Vapalux lamp

[garynortheast]

Back in about 1987 I bought a paraffin lamp for a couple of quid at an auction. It was missing the glass and a mantle, and the pressure pump didn't work. For the next 35 years it stayed in that condition, being lugged around every time I moved house with all the assorted bits and pieces in my possession, on the premise that, one day I'd fix it.

Last week Jan was helping me sort out the assorted boxes of crap I still had stuffed under the table and in the girls' bedroom, along with the odds and ends randomly dumped on shelves when I moved in. (I've only been in the house for two years so cut me some slack there!) The lamp was sitting on a window sill as a dusty ornament, so I put it on the table with a view to moving it on.

That evening I caught sight of it just as I was thinking of going to bed, so I took it out to the kitchen and gave it a wipe over. Before I knew it, at half past midnight I had it apart all over the kitchen worktop and had decided it was worth getting it going.

On the phone the next morning, to a shop in Peterborough called The Base Camp where I spoke to a chap who knew just about everything there is to know about these lamps. It's a pre-1977 Willis and Bates Vapalux 320, and it's really quite a lovely thing. Fifteen minutes later I had bought all the bits I needed, and today they arrived.



An hour later all the seals were replaced, new wick and mantle fitted, steel tray and glass fitted, and some of the brass bits were polished.



I just need to buy paraffin and meths now and I can fire it up.

[Sir Trev]

Nice. I ended up with a Tlley lamp when we cleared out F-i-L's garage. I have the original instructions for it too but not knowing what it was the starter tongs (and the jam jar of meths they were in) ended up in the bin... Perhaps I should follow your example and get the replacement parts and get it going again.

[garynortheast]

Originally Posted by Sir Trev

Nice. I ended up with a Tlley lamp when we cleared out F-i-L's garage. I have the original instructions for it too but not knowing what it was the starter tongs (and the jam jar of meths they were in) ended up in the bin... Perhaps I should follow your example and get the replacement parts and get it going again.

The Base Camp do Tilley spares as well Trevor.