Thread: We Have Skills Too !!

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Here's a question, Roy. Do these things stink-up the house? Too much heat for summertime?
Agreed, they seem very efficient. We ARE burning Kerosene. Ventilation?

We used Aladdin kerosene lamps in Tonga for years.
1) They are efficient
2) properly dressing the wicks is an important chore, if you want to keep the chimneys clean
3) the amount of "stink" entirely depends on the quality of the kerosene you burn...
"de-odorized" kerosene (lamp oil, usually) is best.
4) any water in the kerosene is curtains for the wicks...they get really carboned up, fast!
5) they do generate heat...fine in the winter, good ventilation required in the summer
6) LOTS of insects in Tonga, but we never had one wreck a mantle...never used one of those
gadgets
7) we used brass bases because we were afraid that a glass one would topple in an
earthquake, break, and start a fire.
8) a lampshade really helps soften the light, but it does make the lamp top-heavy, and
therefore easier to knock over.
9) they will blacken the ceiling above the lamp if the wicks aren't dressed every day.
10) I love the warmth and intimacy of a kerosene lamp.

Thanks, Paul! Nothing like practical experience.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Well, those are a bit different, Tim.
As to the bug screen..
The idea that a bug could actually fly/drop down in with the volume of upward hot air coming-up leads me to think this a way to sell Roy a fancy chimney-topper?
A bug got your mantle, Roy?

Seems that Aladdin thought of this a longggggggggggggggggggggggg time ago

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!to...aa/AeHkmGj6MBg

Specifically this date:

1917 First bug screens

Yup, cool story Paul, and a neat read.
Those Aladdin’s with their second mantle are pretty impressive.

Originally Posted by MikeB52

Yup, cool story Paul, and a neat read.
Those Aladdin’s with their second mantle are pretty impressive.

Agreed, Mike. Like the 10 commandments of Aladdin lamps!

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Here's a question, Roy. Do these things stink-up the house? Too much heat for summertime?
Agreed, they seem very efficient. We ARE burning Kerosene. Ventilation?

Tom, I'm a little late posting but we've had a series of bad summer storms and I've been busy so let's see if I can help.

Yes, an Aladdin can stink up the house.........IF it isn't operated right. Think of your Aladdin like it's an engine with a carb. That adjustment knob regulates your fuel to air mixture. When you first light your Aladdin don't turn it up to full throttle right away. Let your Aladdin engine go through a ten minute warm up. I light the lamp and adjust the fuel mixture so the mantle starts to glow. As the lamp warms up it will get brighter on its own. After the lamp is warmed up then I'll raise the wick just a skosh till it is bright. Watch the the thing carefully for a while so it doesn't make black spots on the mantle. When you're ready to shut it down think of it as an engine again. Turn the flame down and let it idle for a few minutes to cool. That way it will burn off the excess fumes in the burner and won't stink up the house. My lamps don't make soot spots on my ceiling because I monitor my air fuel ratio and throttle them back before shut off. Actually I get more crap on my walls and ceiling from the cigars and cigarettes I smoke.

Yes, they give off heat. Probably too much for your Texas summers but they sure are great in power outages. I found that if I want to putz around with them in the summer my ceiling fan helps.

Ventilation? You bet. These things use up a lot of oxygen. I lit up four of them during a blizzard in 2010 when we were without power for 4 days. After a few hours I started to feel a bit shitty and remembered to open a window a crack. Those four lamps kept us toasty and gave light.

Make sure you use cheap #1 kerosene or the expensive Aladdin brand fuel. I would be careful about using just any kind of lamp oil as these things are kind of particular with their fuel. The company recommends un-dyed kerosene but all I can get here is dyed so that's what I stuck using.

Yes bugs can get down the chimney and wreck a mantle even when your lamp isn't burning. When my lamps aren't in use I cover the chimneys with bread bags.

Hope this helps you gents. Look sharp and smell nice for the ladies.

I can see a bug going down the chimney with the lamp cool. Indeed, the mantles are fragile after they are fired, regardless of whether running or not. As to the coleman lanterns, I have had mine filled with little bugs in the bottom before. I reckon they never made it to the mantle! The chimney attachment is cool. Just something else to take on and off when lighting it.
I suppose removing it hot to blow out the wick would require a pot-holder and a safe spot to place it while you do...

Here's the old style bug screen like I have Tom----> https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-BRASS-ALA...sAAOSw9Nha~dyp I paid two bits for mine 30 or more years ago. At the prices they want on flea bay I wish I would have bought a lot more.

Mine just sits on top of the chimney with a snug fit. I don't know how tight Roy's new style bug screen fits as these are a new item. As far as putting out the lamp with a screen, I just cup my hand behind the bug screen and give a good puff of air.

Disregard the above link. Those screens must have sold.

Here's a PDF file of the instructions for the newer Aladdin Model 23---> http://www.aladdinlamps.info/PriceLi...ion_Manual.pdf This file has pretty good pictures and will cover a lot of the basics for older lamps back to the 1928 Model 12. The older lamps like Tom's, Roy's and mine use a Lox-On chimney which is different from these instructions. The wick cleaner pictured in these instructions is a plastic one. I use the old time brass Model 12 wick cleaner and told Roy about them. I like the 12 wick cleaner because I like the shape it gives to the wick.....less fuzzies and fewer flame spikes.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

I can see a bug going down the chimney with the lamp cool. Indeed, the mantles are fragile after they are fired, regardless of whether running or not. As to the coleman lanterns, I have had mine filled with little bugs in the bottom before. I reckon they never made it to the mantle! The chimney attachment is cool. Just something else to take on and off when lighting it.
I suppose removing it hot to blow out the wick would require a pot-holder and a safe spot to place it while you do...

If there's one thing that I've learned from Glen (GSSIXGUN) is NOT to Speculate but to Test.

Since I'll need to turn the air conditioning on later anyway I lit one of the Aladdin's and put the new style bug screen on. After the 10 minute warm up I turned the lamp up and let it run for about 20+ minutes then turned the wick all the way down.

I then just cupped one hand around and behind the bug screen gave a big puff the magic dragon Puff and the wick blew out just like without the screen.

Also--something that Joel has mentioned is the 'flame spikes' which are BAD. When you light your wick and raise it a bit it should look like this/nice and blue with NO yellow:

Originally Posted by Benz

Here's the old style bug screen like I have Tom----> https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-BRASS-ALA...sAAOSw9Nha~dyp I paid two bits for mine 30 or more years ago. At the prices they want on flea bay I wish I would have bought a lot more.

Mine just sits on top of the chimney with a snug fit. I don't know how tight Roy's new style bug screen fits as these are a new item. As far as putting out the lamp with a screen, I just cup my hand behind the bug screen and give a good puff of air.

Actually Joel, I wish I'd seen those old style bug screens before I bought the new one as they are basically the same price ($25 ea) and I like the look much better. Oh well, the new one does also act as heat shield.

My vintage screen was a firm fit on the chimney that came with it but it was Very Tight on the new Aladdin chimneys so I used a finger to ever so slightly bend the tabs and now it fits nice and firm.

And yes I followed my Aladdin Mentor's advice and picked up not one but two of the #12 Wick Trimmers just in case I lost one.