Coleman Keepers Campfire come on in!

[DragonFire]

I've tried vinegar..I think I'll try the warm citric acid this time.

Coleman lantern soup...it's what's for dinner!

[High Desert]

man, I can see this group has it bad. Sure am glad I don't have such a problem....


As for the tattoo question, yes it has been done a couple of times that are known of. Pics on the thread linked below;
http://colemancollectorsforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/Ok-maybe-I-went-to-far...-5395496

Nice to know there's always someone out there just one step crazier, makes a good gauge of the competition dontchaknow....

[doug hodder]

I've done both the vinegar and the citric.....If you get straight citric from the canning section of a hardware or grocery store...I mixed up like 2 tsp in a couple of cups of water for the small stuff, set in in a pan and kept it steaming for like 2 hours on the wood stove in the shop....it turned cloudy and brown....the parts came out and only needed a quick hit with some 4 0 steel wool and looked like new. I don't mix up large batches of it and soak stuff in a 5 gal. bucket....but it could be done...the "hotter" you mix it with the citric...the faster it will happen. For the large pieces on a stove...stripper and sanding...small stuff the citric. Doug

PS...don't let it sit a long time, like overnight if it's a "hot batch"...it'll eat up nickel...and may do harm on brass....it's quick if it's a good batch.

[DragonFire]

I still can't get that lantern apart!! Used the PB Blaster..will give it another shot in a few minutes, but it' isn't budging. I'll have to put it on a vise, I guess.

That PB Blaster takes rust off pretty well..the lantern is cleaning up nicely, but it's still stuck!!

BTW...'colors' are in the works. No proofs yet, but I'll share as soon as I get something!

[campmaster-k]

When in doubt force it or hit it with a hammer.

[canned o minimum]

A hammer... MY favorite tool !! I gots LOTSA hammers! Small ones and sum BIG 12lb sledges..."I" call em "equalizers" !

[DragonFire]

So I guess the two of us are in another club..the hammer collectors???

I'm still going to find a vise and see if I can get it apart that way. I wish I could get it in the ultrasonic at work and see if some of the crud gets jiggles loose.

There just has to be a way. The PB Blaster will almost take your fingerprints off...so why won't it get this crud out?? I know..cuz it's up in the threads and the crud is stopping the blaster from getting through.

I've been soaking this thing with the blaster. Will I lose my eyebrows if I take a torch to it???

[Wolffarmer]

As we say in the farm shop. "Don't use force. Get a bigger hammer."



Randy

[High Desert]

I still can't get that lantern apart!! Used the PB Blaster..will give it another shot in a few minutes, but it' isn't budging. I'll have to put it on a vise, I guess.

That PB Blaster takes rust off pretty well..the lantern is cleaning up nicely, but it's still stuck!!

Sometimes heat helps. If you have a small torch, try a few heat and quench cycles on the stuck joint. Combined with the PB it often will help loosen things up before having to resort to the BFH. The PB in liquid form shouldn't flash, I just wouldn't spray a hot part until it's cooled a bit.

I've found the BFH sometimes complicates reassembly lol

[starleen2]

I still can't get that lantern apart!! Used the PB Blaster..will give it another shot in a few minutes, but it' isn't budging. I'll have to put it on a vise, I guess.

That PB Blaster takes rust off pretty well..the lantern is cleaning up nicely, but it's still stuck!!

could you remind us "what part" of the lantern is stuck? - is it the valve, burner, check valve, etc? I may have missed the model # as well. Early models - the air tube, burners and valve assy are all brass so rust shouldn't be much of a factor (only on the frame). The valve body where it attaches to the fount is usually the point of most resistance due to the cutting of the treads to provide a seal and corrosion due to the contact of two different metals. Usually a gentle warming will loosen things up at this point. I have never had any lantern be so stubborn (and I've had some real problem Lanterns). I've used the vice method coupled with a little heat from a torch and a strap wrench to get some to let go.

[Moho]

Thread for Dragonfire's stuck lantern is here...

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=47450

[DragonFire]

Thanks Moho...Yes, it's a 220f. The air intake is stuck. There are some pictures on the other thread. I'll steal the torch tomorrow. Or I'll take the lantern to work and go outside and work on it at lunch. That will really get people's attention!!

I think the corrosion/rust shows in the picture. I have since gotten the rust and gunk off around where the intake screws into, well the other part. I need to get that off the lantern so I can get the frame off. Then I can soak the frame in the warm citric and see how it cleans up..

Makes me wonder if I should only buy shiny antique store lanterns. Saw 2 more 200's yesterday. But I want diversity!

[campmaster-k]

Diversity shmirsity. 200A forever. I would throw some kind of gang sign right now if I could. I dont know how the emoticons get borned but we need one with a 200a being held out with Coleman Pride. Yea thats right Im in a gang now, The 200a gang. Dont mess with us or we will blow your mantles off.

[campmaster-k]

All the Green lanterns and the Silver and the Blue ones behave because its the Red that rules the Vintage Camping thread. 200a forever!

[canned o minimum]

( Anybody notice how Kirk has gotten a bit carried away ? )


Woo Hoo ,Kirkman ! The 200a Gang ! And already threatinin to blow out sum mantles...yer HARD CORE !

Kirk fer President of the 200A Gang !