Coleman Keepers Campfire come on in!

[campmaster-k]

I love it when there is treasure in the safe!

[Alfred]

That's cool! I haven't stumbled on a reflector or safe yet. My first lantern was a 220. I started making a reflector once out of a big Chock-Full-o-Nuts metal coffee can but never finished it, still convinced it can be done!

AL

[KCStudly]

Looks good and lots of goodies along with it. Surprised to see you running it with the compromised mantle, but I guess it still burns fine (?).

My problem is I am too busy building to spend all day chasing garage sales, estate sales, auctions, flea markets, etc. Maybe after Poet Creek I can find some goodies.

[campmaster-k]

Looks good and lots of goodies along with it. Surprised to see you running it with the compromised mantle, but I guess it still burns fine (?).

My problem is I am too busy building to spend all day chasing garage sales, estate sales, auctions, flea markets, etc. Maybe after Poet Creek I can find some goodies.

KC I have seen your work. You are an artist with metal. Keep up the good work.

[KCStudly]

KC I have seen your work. You are an artist with metal. Keep up the good work.

Thank you kindly for the complement and encouragement. Both are welcome to fuel the fire.

I guess it's all relative. I think of myself as capable, but not expert. I do fabrication, I do design, I suppose I'm a "good" welder, but when I see the experience and knowledge of technique that my buddy Karl has in metal fabrication and welding technique, not to mention rigging (material handling, positioning and securing), I figure I'm just 'okay'. It's funny. I've learned a bunch from people that I might have thought at first were "hacks", but the knowledge they learned from their experience, and that they gained from working with others has filled in the gaps of my experiences.

Here's an example of an awakening moment I had while working with an older fabricator (who also happened to have shipyard experience). We had a big drum like spinning device (a "versator" used to remove entrained air from mixed up batches of toothpaste and what not). We needed to remove the shaft from the back of the drum, but the drum was too big to fit in the hydraulic press frame that we have in the shop. I'm stumped; figure we need to hire the job out to a shop with a bigger press. Nope, this guy, Glenn, he takes it down to the basement and builds a temporary press setup under one of the major support beams and columns holding the building up (an immovable object). Brings the bottle jack out of the press down and cranks it out just like that. Easy peasy.

Artists and experts are just like you and me, they just have more experience. If I can do it, you can do it too. Might take a little longer, s'all.

[Wolffarmer]

Nice haul Kirk, this past month I have gotten a 228F and a 220F. both real nice lighters and burners. Great for everyday kind of stuff.



I see you have a Coleman Table. I got one last winter.



It is in really nice shape. My problem is I left it up to long building computers and as a lantern stand I can't remember how to stow the legs. I can only get three in the little thing. I know they was all in there before and it took some fiddling to get them out. I didn't plan on leaving it up so long.

You got a pic?

Randy

[campmaster-k]

KC I have seen your work. You are an artist with metal. Keep up the good work.

Thank you kindly for the complement and encouragement. Both are welcome to fuel the fire.

I guess it's all relative. I think of myself as capable, but not expert. I do fabrication, I do design, I suppose I'm a "good" welder, but when I see the experience and knowledge of technique that my buddy Karl has in metal fabrication and welding technique, not to mention rigging (material handling, positioning and securing), I figure I'm just 'okay'. It's funny. I've learned a bunch from people that I might have thought at first were "hacks", but the knowledge they learned from their experience, and that they gained from working with others has filled in the gaps of my experiences.

Here's an example of an awakening moment I had while working with an older fabricator (who also happened to have shipyard experience). We had a big drum like spinning device (a "versator" used to remove entrained air from mixed up batches of toothpaste and what not). We needed to remove the shaft from the back of the drum, but the drum was too big to fit in the hydraulic press frame that we have in the shop. I'm stumped; figure we need to hire the job out to a shop with a bigger press. Nope, this guy, Glenn, he takes it down to the basement and builds a temporary press setup under one of the major support beams and columns holding the building up (an immovable object). Brings the bottle jack out of the press down and cranks it out just like that. Easy peasy.

Artists and experts are just like you and me, they just have more experience. If I can do it, you can do it too. Might take a little longer, s'all.

I disagree, You are gifted. Not all are.

[KCStudly]

Thanks.

[campmaster-k]

Nice haul Kirk, this past month I have gotten a 228F and a 220F. both real nice lighters and burners. Great for everyday kind of stuff.



I see you have a Coleman Table. I got one last winter.



It is in really nice shape. My problem is I left it up to long building computers and as a lantern stand I can't remember how to stow the legs. I can only get three in the little thing. I know they was all in there before and it took some fiddling to get them out. I didn't plan on leaving it up so long.

You got a pic?

Randy

Yes I have the table. But you sir have the table AND chairs. The leg thing was a mystery to me too and when I pack mine up, If I figure it out, I will post pics.

[Wolffarmer]

The chairs are nice but no way am i setting on them. They are made for little people.

Randy

[campmaster-k]

That is a nice set. Your table is much nicer than mine. I use mine for a work bench/computer table/picture taking backround. My brother bought it for me for my birthday and i did not even know what it was. I thought it was huge stove!

[Wolffarmer]

Have yet to measure it but I think they are the same outside as the 426 3 burner stove. Would use the same size box so would take one less set up in production and same shipping unit. Makes sense to me.

Randy

[campmaster-k]

Could be but we (my brother and I ) have a cluster of 3 burners and I was taken by the size of the table. Just have the get the tape out. But not tonight.

[High Desert]

Thanks Kevin. He did figure out the part about it being the tip cleaner from the parts diagram. I still am not sure about the single mantle. It is stamped with 3. And then 4 and a nickel fount. 242 but what version.? I am confused by the dating scheme change is it march of 44 or April of 43. Oh and the220bx lit right up! Needs a tune up though. Randy is intrigued and gonna get them going I think. I see by the lack of eBay postings the Bx seems to be not so common.

Hum there is a leak on the Bx at the tip cleaner.

Debbie, you are correct. The BX had a short production run during WWII, less than 2 years IIRC. Your 242 would be dated April 1934. In that era they stamped the dates with the second digit of the year first, then the month. Not a common lantern to find these days, and that is a fine looking example. Same for the rest of them for that matter. If you need help with parts or what not, I know some local sources (local being Reno of course).

[campmaster-k]

Hey yall I figured out something today that has helped me organize my lanterns maybe it can help you. I have, what seems to me to be an unmanageable number of lanterns. The number is not important, its just that when I would go to get a lantern I did not know if it was brand new to me or if I had tested it. All the lanterns were becoming a mystery. They were all lost in the crowd. So what I did today was I put masking tape tags on the bails giving each lantern a number and a name. Then I tested said lantern and wrote its diagnosis on the tag. I just used names from tv shows that we watch. At first I was just going to number them but just a number wont let you remember a lantern if it has a bad personality. It has worked very well . I got through about 28 lanterns today and I actually know which ones work and which ones are flamethrowers . I also know that #9 "Pinie" pronounced Pine - E works for me but dont give Pinie to a novice because Pinie will scare the hell out of you until he is warmed up. I am sure you all have a system . This one seems to work.