Anyone into old lanterns? (The Sequel Part 3)

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Saw this last week but didn't buy it. Thought about it all week and it was still there today. Would probably be there next Christmas. They wanted $50, I offered $40 and they sold it for a split the difference price. A bit high but all parts were there, no dents, no paint, burner worked and less than one would expect in surface dirt and corrosion for a 90 year old lantern. Could read the "-25" stamped on the air tube but the rest of the tube stampings are filled with crud so will know more about its origin tomorrow.

It's a Dietz No. 2 Blizzard, similar to my line of No 2 De-Lite lanterns but a different style, taller globe.

The globe is "frosted" or "etched" in a strange way so posted just the globe in another topic discussing what happened to the globe. I can get a replacement NOS globe for about $9 clear or $15 colored but this was the globe that originally came with the lantern in '25 so may end up using it. My only concern is what will happen to the glass once it heats up, will it crack or work as is forever?

It's in the molasses right now so will give it the first rub down with Brillo tomorrow afternoon. This is what it looked like right off the shelf and you can see the "frosting" on the globe quite well.

Just what I needed, another lantern. Got to be one of those ". . . itis" terms for this but Lanternitis just doesn't seem right.

I got it, and in more ways than one - "LAMPITIS!"

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As a quick update, the lantern has been in the molasses bath for about 9 days now and was taken out after each 2 day period for a scrub down with a Brillo Pad.

The most rust covered part of the lantern was the bottom of the fuel font. I am amazed, and I've done many lanterns, but I am totally amazed at what the sweet water will do to rust given time and a Brillo Pad. I've taken a pointed tool to some of the crevasses and corners and bends that are impossible to clean with a Brillo Pad and have noticed that the sweet water turns the rust to mud, or what looks like mud when scraped. It softens the rust and releases it from the surface.

The total lantern is almost rust free but I wanted to post this image to show what 8 days and 4 scrub downs will do to a thick coating of rust on tin plate. Simply amazing. When I first saw the bottom, I thought the tin was gone but boy, was I wrong. Look at it now.

And the second photo is what I see on the sweet water surface after 2 days. The "X" is the wire globe cage tilted back in the pail, the "m"s are the air tubes on each side of the lantern, the big "O" is the bottom edge of the font where gasses formed under the font escape to the surface and the visible part of the lantern shows foam from gas being released as the sweet water works on the lantern's chimney. I see this pattern each time I open the pail to remove the lantern for another scrub down. It's some gas being released in the reaction of the rust and molasses.

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I have used the same method on metal relics (wwii plane crash) before with similar results. I have also used it to good effect one some firearm parts of smaller sizes. Easy as can be if you have the pacients for it.

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That's good to know. I was wondering if that solution would work on any other objects. I found the method at a site dedicated to tin plated lantern restoration. It does take time but it works so well I have a few lantern that look like new old stock even though they were well used and are close to 90 years old. I've thought about using this method on other stuff.

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Another option is to set up a electrolysis bucket with a sacrificial piece of metal and a low amp car battery charger (lots of videos on YouTube), but this may affect the plating. Large uncoated objects, like brake parts or artifacts like cannon balls this works well for, but leaves the surface staining caused by the rust in place.

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Another option is to set up a electrolysis bucket with a sacrificial piece of metal and a low amp car battery charger (lots of videos on YouTube), but this may affect the plating.

Yes, that is one of the methods they post at their site as a "preferred" way to de-rust and clean lanterns. This is their FAQ dealing with restoring lanterns from their site:  http://www.lanternnet.com/faqs.htm

. . . cut and pasted here with their approval by posting their copyright note at the bottom

I found the molasses method to be the least severe or needing less caution in use than the others, and the easiest to get components for, set up, use and tear down.

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    QUESTION 7:   How do I clean my rusty tubular lantern?


    ANSWER:  The main objective is to remove all of the rust and paint and stabilize the metal to prevent further deterioration.  You should have some basic knowledge of working with chemicals before attempting the following procedures.   These are only basic guidelines, but they will give you a starting point to develop your own system.   

WARNING: Sand blasting or glass bead blasting will not only remove the patina but is the fastest way to destroy the value of a lantern, and possibly blast holes through the metal.      

    (NOTE:  Take all safety precautions, use gloves, safety glasses, etc.)

    PH-Down (Sodium Bisulfate) Method  (PREFERRED)
    This method will remove rust, crud, (and eventually paint) without removing the patina.
    1.  Remove the fuel cap, globe, and burner from the lantern.
    2.  Mix 1 cup of PH-Down in Warm Water in a sealable 5 to 10 gallon plastic container.
    3.  Submerge the lantern and burner *entirely in the Solution for **1 day.
    4.  Remove the lantern, and lightly scour with a Brillo pad, (not SOS,)
    5.  Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all the rust or tarnish has been removed.
    6.  Once you are finished, give the lantern one final rinse in the solution, then dry with paper towels immediately.  Use a blow dryer on low to dry the inside of the tank.
    7.  After the lantern has been cleaned,  I recommend polishing it first with Blue Magic (tm) Metal Polish to bring out the luster. You can also use #0000 steel wool to buff out the lantern.
    8.  To finish the lantern ***paint or lacquer it with your choice of finish.  If using paint, taping off the center air tube on hot blast lanterns, or the chimney on cold blast lanterns, makes for a professional, like factory, looking job.  If the filler spout is brass, you might also tape it off as well.  This also goes for brass wire guides and lift brackets as well.  The burner cone and burner should be left unfinished.  An alternative to painting tin plated lanterns is to wipe them down with a small amount of boiled linseed oil mixed 50:50 with kerosene.

    Molasses Method  (PREFERRED)
    This method will remove rust, crud, (and eventually paint) without removing the patina.
    1.  Remove the fuel cap, globe, and burner from the lantern.
    2.  Mix 12 oz. of Grandma's Molasses in Warm Water in a sealable 5 to 10 gallon plastic container.
    3.  Submerge the lantern and burner *entirely in the Solution for **1 day.
    4.  Remove the lantern, and lightly scour with a Brillo pad, (not SOS,)
    5.  Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all the rust or tarnish has been removed.
    6.  Once you are finished, give the lantern one final rinse in the solution, then dry with paper towels immediately.  Use a blow dryer on low to dry the inside of the tank.
    7.  After the lantern has been cleaned,  I recommend polishing it first with Blue Magic (tm) Metal Polish to bring out the luster. You can also use #0000 steel wool to buff out the lantern.
    8.  To finish the lantern ***paint or lacquer it with your choice of finish.  If using paint, taping off the center air tube on hot blast lanterns, or the chimney on cold blast lanterns, makes for a professional, like factory, looking job.  If the filler spout is brass, you might also tape it off as well.  This also goes for brass wire guides and lift brackets as well.  The burner cone and burner should be left unfinished.  An alternative to painting tin plated lanterns is to wipe them down with a small amount of boiled linseed oil mixed 50:50 with kerosene.

    Soda Ash and Battery Charger Method  (PREFERRED)
    (NOTE:  THIS METHOD PRODUCES HYDROGEN.
    CONDUCT ONLY IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA AND AWAY FROM SPARK OR FLAME)
    This method will remove rust, crud, and paint without removing the patina.
    1.  Remove the fuel cap, globe, and burner from the lantern.   
    2.  Mix 1/4 cup of Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate, NOT Sodium Bi-Carbonate) in 5 gallons of Warm Water in a plastic container.
    3.  Connect the positive (red,) lead clamp of a 12 volt battery charger to an Anode, (a piece of rebar or plain iron,) and submerge the Anode (not the clamp,) in the soda ash water solution along the side of the plastic container.
    4.  Connect the negative (black,) lead of the 12 volt battery charger to the lantern. (A leader wire can be used to attach to the lantern.)
    5.  Submerge the lantern *entirely in the Solution for **1 day, making sure it does not touch the Anode and short the circuit.
    6.  Turn on the battery charger and set to 5 to 10 amps charge for 24 hours
    7.  Remove the lantern after 24 hours, and lightly scour with a Brillo pad, (not SOS.)
    5.  Repeat steps 4 through 7 until the lantern is cleaned and suitable for finishing.
    6.  Once you are finished, give the lantern one final rinse in the solution, then dry with paper towels immediately.  Use a blow dryer on low to dry the inside of the tank.
    7.  After the lantern has been cleaned,  I recommend polishing it first with Blue Magic (tm) Metal Polish to bring out the luster.  You can also use #0000 steel wool to buff out the lantern.
    8.  To finish the lantern ***paint or lacquer it with your choice of finish.  If using paint, taping off the center air tube on hot blast lanterns, or the chimney on cold blast lanterns, makes for a professional, like factory, looking job.  If the filler spout is brass, you might also tape it off as well.  This also goes for brass wire guides and lift brackets as well.  The burner cone and burner should be left unfinished.  An alternative to painting tin plated lanterns is to wipe them down with a small amount of boiled linseed oil.

    Lye and Vinegar Method (LEAST PREFERRED)
    (NOTE:  Take all safety precautions, use gloves, safety glasses, etc.)
    This method will remove paint and rust without removing the patina.
    1.  Remove the fuel cap, globe, burner, (and aluminum reflector if any,) from the lantern.
    2.  Mix 1LB of Red Devil Lye, (from your grocery store) in Warm Water in a sealable 5 to 10 gallon plastic container.
    3.  Submerge the lantern and burner *entirely in the Lye Solution for **1 day.
    4.  Remove the lantern, and rinse with water, then quickly dry with paper towels.
    5.  Coat with WD40 and use #00 steel wool to remove the majority of the remaining paint.
    6.  Submerge the lantern and burner *entirely in a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water for **1 day.
    7.  Remove the lantern and parts and use #000 steel wool to clean off the rust and any remaining paint.  Use the vinegar to occasionally rinse the lantern while you are working on it.
    8.  Once you are finished, give the lantern one final rinse with vinegar, then dry with paper towels immediately.  Use a blow dryer on low to dry the inside of the tank.
    9.  After the lantern has been cleaned,  I recommend polishing it first with Blue Magic (tm) Metal Polish to bring out the lustre.
    10.  To finish the lantern, ***paint or lacquer it with your choice of finish.  If using paint, taping off the center air tube on hot blast lanterns, or the chimney on cold blast lanterns, makes for a professional, like factory, looking job.  If the filler spout is brass, you might also tape it off as well.  This also goes for brass wire guides and lift brackets as well.  The burner cone and burner should be left unfinished.  An alternative to painting tin plated lanterns is to wipe them down with a small amount of boiled linseed oil mixed 50:50 with kerosene.

    *   Make sure that the lantern is submerged entirely or surface pitting will occur
    ** Pitting will occur at some point after 1 day.  Monitor closely if you leave the lantern in longer than 1 day.
    ***Regular spray paint works fine, (high heat paint isn't necessary)
    Never place aluminum in Lye solution, it will dissolve it.

    These processes may weaken the soldered joints, making re-soldering necessary.  I recommend using Harris brand Stay-Clean liquid flux, and Radio Shack .064 60/40 Rosin Core Solder with a micro butane torch.  (Regular plumbers propane torches yield no control over where the heat is applied, and as such are only good for de-soldering lanterns, not making repairs.)

    If cleaning the lantern exposes weak spots in the tank, creating pinholes, use the tank sealing method below.  Soldering pinholes is not the best solution, as more holes are bound to develop.

    Copyright © 1997 - 2011   W.T. Kirkman  All Rights Reserved

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I just realized that the "C" shape on the lower right is the lantern top cap that was removed so it could be bent straight. I dropped it into the pail along the side and that's how it is sitting in the pail, on edge with the cap loop perpendicular to the cap.

Amazing how the reaction gasses rise straight up to reveal the shape of what is in the sweet water bath.

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Done cleaning the lantern. Did the last Brillo treatment today and it's back into the sweet water to get rid of any soap residue. Tomorrow it just a rinse, dry, polish and finish the lantern. The bottom turned out quite well. Didn't get every bit of corrosion off but it's more than acceptable given what I started with. Image on the right is as good as I'm going to get it but not yet polished or finished, just raw, clean tin.

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That's about clean enough to be NOS, looks much improved. Can't wait to see it polished up.

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Finished it two weeks ago but wanted the linseed oil to harden before giving it the final rub down with 0000 steel wool (to take the shiny off) for the after pictures.

Found out how molasses does its work. There are natural chemicals in molasses that are chelating agents. That is, they seek out and find the iron atoms in the rust molecules and pull them out of the rust leaving whatever is left. The stuff that is left is fairly easily removed with the Brillo pad which turns the residue into something that looks like mud. The iron is left in the molasses solution to be dumped down the drain. Takes a lot of time but does a nice job.

Since this was a heavily "rusted" lantern, the air tubes show how the heavy rust protected the tin from developing a patina (lighter spots) while the tin that was exposed to the elements (air and whatever) developed the usual somewhat dark tin patina. While the patina on the high structural ridges of the air tubes was worn off during cleaning, the patina was kept on the air tube flat areas not covered by the rust. The lead solder used to assemble the lantern parts was not affected at all.

This lantern in use was exposed to something harsh enough to "frost" 95% of the red globe that came with it. The only thing I replaced on the lantern was the globe because the frosted globe was problematic in several ways. Whatever frosted the glass globe also affected the chimney area since its final finish is different that that found on the fuel font.

On to the Epic #4 100 year old Dietz Top Lift that I've been told could take up to 3 months to get the burner out in one piece . . .