1933 Coleman 242

[teardrop_focus]

Thanks for the heads up, Kevin! This was a craigslist item located almost two hours' drive south of where I live. The price was right!

Long story short, I picked up this lantern last night but wasn't able to play with it 'til this afternoon.

Took some pics before I took it apart. It's a fairly unmolested machine, but the nickel plating's seen better days.












More news of it's mechanical condition in the next day or two! Stay tuned!

[Kevin A]

[doug hodder]

She's a beauty Chris.....gotta love a 242...they are bullet proof! I really think you need the mica globe for it....save that nice glass one, and the mica shades look much older + that one originally could have had one on it! Nice to have a chat with you on the phone tonight....good luck with your lantern....hope to see it up and running at the Dam....If you don't have a mica shade on it by that time, we can swap one that I have onto it for a look...sorry, not going to give it up. I'll bet you'll be a convert! Regardless...don't let anything happen to that globe....Take care. Doug

[teardrop_focus]

Right back atcha! I soaked the frame in hot water... one of the two air tubes I mentioned was full of mud - put there by the insect community living in it. You shoulda seen the stuff that was in there!

Tomorrow after work I'm gonna BB the inside of the fount after removing the checkvalve to see if it's rebuildable. It's the older, euro-style check valve, according to Ed over at the CCF.

[doug hodder]

I'm not sure on the check valve on a 242 lantern of that age....but whatever you do...don't screw it up trying to remove it. My Quiklight has a rattle ball for a check valve in it. Once the font is cleaned and dry...I shake it and listen to the valve in it. If it rattles and the ball is moving, I figure it's good, really old stoves can have a different set up, spring and a rubber nib. I haven't done a 242 of this age, so this may not apply. I'm still learning on a lot of it all, but can pass on what mistakes I have learned. Doug

PS...for those of you not really familiar with the whole Coleman thing...this is a great find, very collectable, well worth the trip to go get it! Has guys on the Coleman forum bummed for not getting it.

[teardrop_focus]

doug hodder

...really think you need the mica globe for it....save that nice glass one, and the mica shades look much older + that one originally could have had one on it!

...hope to see it up and running at the Dam....If you don't have a mica shade on it by that time, we can swap one that I have onto it for a look...

Better yet, ya gotta pic? I'm curious to see what the shape of that globe looks like; all I've seen are the four-panel mica globes on the bigger lanterns.

Thanks! and if you don't have a pic, I'll see you at the Dam and we'll fiddle around with those lanterns. We need to have a Light Off!

[doug hodder]

here ya go...had one in my album... and get a 99 mantle for it...lots brighter...Doug

[Rock]

Doesn't your bail crash into the bulged globe when it's lowered? I think that's a sure sign it originally had a straight mica globe. That glass is very old and original - keep it on a shelf somewhere. Fred Kuntz will knock out a mica globe for that for a very reasonable price.

Eric

[ERV]

Hey Doug
This summer I picked up 2 of the 242's. One is all green, the other is green top and chrome bottom. Both have the same glass as Chris's. Oh and the number on both have a C at the end, 242C. The green one has 6-6 for a date and the chrome one 48-12. Was thinking about trying to make one a kerosene burner if that is possible. Have not had time to look into it. I will try to get some pics of them tonight. I might let the green one go if it can't be made into kerosene.
Well better get to work.

[teardrop_focus]

Hey, there, threadfolk.


After a week of evening research, fiddling with and dissecting the old cork-tipped spring-and-plunger checkvalve... I have to wait a little longer before I fire it.



A Coleman forum moderator is sending me a piece of Viton rubber to replace the cork "nib" in the checkvalve. The pump plunger is slightly bent and that needs straightening. It needs a new generator, too. It uses the same gen as a 200A.

And it turns out that, yes, this lantern did come with a straight cylindrically-shaped glass globe. Fred Kuntz repops 'em. I may do a mica globe, too, but for now I'm gonna do the glass one. The bale, too, is incorrect on this lantern I just purchased.

So, it's gonna sit for awhile before it runs again, waiting for some parts.

Meanwhile, I replaced a mantle on the third 200A I have, then fired all three up. It's been a few months since I burned my new collection all at once. I even fired up my 16-year-old 424 stove.

[High Desert]

Nice light up Chris. A person just needs to do that once in a while

Are you positive the bail is wrong? I thought it looked like the correct narrower one from the pic. Like Rock said, if it contacts the bulged globe when lowered then its the correct one for a straight. Either way thats going to be a great piece when you're done. I love the look of the straight sided globes. I even want to try a mica one on a custom 200 I'm planning.