Hurricane lanterns

[ateallthepies]

I think I would like to add some hurricane lamps to my lighting arsenal to use when camping or in the garden. Is there a make to get or will any of the cheapo ebay specials do the job?

Also are they pretty safe to use? I guess if they are knocked over there could be a problem but are they safer than say a candle as the flame is behind glass and is burnt paraffin fumes OK indoors?

Thanks,

Steve.

 

[sasquatch]

I love them, a bargain shop near by sells them for £2.99. I'd say they're fairly safe, used them for years and not had a problem. Great for in the garden as well as camping but don't transport them full as they leak a bit. Makes your vegetables for stew taste terrible when you camp for a few days in the sticks! Turpentatties, mmm!

 

[Mike8472]

I have one of the cheap £4 jobs that i bought from a local hardware store. Ive used it a couple times indoors when we have had power cuts and it was fine.
I think there are different typrs of lamp oil for indoor and outdoor use.

It does have a particular smell when burning that takes abit of getting use to.

 

[ged]

Any of them will do the job, some are constructed better than others. I have a few cheap Chinese ones which you can get for a couple of quid, and a couple of more expensive German (Feuerhand) ones which do ethe same job for more money.

They run on paraffin, lamp oil or similar fuels. They are a little bit smelly but you can get deodorized fuels which don't smell so bad.

Most of these lamps are made from pressed steel, and fuels like paraffin do carry tiny droplets of water from e.g. condensation which can eventually (years) cause the fuel reservoir to rust through. You can put an additive like isopropyl alcohol (IPA) in the fuel to soak up the water so it boils off in the fuel. I've had a lamp rust through a couple of times, no big deal to replace a cheap lamp so you might not want to bother with additives but leaking fuel might be more of a deal depending on usage.

 

[ateallthepies]

Thanks very much, I think I will get a cheapo and a Feuerhand and see what the difference is in quality? Another question though, is there any merit in buying vintage lamps over modern stuff?

Steve.

 

[Whittler Kev]

Poundland sell small ones. Got one but haven't tried it yet

 

[ged]

Thanks very much, I think I will get a cheapo and a Feuerhand and see what the difference is in quality? Another question though, is there any merit in buying vintage lamps over modern stuff?

The old ones are the best.

Seriously though, unless you're planning to be a collector I wouldn't worry about it. Older ones do tend to be a bit more solidly constructed and are often bigger, but obviously if it's steel the possibility of a rusted reservoir is greater in an old one. The repair of any fuel container is not a job to be undertaken, er, lightly. If I saw an old one at a giveaway price I'd probably buy it without worrying too much about how rusty it is because I'd have no problem repairing it, but if you're less confident of your soldering skills then you might want to make sure it's in good condition. If you see a brass one at a good price don't hesitate to buy it. You can get corrosion on brass but it's usually much less troublesome, perhaps the odd pinhole in the brass sheet which is easily stopped rather than a sheet of rust that resembles a lace curtain.

 

[ateallthepies]

I will look out for a brass one then. I just bought a new brass effect Feuerhand on ebay so hope to be burning some lamp oil soon!

Steve.

 

[rik_uk3]

The cheap ones are fine, same wicks as the £15 ones so same light/fuel consumption. What I did was remove the glass and give the cheapo's a spray with plastikote paint about four or five years ago, left them outdoors open to all weather and they are still absolutely fine.

For the cost of one fuerhand lantern you can buy five lamps and a tin of paint so take your pick.

 

[JAG009]

There are loads to look at here www.hurricanelamps.co.uk dont have any connection to the company bla bla ...

Jason

 

[Toddy]

I wondered about using the plasticote stuff on my outside lanterns, but didn't know how it'd do with the heat.
Good to know it works on these hurricane lanterns though

It's worth while noting that if you trim the wick carefully, the glass doesn't soot up anywhere near as badly as it can do with one that's not burning clean.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[ateallthepies]

Well I have got one of the Feuerhands now but will most probably get a set of cheapo's for around the camp table. I wonder if plasticoat do a brass effect spray? I do like stuff like this to look old.

Steve.

 

[Nonsuch]

I have a couple of cheapos, a Feuerhand, a Dietz and a quality old Chalwyn. I find the more expensive ones better as they don't leak fuel all over the place if knocked over and can even be transported full with only a little seepage. The Chinese pound-shop ones are effectively open and fuel will go everywhere if knocked over and they have to be emptied for transportation. They do work however, and might be all you want for garden use.

 

[ateallthepies]

Is it best to trim the wicks flat or maybe to a point?

Steve

 

[markphelan]

I've got a cheapy and a decent Feuerhand and the build quality is far superior on the more expensive one. They both do the same job, but you definitely get what you pay for. I find the smell of the paraffin quite comforting, and the glow is certainly nice and warming on a cool night.

 

[Nohoval_Turrets]

Lanternnet do a reflector that creates a more practical light scatter, although it's quite heavy. A little tin-smithing could create something similar and lighter.

http://www.lanternnet.com/Merchant2...Code=WKL&Product_Code=WTKHR&Category_Code=WKL

 

[mrcharly]

Is it best to trim the wicks flat or maybe to a point?

Steve

Flat and no fluff.

 

[salan]

The cheap ones are fine, same wicks as the £15 ones so same light/fuel consumption. What I did was remove the glass and give the cheapo's a spray with plastikote paint about four or five years ago, left them outdoors open to all weather and they are still absolutely fine.

For the cost of one fuerhand lantern you can buy five lamps and a tin of paint so take your pick.

Rik, do you have a link to the actual paint you used? I looked at plastikote but wasn't sure which one to look for locally.
Alan

 

[mrcharly]

I have a couple of cheapos, a Feuerhand, a Dietz and a quality old Chalwyn. I find the more expensive ones better as they don't leak fuel all over the place if knocked over and can even be transported full with only a little seepage. The Chinese pound-shop ones are effectively open and fuel will go everywhere if knocked over and they have to be emptied for transportation. They do work however, and might be all you want for garden use.

I agree 100% with this.
I've used wicking paraffin lanterns a lot - they were my primary light source for a solid 18 months.

The next step up from the old 'hurricane' lanterns are the round-wick ones, these days mostly designed for use on boats. I have a large one of these that outputs as much as a 60W tungsten bulb, when on full whack.

The round wick design isn't actually a round wick. It's a wide flat wick that is fed up through a circular 'slot', with air-feed on the inside of the slot. Burns very efficiently.

 

[ateallthepies]

Flat and no fluff.

Ta will remember this. How often do they need trimming?

Steve.