Aladdin No.23 Loxon mantle lamp...

[twocvbloke]

Ever since I got the Aladdin 37 Blueflame heater, I've been wanting to get one of these lamps, which work on the same blueflame principle as the heater, mostly because I've grown to like the heater and it's lack of fumes when burning, but also because it's a mantle lamp, which I've never owned before...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301691160763

Tried bidding on several examples over the past few months and always got outbid, this time I think I got lucky (though the total cost of £43.99 was steeper than I had anticipated!!), the lamp's in pretty good condition, everything's there that I can see, the mantle needs replacing though as it's got a big hole in the back-side of it (which you can't really see as it's turned away from the camera), and it looks like the chimney's not the right one for the 23 burner so has an adaptor to allow it to fit, but it could be a factory bodge-job (using up excess parts from a previous model run for example) which they were apparently famous for doing, but should work fine as-is, if not, Loxon chimneys are readily available new & used...

Can't wait for it to get here, whether it gets used a lot, who knows, but either way I'll be happy when it's here...

Anyway, obligatory pictures...

[19and41]

That's a fine lamp!  The price is not too much out of line for the best available.  Hope the glassware makes it all right.

[twocvbloke]

I hope so too, it's coming by 24hr courier so should be here tomorrow, preferably intact...

Still need to buy a mantle though, at £15 a pop though they're pretty pricey...

[19and41]

Just don't jostle it around too much after you have used it.  Shop around for replacements while you don't need them.

[twocvbloke]

I've been shopping around for a few months now, cheapest I can get the mantles individually in this country is about £14.99 a pop (not really looked at multi-packs, they probably work out cheaper per unit, but, it's the upfront cost that's a PITA when on a low income!), plus they have to be stored carefully when new in box as they can deteriorate over time in storage resulting in less useful burn-time...

Of course, they're cheaper to obtain in the US, but, the cost of postage negates the savings I could get if they were bought from over there (partly the reason I've not bought anything from across the pond, it's too expensive postagewise), perfect example is that I need to replace my Lenovo T410's motherboard, found one over there for $15, free shipping to my friend in Texas too, great deal, but slap on the cost of a medium flat-rate box (not knowing what packaging the board would arrive in at my friend's address) and $60 is tagged onto that price, which is not a good deal at all for something so small and cheap...

Kind of annoying considering the mantles are made in the Philippines these days...

[19and41]

That's too bad.  I've purchased a couple of items from over there and the postage didn't seem too bad, although they were well under a pound in weight.

[twocvbloke]

It's just arrived, the chimney was packed in an original Aladdin Loxon box, even though the chimney's not a Loxon type chimney, the mantle also came in an Aladdin box but it's a modern box, but one of the radioactive version boxes it seems, sooo, yeah, best wash my hands...

EDIT:
Added the picture of what's left of the mantle...

[twocvbloke]

Well, it burns nicely, apart from the fact the wick's not properly charred, but either way, the blue flame is blue, for the most part...

[19and41]

I guess it's nice the seller troubled to send the mantle, but it's obviously been lit, so it's remarkable that there was enough left for that picture.  It should have been coarse powder. 

[twocvbloke]

Looking at what was left of the mantle, I don't think it had been used, coating burned off yes (see linked video below), but not actually used, the copper wire frame wasn't discoloured in a manner usual to copper being heated by the lamp flame (and that's a pretty hot flame, got the thing burning away in here and my room is roasty toasty!!), plus the remnants of the mantle were still pretty hard to the touch, so lack of use is probably what kept it intact as much as it was...

Still, I have a new mantle on the way, an older pink radioactive one, so, making my bedroom more fun to be in (already have a tritium-tubed Trimphone dial in here!!), but I can't wait to burn off my first mantle, it looks like a fun process:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gmz0mStM4IM

[twocvbloke]

Boredom struck and I emptied the mantle frame of the broken remains, and sat it in the lamp & lit it, so it looked like the picture below, after letting it cool, comparing the picture of it before with the remaining mantle pieces flapping in the breeze an dafter having it in the lamp, the copper wire has changed colour dramatically (gone from being copper coloured to a dull blueish-grey), so, I still believe the mantle was only prepared for use, but not actually used, shame really, as those mantles ain't cheap... 

[19and41]

It didn't really matter if it weren't used.  If it is lit it becomes very delicate and brittle.  I know this from using the mantles for Coleman gasoline lanterns.  That is going to be a very bright lamp when you have it all together.

[dsk]

The mantle doesn't stand much, I have a wall lamp of similar type in use in a cabin, and with care it will hold for years. burning without, and getting only the blue flame may be to hot for some parts.  I have been told to use regular kerosene, and not lamp oil on these.

dsk

[twocvbloke]

I plan to keep the mantle intact, don't want to move the lamp much thus reducing the chance of the mantle being broken, and given that it acts like a little version of my Aladdin 37 heater, it'll be useful in winter as a source of heat when my room inevitably gets cold...

As for fuel, I bought 24 Litres of Caldo Pre-Pac Paraffin, which is kerosene, so I'm sorted for fuel for both my lamp & heater...

(and I've yet to work out why they spell it as Kerosine with an I in there!!!)

[dsk]

I dont know any other meaning of paraffin (Norwegian:  parafin) than kerosene so I guess the most of us understand.

dsk