Lamps Underground

[19and41]

A small hint:  In the youtube demo, the guy kept using a torch to light it.  To use the sparker, Turh on the water/gas, then put your palm over the reflector then strike it with the palm.  that keeps a little gas over the striker for better ignition.

[Nick in Manitou]

Fun to know that some other folks on the forum are interested in Carbide Lamps.

I believe I searched the forum not long ago for "carbide" and didn't find any hits.  (Thanks John (TelePlay) for the response to let me know about this thread!)

We first went caving in 1984 with a friend's carbide lamps (Autolights, I assume) and picked up our first carbide lamp around that time. Although our collection is not very large, it is fun to keep an eye out for lamps as we look for telephones!

It happens that we recently found out that that first carbide lamp we picked up is quite rare and is really the only one in our collection that is "rare".  We also found out that even the books we picked up to learn about carbide lamps are now "collectable"! 

Having gone caving (spelunking) a couple times with a carbide lamp on my helmet or in my hand I have to say that although I love very simple old machines (carbide lamps, old phones, old motorcycles) an electric light is certainly more convenient!  But when you are following closely behind someone in a tight crawl-way in a cave...a "carbide assist" (created by getting your light very close to their back end) can get them moving more quickly!

Attached is a photo of the carbide lamps on the shelf behind me as I type.

Nick

[twocvbloke]

But when you are following closely behind someone in a tight crawl-way in a cave...a "carbide assist" (created by getting your light very close to their back end) can get them moving more quickly!

Just hope that they hadn't had beans for breakfast...

[Nick in Manitou]

Bloke,

Beans for breakfast can be a problem in general in a tight crawl-way in a cave...carbide or no carbide!  But the carbide could add an additional dimension to it!

[19and41]

That's a nice little collection!  Is that a blow lamp in front of the carbide can?

[Nick in Manitou]

I had to look up the term, "Blow Lamp".  Interesting! ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blow_torch )

No, all the lamps on that shelf are carbide lamps.

The strange gray one between the camera and the blue and white carbide can is the first lamp we picked up, a very early Baldwin lamp. I believe it dates from the first decade of the 1900s.

Nick

[19and41]

I guess i used that term for lack of a better one.  It looks like just a orifice jet with no reflector.  A blow lamp is a little alcohol fueled torch used in jewelry making.

[TelePlay]

Ran across this while looking for something else.

[19and41]

There are a couple of those solar brand lamps on Ebay .

[HarrySmith]

I like the Miner's Cap! I want one! I guess there was not a concern over being too bright at 16-18 candlepower.

[19and41]

Looking around at the carbide lamps and accessories, a number of sellers had calcium carbide itself, including one seller from Germany that was touting it as rodent repellent.  Now, how does that work?!

[TelePlay]

Looking around at the carbide lamps and accessories, a number of sellers had calcium carbide itself, including one seller from Germany that was touting it as rodent repellent.  Now, how does that work?!

I can picture that. A rodent enjoys a full meal of it, washes it down with a water based beverage and lights up an after dinner smoke . . .

Cheapest on eBay that includes shipping (other than local pickup) $29 a pound, probably cheaper by the pound if you buy a larger container.

Union Carbide was the big carbide manufacturer back in the day.

Look at the eBay sellers handle, I knew this stuff was used for carbide cannons when I was much younger - always wanted one but by parents thought otherwise.

     https://www.ebay.com/itm/CALCIUM-CARBIDE-PEA-grade-lamp-miners-1-pound-16-ounces-can-/322346183768

[Nick in Manitou]

19and41,

The Baldwin lamp in front of the carbide container is very similar to the one shown in the third advertisement TelePlay posted.  It looks to be identical to the Model 28 except that it is not nickel plated.  The reflector was probably originally tin plated but is not very reflective at this point.

I have not purchased carbide for quite a while, but the best source I could find 20 30(!) years ago was the local caving community. Some folks would purchase a larger drum of it and sell it a very reasonable prices to others in the group.  Of course now very few cavers are using carbide for lots of reasons, so it may be harder to find locally.

Nick

[TelePlay]

Here are a few more ads that got caught up in my search for kerosene lantern ads. Seems bicycles in 1900ish used them as well as miners.

[TelePlay]

And a few more . . .