. Start a topic when you get your blizzard.

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I sent an email to the lantern people asking what's going on with my current lantern, something I've never seen before. I think I know the answer but not sure.

Yes, gas builds up under the tank but only until clean. It's really no big deal in that the bottom is the least rusted area on any lantern. I have a strange issue with this '29er and I want their opinion before speculating here about it. It's almost done and as soon as I hear back from them, I'll know what to do in the final steps.

Attached is a photo of the finished cone. What I discovered on it and the lantern is that when the soot and crud were taken off, I was left with a very thick, hard and well attached layer of tar on the edge of the dirt and soot. The only thing that dissolves it is toluene, acetone or methyl ethyl ketone. It's staying on the lantern, way to hard and time consuming to even get 75% off. It's going to be part of the character of this lantern.

[Alex G. Bell]

Anyone ever seen Korean made kerosene lanterns finished in a red color?  I have one which appears to be complete except for the glass and another which is much less than complete.  At this point I have no recollection of where I got them nor when they arrived here.

If there is interest I will take photos.  I'd like to get a glass for the complete one if something compatible is available.

[AL_as_needed]

Check lanternnet.com, they do carry a variety of replacement globes. If you can get a set of dimensions to estimate what the original globe size was, you should be able to  find a facsimile. Its quite possible that they (the manufacturer) based theirs off an american or European design, so some version of a fitzal, etc should work.

[Alex G. Bell]

Check lanternnet.com, they do carry a variety of replacement globes. If you can get a set of dimensions to estimate what the original globe size was, you should be able to  find a facsimile. Its quite possible that they (the manufacturer) based theirs off an american or European design, so some version of a fitzal, etc should work.

Thanks.

[AL_as_needed]

No problem! For other really specific info, I'd PM John (teleplay). He is an absolute little wizard with lanterns (pun intended for those lantern fans reading) and makes an excellent guide into the odd world of those suffering from lanternitis.

[TelePlay]

Just an ancillary update. The lantern has one layer of top coat on it. Another in a couple of days and it will be done.

I've never explained how to feed a new wick into the burner to attached is an image showing the wick with painter's tape on one end trimmed to the width of the wick and cut to sort of a a point. Next image is as it appears. Next image is extended so the tape can be removed (upon doing that, the end of the wick becomes a bit frayed). I then lower the wick so only about a quarter inch is above the burner and use a very sharp scissors to cut the wick clean and parallel to the burner top.

Next image is the burner itself. I am always amazed at how well an old (88 years in this case) cruddy steel and brass burner cleans up. This one looks NOS.

Finally, I said in the first post that this lantern was covered in soot. The seller shipped the lantern with the globe in a box. I just opened the globe box tonight and it was covered inside and out with heavy soot. My fingers were black from holding it while cleaning. At was an oily soot that did not wash of my hands easily. The globe was easy to clean, just confirmed this lantern was in a hostile environment for much of its working years.

[TelePlay]

Half the mystery is solved.

This lantern was covered in heavy soot which came off after two 3 day soaks. Took another two 3 day soaks to get the caked crud off on the flat area of the fuel tank, around the embossed lettering.

Upon drying each time I found a grey metal lantern with this heavy black tar on it in certain areas. It came off with toluene, acetone or methyl ethyl ketone but with a lot of rubbing - it took time to get a small area cleaned off. I gave up on that idea and called the black tar rings and lines 88 years of character.

So, with the lantern dry and photos taken, I would notice after each photo session that the grey metal had turned yellow. It seemed to be a surface rust the appeared all over the lantern within 30 minutes of being totally dried off. It was a soft yellow rust that came off easily with 0000 steel wool. It changed like that after every photo session.

I took the burner cone which was free of dirt and the red rust and cleaned it off with 0000 steel wool. I then coated the whole cone with Naval Jelly for about 1 minute and washed it off. Dried the cone and it did not turn yellow. Coated the cone with linseed oil and it has stayed grey metal since, over a week now.

I sent the first combination picture below to the lantern guy in California asking what the yellow and black tar was all about. He got back to me yesterday with this cryptic but interesting comment: "Congratulations,  you have now experienced the dreaded black emulsion coating.  It is about the worst thing to remove from a lantern."

I can't find anything about black emulsion coatings in the 1920s. Lot of current tech stuff, two part epoxies and the like. I've since dried the lantern for the last time, buffed it down with 0000 steel wool, applied Naval Jelly over the entire lantern, let it dry and an now waiting for the second coating of linseed oil to dry.

When back together, I'll take photos and send a couple to California (showing how it turned out) as ask him to explain or tell me about this black emulsion coating. Never heard of it before. Don't know how it was applied, why when or how it lasted over time.

Right now, it looks like I have a bare steel lantern (except for the nice shiny tin on the bottom) which is dark grey with black tar lines here and there. It's like they never put tin on this lantern and I want to know why. The lantern actually looks really nice with a semi-tone finish probably due to the pitting caused by the lack of a tin coating.

The second image below shows what the dark grey metal looked like after exposure to my 40% humidity 70° F dungeon air did to it in 30  minutes or less. The cone on the far right is what the left shots will look like when finished. Didn't know what I was going to find under all that dirt and soot but I surely didn't expect to find what I did - I first for me on my last lantern.

Stay tuned. Final lantern post coming with with final photos.

[TelePlay]

Still waiting for the last coat of linseed oil to cure before taking after pictures. It is done, just need  photos to finalize this topic.

Now, Al_as_needed posted this picture



and I was surprised to find several variations on eBay all for under $4. Now I don't know which to go with, the one above or the one below. Yeah, know, both. One for each side of the back window.

[TelePlay]

Grandma was up to the challenge and what a job she did. I will never doubt Grandma's skills at rust removal ever again (with help from about 8 pads of Mr. Brillo).

While this was probably the most disgustingly dirty and rusty lantern I ever started with, it turned out (after a good 3 weeks) to be one of my nicest looking lanterns (except for those those with brass parts).

First image is the as received or before images.

Next image are the same views but after restoration.

And since I never posted "in operation" images before, the last image shows from left to right, the lantern as it is when about to be lit, with the globe turned back for removal and cleaning of the globe and/or burner, the side view showing how the globe wire cage is made to grab the Loc-Nob ears of the lantern so it does not fall out when tipped back and the far right shows the globe from the tipped back perspective.

The after images show a nice steel lantern with one average fuel tank dent, a dent on the upper outer chimney edge which was taken out and the steel surface still has the character of patina and dark black emulsion coating which I left on for character sake. Other than the new wick I put into the lantern, this lantern did not need any other replacement parts. I took a flyer on a dog and it turned out to be a winner including the original globe which has absolutely no flea marks on either of it edges. A great lantern made in February of 1929 at their first and what they called their "Main Plant" in New York City.

I finally bit the bear on lanterns so this is really my last restoration, period. Unless, of course, I find some fantastically rare one in an antique mall and the chances of that happening these days is less than winning the lottery.

So, "THE END"

[HarrySmith]

WOW! That looks awesome, came out great. You go Granny!

[twocvbloke]

Looks good there, onwards to the next one, cos there'll always be just one more...

Should be more like, "The End............ ?"

[Doug Rose]

John....just outstanding....looks brand new....you done good! Really good....Doug