Coleman Lanterns and Stove

[GCroyle]

Guys,

I can't be messing with the truck all the time and this accidentally became a "hobby" Coleman Lanterns, Stove and kerosene 500CP lanterns.

Is there anyone that doesn't remember watching dad pump up a lantern or stove and then watch them come to life, maybe the clanking of the globe as you walked down the trail to the pond for some night fishing?

My interest started when I didn't give up on trying to get my Dad's old 425 1970's classic stove going. It only needed new fuel, none of the extra work I did was really necessary.

Linda and I are camping with our Airstream and we still do almost all of the cooking outside and that includes the classic Coleman stove.

So here's a few pics and my collection BELIEVE ME it is paltry to the real collectors. Some have dedicated shops or storage units.

Most but not all, oldest is from the 40's nickle fount left of center. The ones with the yellow labels are Milspec. A bit different and worth finding.

A few stoves but not all of them.

And this is a M1950 Military. It has two heat settings, full blast and off.

And a classic 228, AKA a Big Hat. These just are cool.

A 1963 King Seeley Milspec. These use a simpler design and are known as having a ROAR when they run. Early ones had traditional globe and then they switched to 4 panel globes known as Quad Glass. They took some space in the fuel fount and added a spare parts well. Also chained funnel and fuel cap.

And the workbench after coming back from a GTG in SE TN.

If you have worked on a carb then most of this work is very similar, except for those three shiny Kero's.

If all lit, this is 3,000CP of blinding Kero lanterns. They run about 12-16+PSI, gauge is in ATM. The 3 on the L are mine, then a gift to a camping buddy and the last two go the my GPA (gas pressure appliance) GA buddy.

And this is what 1 500CP Kero looks like with a nice eyeball saving brim on it. Linda on far Rt.

And this is the light up at the Coleman Collectors campout at Foxfire campgrounds in TN this spring. This spells out TN19.

So do you have an old Coleman Lantern or stove in the shop wondering what to do with it? Get it out and see what it takes to bring it back to life.

Need help? Here you go http://www.colemancollectorsforum.com/ a great group of GPA collectors and users.

And for X-mas last year I gave my son Jacob his Grandfathers 425 stove and my first 220 lantern, his turn to use them and put some scratches on them.

Well, this helped pass the day while my new AC is getting installed.

Gary

 

[PBJ2500CTD]

Thanks for sharing Gary! Brings back memories from the 60's when the extended families would spend the day digging razor clams (Western Washington beaches), then, in assembly line fashion clean them, coat them in thick pancake batter (often seasoned with the addition of a splash, or ten, of a favorite adult beverage), toss them into a sizzling vat of butterfat on a burner that sure looked like your M1950 and sounded like a jet taking off. Big bon fire on the beach, supplemented by a number of those big lanterns as the sun set, with home made biscuits and age appropriate beverages galore.

 

[Dick Langendorff]

Nice collection.
Those were the days. Swapped mine out for the propane version.
Now I use my portable pellet grill and electric one element unit for the fry pan.
Keep all of that in the storage part of the fifth wheel. No Tents.

 

[Timd32]

Might have to pick one up somewhere, I run Kerosene for heat in the garage in the winter, so usually have some on hand, gives me a reason to have it.

Neat collection.

 

[BoeingDiesel]

Thanks Gary, that brings back a lot of memories from the 1950's when my father would take us fishing to the High Sierras' and me pumping up the lanterns and stove...including a WW II surplus tent.

 

[jgillott]

Hanging in our old root cellar in the farmhouse.

Any idea what it is? I'd love to find a glass for it.

 

[GCroyle]

jgillott,

No clue. Suggest a light wipe down and look for stamped identification on sheet metal. Don't get abrasive with it.
But prior to spending any $$ on it, look at the bottom of the lantern, look for nasty stuff, corrosion etc. Looks decent? remove cap look inside same question. Still optimistic put kero in it and check back a few days later look for weeping leaking.

If you can ID it then start a search for it or join CCF and post it. Some of those guys might be able to ID it based on the bend of the bail, wick holder burner, vent holes in vent all those tiny details.

Gary

 

[jgillott]

Thanks. I will do that. It's been hanging there since I was a kid in the same condition.

 

[GCroyle]

Might have to pick one up somewhere, I run Kerosene for heat in the garage in the winter, so usually have some on hand, gives me a reason to have it.

Neat collection.

Timd32,

Thanks. The 500CP Kero's are not Coleman. But Coleman has and I believe still offers new Kero https://www.coleman.com/kerosene-la...cgid=coleman-lighting-fueledlanterns#start=18

The Coleman fuel lanterns are pretty easy to light but the Kero needs preheating and they have a small cup under the gen to preheat it and get the Kero to vaporize. But the ones that I have so far are all German models. Petromax, AIDA, Geniol and more sorta clones of the original Petromax.

That family of lanterns is a little bit DIFFERENT! they have two ways to lite. Denatured alchol in a cup surrounding the generator or a preheat torch. This is typical good startup using the TORCH that is built in to the lantern. It'll scare the snot out of bystanders if they don't see it coming. Takes about 90 sec to heat one up to light.



If you use the preheat cup, it's almost boring it just heats the gen and you turn it on.

Gary

 

[Tractorat]

Is there anyone that doesn't remember watching dad pump up a lantern or stove and then watch them come to life

Remember ? Thats what I have. Lantern and stove. Oh, I have a propane lantern and stove, but I never use them. I like the gas much better.

 

[GCroyle]

Remember ? Thats what I have. Lantern and stove. Oh, I have a propane lantern and stove, but I never use them. I like the gas much better.

It's like setting the choke on an old engine and cranking it over vs hitting a button on your key fob. Knowing how to get one running has it's own satisfaction. Key fob, yuck.

 

[Tractorat]

It's like setting the choke on an old engine and cranking it over vs hitting a button on your key fob. Knowing how to get one running has it's own satisfaction. Key fob, yuck.

A good analogy I think. Also, I like the smell of the gas stuff. It has the smell of camping. Plus, if you grew up with the old stuff, its part of the camping experience. (unless you tend to be a nancy boy, and want everything riki tic

 

[PBJ2500CTD]

It's like setting the choke on an old engine and cranking it over vs hitting a button on your key fob. Knowing how to get one running has it's own satisfaction. Key fob, yuck.

You mean like pulling into the drive-in and pulling the choke out about 2/3 of the way so it sounds like you have a 3/4 or full race cam?

 

[Mike Wenrich]

Jgilliott---Looks like a Dietz. They were stamped on the top metal. Found one recently with a red globe and painted yellow. Might be railroad or road department but no identifiers. The globes had raised letters with Dietz as well. And anything railroad I have found has their company identifier on it to prevent theft. But other companies made them as well. Every barn had them and I have to wonder how many burned down because they were left unattended near a haystack.

 

[jgillott]

Jgilliott---Looks like a Dietz. They were stamped on the top metal. Found one recently with a red globe and painted yellow. Might be railroad or road department but no identifiers. The globes had raised letters with Dietz as well. And anything railroad I have found has their company identifier on it to prevent theft. But other companies made them as well. Every barn had them and I have to wonder how many burned down because they were left unattended near a haystack.

Thank you. I will look in to it.

 

[Regcabguy]

Going to Baja very frequently when I was young,carrying Coleman fuel around in the back of my Falcon wagon was pretty hairy. Plus you couldn't find the fuel down there all the time. I switched to propane.
NICE COLLECTION!

 

[BIGNASTY]

The military stove looks to be a SEVA 123 that has a lantern attachment that doest put out enough light (can't really see the picture well enough) svea 123 stove I have one thats at least 30 years old still works great each year when I confirm everything in my Bug-out gear.

 

[GCroyle]

Big

They may look like it but they were made by a few companies for US GI use mine is a Rogers IIRC I can get a close up shot of mfgr later. They came with a container that could heat food or water.

My collection grew last week by a three burner Coleman and two Coleman kero’s.

Gary