Thread: Otto Benz blow lamp

Paraffin would more than likely be the fuel it was originally designed for; is there a little pressurising pump on one side of the fuel holder? It may also need first priming with metho, if there is a shallow depression in the top of the fuel tank directly underneath the back of the burner you put a bit of metho in that.

From memory you first pressurise the fuel tank with the pump and the regulating valve closed. Pour on your bit of metho and light it. Once lit gently open the fuel valve until you hear the paraffin come through and hopefully light up. Once lit you gently open the fuel valve wider until you get the flame you want.

The whole thing might take a couple of minutes to get going properly; and if you have any leaks in the pump or filler cap it won’t build up pressure inside and simply won’t work very well at all. The jet also might need cleaning with a wire pricker.

If there’s no place to put metho it might well be designed for petrol, but I would still first try using paraffin. Or Colemans camping stove fuel as it burns cleaner than petrol.

Kerro works just fine. As far as I know what the poms call paraffin is the same thing. I have one and it gets used now and then. You need metho in the dish to pre heat and turn the fuel to a gas like Chief Tiff said. I can see it has been a while since he used one so dont pump to start. The fuel will gas off and cause its own pressure and a small jet of flame will start. After that you can pump. To shut off open the valve that lets the pressure out of the tank. You will also have to find some jet cleaning prickers to make it work.
PRIMUS MONITOR 12 NIPPLE PRICKERS JET CLEANING WIRES NEEDLE STOVE VINTAGE NOS | eBay
Regards
John
PS just found this.
Primus No. 632 Blowlamp (1954) - Lighting - YouTube

I have used these only with kerro ( as petrol might work -but seems scary) always start up outdoors as the startup can include spewing burning liquid kerro -until it vaporises properly. Lpg a safer option -but with care the old ones still work.

First, I think that the gentleman who made blow torches was Otto Bernz, The Benz chappy made cars.

The principal of the blow torches was the same as that of primus stoves. To operate one you need:

• kerosene,
• metho,
• pricker.

Pricker.jpgPricker

The operating technique is:

• Three-quarters fill tank with kerosene,
• Check that control valve is turned off,
• Prick the fuel jet in the lamp chamber,
• Fill the reservoir with metho and light (this pre-heats lamp and causes kero to vapourise),
• When metho almost burnt out pump tank up to pressure,
• Undo control valve, kero vapour should ignite from remaining metho flame - quickly hand light if it does not do so,
• Adjust flame with control valve knob,
• If flame splutters or is uneven re-prick fuel jet (you may have to re-light).

Remember, the torch burns kero vapour, not liquid kero. The area around the fuel jet must be heated so that it vapourises the kero - KEY.

If the kero is not vapourised then you will get a stream of burning kero ejecting from the torch - will set fire to anything within 2-3 metres.