How old of a lantern is that Charlie?

 

Denatured alcohol. Here's good thread on how-to.

http://www.colemancollectorsforum.c...ght=how light kerosene lantern&pid=1285958347

advice from 'Scotty':
"Here is the method I have been using lately to light my 237:

Fill up the fount, make sure the fuel cap is tight, make sure the fuel valve is closed.

Pressurize the fount. My 237 seems to like about 25-30 pumps.

Check the lantern for leaks.

Fill the preheat cup. I like methyl hydrate for preheating.

Place the tip cleaning lever in the "UP" position. This will limit how much fuel can exit the generator and hopefully avoid flare-ups.

Quickly open and close the fuel valve to get some kerosene up into the generator.

Light the alcohol in the preheat cup.

As the generator starts to get hot, the kerosene vapours will start to burn in the mantle.

When the alcohol in the preheat cup is just about all gone, SLOWLY turn the tip cleaning lever to the "DOWN" position. The lantern will light right up with remaining kerosene that is left in the generator.

If everything seems good, SLOWLY open the fuel valve all the way.

The lantern will now be lit and running wide-open. No soot, fireballs, or panic. There will be enough pressure in the fount to last for a long time.

A long-time Coleman service technician and lantern wizard passed this method on to me this fall. It has worked every time for a trouble-free start-up. It is certainly not the only way to do it, but it is a pretty controlled way of getting a 237 up and running."

http://www.colemancollectorsforum.c...ght=how light kerosene lantern&pid=1284976047

 

Never did find a date on this one, but the Kero ones were made from 1946-1960
The gas lantern I got with it was dated 1957, so I would bet it's about the same age, they came from the same garage

I'm going to bet I should use the clear Kero, not the dyed one.
maybe tonight I will "play around" with it.

 

I gave an old one I had to a neighbor who liked to go camping, it was one my dad had and still in the box it came in, think it would have been from the 60's

 

Back in the "old days " ,before the "green revolution" we had green lanterns. Just collect a bunch of lightning bugs and put them in a jar !!
Then came electricity . People converted kerosene lamps to electric .These of course were very nice ones , nickel plated, for your home . No more smell or soot on the ceiling . There are even wind up types ......Some of us just wait a few hours , then the sun will come upagain !

 

I haven't seen any yet, not that I'm looking but solar ones would be the smart choice now I think..

 

That kind of reminds me of the story my grandfather used to tell. "We were so poor we didn't have electricity nor did we have money for shoes. In the winter time, rather than walk barefoot on the snow, we would wrap Barbed wire around our feet for traction on the ice".

 

I've been working on award/recognition lanterns for Blue/Gold next February.

A good use for rusty old 220's.
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That is way too cool!!!!!

I need to get a sheet of decals from you for my restored lanterns.....

 

Send me your address! Note they look great on the paper, but are pretty transparent against the lantern. Difficult to make out the Coleman. I need a better quality printer.

 

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The latest project; HGP 457G.

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Nice!
You don't see those on the east coast

 

I see them on Epay now and then, but they're costly to ship. Weight is 25.5 lbs!

 

Yeah, my collection is a cheap one.
usually $5-15 for a lantern, $5-20 for a stove.
I may add $5 if it's still in the box.......LOL

 

How old is that one..? Even looks heavy..