Petromax lamp reminder of childhood

[Bluepete]

I had recorded Kevin McCloud's Man Made Home last weekend thoroughly enjoyed it. I love the idea of owning a few acres with woodland and building a shed to stay in.

If you missed it, it's well worth finding the programme on catch-up, even if it's just to see a mad professor splitting huge oak logs with explosives!

Then again, the method Kevin found to make bio diesel made me heave. He went into the sewers under that there London and collected "fat bergs". It looked more like huge clods of poo and condoms to me, but apparently, it's mostly fat. That was then processed into diesel.

The idea was to use it in a Petromax lantern. Cue lots of smoke and gouts of flame and eventually, a reasonable light output, accompanied by the pervading smell of poo!

Now apart from the smell of poo, I was reminded of camping as a kid when we used to use paraffin lamps in the tent. The sound they make and the slightly wavering light output was very relaxing. I can remember going to sleep with the gentle roaring of the lamp in the background.

Right! I thought.

Google was engaged.

It's a good job I was sitting down, those things are feckin' expensive! However, I found a German version which arrived yesterday with four spare wicks for £35. Nickel plated, good quality fittings and even a set of spares for the pump, nozzles and seals. It runs for about eight hours per litre of paraffin, so not too bad.

Gassed it up, worked first time and once the new wick had settled, I was back in Cornwall in a tent with my family. The sound, the smell (not of poo) and the orange light took me right back.

Here it is,

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk24/conker51/20120930_151137.jpg

So, apart from the splitting hangover, I'm a happy lad.

Pete ;)

[tigersaw]

Used to have monser ones in scouts with reflectors to make camp spotlights. It was a priv position to be the one lighting them up.

I too covert the plan to buy some acres and have a man shed, though mine will be a tree house. not sure what the planning rules are

[maviczap]

Used to have one of those for sea fishing at night off the beach, mine used paraffin

Do you have to warm the fuel pipe first so the fuel turns to vapour first?

On mine there was a little reservoir inside the glass part, you filled with meths and you lit that that and let it burn away, and then open up the fuel valve and hopefully the mantle would light up.

Many a happy hour spent fishing for cod in the winter off the beaches here, in fact its getting close to the cod and whiting arriving.

[Bluepete]

Fishing by lamplight sounds good. What size cod do you catch?

The lamp does indeed have a primary burner to warm the vapour tube but it also has a reservoir for meths like yours. I've only used the primary so far, I'll give the meths a go later on.

Pete ;)

[yorkie_chris]

I heard tell of a plastic surgeon who was making bio out of liposuction lard :-P

Cool lamp :)

[Specialone]

I likey :)
Massive fire hazard in a tent though :(

[maviczap]

Fishing by lamplight sounds good. What size cod do you catch?

The lamp does indeed have a primary burner to warm the vapour tube but it also has a reservoir for meths like yours. I've only used the primary so far, I'll give the meths a go later on.
Pete ;)

Then I think its the self same lamp. Mine rusted away

Biggest I landed was a 17lb cod, but on my mates rod, as he was busy dealing with a smaller fish. He wasn't happy about that I can tell you! We usually fish with two rods each, as it means you've always got a bait in the water, whilst re-baiting one rod.

But the average size is between 2 - 6lb, which would be a large fillet in the chippie. Anything smaller isn't worth taking home.

Best tasting cod by far, nothing like fresh out of the sea, freshly battered or in breadcrumbs, yum yum.

Yes, fishing in the dark with a tilley lamp lighting up your bit of beach, radio playing in the background (Radio Luxembourg in the old days), moon iluminating the sea, whilst the waves crash on the beach.

Good way to de stress your life.

Get home, fillet fish and then a quick dram or something before going to bed. Happy days (or nights) :)

[punyXpress]

Just watch out for CO2 build up in the tent.
Signed: Cap'n Killjoy

[Dave-the-rave]

I thought a paraffin lamp was a rough sleeper.

[garynortheast]

Tilley lamps. Years ago I lived in a house 1300 feet up a Welsh mountain. No mains anything - gas, water, electric, phone. We used tilley lamps and the sound and smell of them takes me straight back to those days. Lyfli....

[littleoldman2]

We had one in the outside (our only) nettie when I was a kid.

[Sir Trev]

My dad has two antique Tilley Lamps in his shed from the days when he did night fishing off the beach. Seem to remember you had to pump them up and they had a pre-warmer thing that clamped under the mantle that used meths. Never did take them camping - we had those lethal Camping Gaz things that never seemed to seal properly once you'd pierced the canister...

[Brettus]

Isn't the whole man shed thing just the catalyst for an org clubhouse? :D
for a small founding fee you get a plaque on the construction and a plush hunting lodge armchair. Reasonable membership rates thereafter for the normal seats ;) Coin operated pool table, vending machines and a good sized workshop for tutorials or club beer token exchange scheme (for convenient redemption at the bar not 10 feet away)

Must stop daydreaming, its not even 10am on Monday