Thread: Kero blow lamps

THanks for the saftey advice Ian, there are plenty of horror stories of these things around, so Iam pretty careful and I don't want to add to them - and I already have a gas torch....I just like old school stuff, and why I am partial to hand tools.

Mike - I probaby should have taken a few more pics. however basically what you see is what you get. there's no pumps or anything else, just a filler cap, tube out the top of the tanks with jet at the top. it also has a small well at the base of the tube for preheating. The tube/burner Cap screws on to the top (connected by chain) and I understand to extinguish/seal it you need to put the cap on and let pressure out of the tank. The brass perforated (shroud) bit slides off a retaining pin and it fits snugly on the top of the tube to form the burner.

Will have to try a few more web sites, thanks for the suggestions.

Its in pretty good condition overall, and I like your idea of a jewlers torch - but could be a bit big for that, certainly with the shroud in place. It has a very fine jet which also fits with the theory that its a alcohol or maybe shellite torch (or at least some type of fuel that has a higher volatility than kero).

As for cleaning jets in a couple of my larger kero torches I found a brass wire brush with fine wire that I had in a box and it did a good job cleaning the jets on those.

Regards
Steve

Originally Posted by Zsteve

Mike - I probaby should have taken a few more pics. however basically what you see is what you get. there's no pumps or anything else, just a filler cap, tube out the top of the tanks with jet at the top. it also has a small well at the base of the tube for preheating. The tube/burner Cap screws on to the top (connected by chain) and I understand to extinguish/seal it you need to put the cap on and let pressure out of the tank. The brass perforated (shroud) bit slides off a retaining pin and it fits snugly on the top of the tube to form the burner.

Will have to try a few more web sites, thanks for the suggestions.

Its in pretty good condition overall, and I like your idea of a jewlers torch - but could be a bit big for that, certainly with the shroud in place. It has a very fine jet which also fits with the theory that its a alcohol or maybe shellite torch (or at least some type of fuel that has a higher volatility than kero).

As for cleaning jets in a couple of my larger kero torches I found a brass wire brush with fine wire that I had in a box and it did a good job cleaning the jets on those.

Regards
Steve

Steve
your torch is almost certainly designed for shellite, the small well is the giveaway.

just be aware that the jet is sized for the fuel the torch is supposed to use.
for example, kero jets need a larger orifice compared to shellite jets

I am a bit curious as to why it has no handle.
And I cannot see any fuel adjusting knob.
So , it still may be an alcohol unit, but the three air holes suggests Shellite or white petrol.
The outlet screw on cap also suggests alcohol.

If the top feed tube was vertical ie without a bend, it could be a bunsen burner.
Barthel and others made these.
I wonder if someone has bent it off vertical?

Anyway, a very nice Primus to have.
Please put us out of our curiosity misery.

cheerio, Mike

A couple more pics. So you should be able to see how it would be with everything in the right place. Internally it has wicking that helps draw the fuel up to the tip.

HAve now tried it with metho a couple of times and it generates plenty of pressure and sends a stream of gas out but it will not light til the stream has almost died down. Possibly these are finicky to get going but maybe its not the right fuel.

Will try and track down some shellite sometime and see how it goes.

thanks
Steve

Hi Steve,

Klas Jaederfeldt from Sweden suggests that this may be a ski-wax lamp, and probably uses petrol.

" every lamps in Primus 800 series is for Benzin (petrol) and I think the small ones is for skivax. i haven any drawings for this lamp"


Cheerio, Mike

thanks Mike.