The Coleman Thread (4 Viewers)

[Cruiserdrew]

Awesome. A few tips. Lanterns and stoves are very different.

It isn't a lighting lever. That's the tip cleaner. Always down except when cleaning. Especially when lighting.

To light, pump up, open no more than 1/4 turn. This activates the "instant lighting feature" which means it's mixing some of your compressed air with the fuel. Once the mantle is hot, open ALL THE WAY. There is no adjustment. When running its wide open, always. It actually helps to get it lit, and since the lighting process uses some of the pressure in the tank, pump it back up once wide open and running. Then it should run for many hours without being messed with.

To understand the valve and how it works, spin the valve out of the fount of one of your lanterns, then take the valve apart. You'll see the instant light spring, operating rod and air hole in the fuel/air tube.

Bet you got a few "roll-eyes" LOL.

Have fun. Message inbound about your 426.

 

[FJ60Cam]

I wrote "lighting lever" but I pronounced it "tip cleaner", I promise! Is it ok to use it as a dimmer? Any harm from that?

I'll try it with the proper start up sequence. I also need to put a new cap gasket in (ordered) and clean/smooth the mating surface. I did have to go back and pump it up again to keep it at full blast.

 

[FJ60Cam]

Cruiserdrew casually mentioned that you can't be an OG Colemanhead unless you run a 242. Kinda like you aren't a real Cruiserhead until you've rebuilt your knuckles a time or two.

I was looking on eBay and noticed this crusty old May 1950 242C ending in a few hours and it was still under the magic $20 mark (OG's NEVER pay more than $20 unless they want to risk losing their OG status.)





I "watched" the listing and set my phone timer to alert me a few minutes before the auction ended. After checking the listing a little too frequently, the ending finally arrived. I set my max bid way over the $20 mark, but luckily won it for $19.50, hopefully keeping my street cred intact. (Thankfully, shipping is not part of this $20 thing, I'm told.)

It showed up yesterday and it's even better (or worse, depending on how shiny you like your junk) than the pictures on eBay. The only bad spot on the lantern is the 1"x1" good spot of nickel left on the fount. Everything else was rusty, dusty or patina'd.









I, of course, immediately tried to pump it up, hoping to hear it hiss when I opened the valve. Nope. The pump was dry and the cap gasket was shot. I anticipated that so I ordered some cap gaskets, which got here today. I also put the pump in some motor oil, hoping it could be revived enough to work.

I burnt the old gasket out, put in the new, re-installed the pump, swished a little bit of clean fuel in the tank (it came out clear), and burnt down the supplied mantle.

Cruiserdrew also mentioned that I would want a No. 0 Coleman Filter Funnel. I laughed, but looked them up on eBay. They looked way cooler than my similarly shaped plastic funnel. Of course I had to buy one.



Unfortunately, it hasn't arrived yet. And the filler hole on the 242 is TINY (provably the real reason he said I will want one of these funnels.) I probably spilled as much fuel as I got in the tank.

I pump it up, crack the valve and hear the reassuring hiss of air. But I don't hear the spittle of fuel. I try to light it but nothing happens. I pump some more, turn the cleaning lever and open the valve some more. This time it lights and promptly turns into a giant fireball. Fuel is leaking from every valve and fitting.



I blow the flame out, tighten the valve nut, and open the cap to let some pressure out. I light it again, but this time there's no fireball.



I give it a few more pumps, and open the valve once it stabilizes. I left it running and when I checked it about 45 minutes later, it was still going strong.



Hangin' out with the 200A...

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Like the two best camp lanterns ever, right there. Bright enough to be useful, small enough to always go.

Congrats. The 242C is an especially good lantern. Easy to work on (like a 200A) and "old school" cast brass. Even the burner frame is brass on most of them.

Yours is well worn. Kind of makes it the perfect lantern to pack inside your stove (which is also well worn as you will see soon).

Hopefully you just had some minor dirt in the fuel system. It looks like they both run perfectly.

Here's another, same vintage (1949). You can tell by the pump collar.

 

[FJ60Cam]

Nice! I'm going to lay low for a while, but that's what I'll be on the lookout for next, maybe an earlier version. I am out of the closet, I am now a single mantle convert.

With that said, I am offering this barely-used May '77 220J [STRIKE]***FREE TO A GOOD HOME***[/STRIKE]. (GONE) It looks like the one time it was used it was to do concrete work in the dark. It has concrete splashed all over. I have not tested it with mantles, but it pumps up nice, holds pressure, and makes gurgling noises when you turn the valve. It does still have some old fuel in it, so it could take a little tinkering to work, but probably needs no new parts.

I got it for free, have not used it, have no plans to use it, so I'm setting it free.

I have a few more in various stages of completeness for the same price if there is interest.

[STRIKE]Send me a PM if you want it.[/STRIKE]

 

[FJ60Cam]

Also [STRIKE]FREE TO A GOOD HOME[/STRIKE] (GONE)... (my last complete, free lantern)

November '79 220K

It pumps up nice, holds pressure (not sure how long though), hisses when you open the valve. Should work with minimal fuss, but not as nice as the last one. Comes with a sparker. *Might* need a new cap, not sure though. Comes with a one-piece cap, not the one in the pic.

[STRIKE]PM if you want it. [/STRIKE]

 

[RSHARPfzj80]

Pm sent

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Also FREE TO A GOOD HOME... (my last complete, free lantern)

November '79 220K

It pumps up nice, holds pressure (not sure how long though), hisses when you open the valve. Should work with minimal fuss, but not as nice as the last one. Comes with a sparker. *Might* need a new cap, not sure though. Comes with a one-piece cap, not the one in the pic.

PM if you want it.

View attachment 872498 View attachment 872499 View attachment 872500 View attachment 872501 View attachment 872502

PM Sent!

 

[Cruiserdrew]

PM Sent!

I was thinking you were in need of some traditional Coleman gear!

Nice going Cam! Give-a-ways are very cool.

 

[BreckenridgeCruiser]

Maybe I'm missing something, but how does a lantern for inside a stove?

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Maybe I'm missing something, but how does a lantern for inside a stove?

Biiiiiiiiiiiig stove, smaaaaaaaaaaaaaal lantern.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Maybe I'm missing something, but how does a lantern fit inside a stove?

Like this:

Or like this:

The 242 lanterns, and 200A lanterns, will fit inside a 426B or 426C very easily, which keeps them from being damaged at the same time.

 

[Mace]

I still need a 426

 

[BreckenridgeCruiser]

Got it... Wow.. That is a BIG stove and a SMALL lantern!


...via IH8MUD app

 

[FJ60Cam]

For a size comparison, standard two-mantle on the right, 200A in the middle, 242 on the left...



Light output 220 vs 242...

 

[taccruiser97]

Also [STRIKE]FREE TO A GOOD HOME[/STRIKE] (GONE)... (my last complete, free lantern)

November '79 220K

It pumps up nice, holds pressure (not sure how long though), hisses when you open the valve. Should work with minimal fuss, but not as nice as the last one. Comes with a sparker. *Might* need a new cap, not sure though. Comes with a one-piece cap, not the one in the pic.

[STRIKE]PM if you want it. [/STRIKE]

View attachment 872498 View attachment 872499 View attachment 872500 View attachment 872501 View attachment 872502

November of 79, very good chance I made the fount/base on that lantern. I assembled founts from June of 79 to January of 80 at the Wichita downtown plant. They were running only one shift at the time due to cost cutting measures. I can't vouch for the exterior paint since that was a different part of the finishing process.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

November of 79, very good chance I made the fount/base on that lantern. I assembled founts from June of 79 to January of 80 at the Wichita downtown plant. They were running only one shift at the time due to cost cutting measures. I can't vouch for the exterior paint since that was a different part of the finishing process.

That, is totally cool. The lantern should go to you to be signed. Any pics from working in the plant? Actually, I have a '79 220. Going to check months!

 

[taccruiser97]

That, is totally cool. The lantern should go to you to be signed. Any pics from working in the plant? Actually, I have a '79 220. Going to check months!

No pictures, I worked 3rd shift until in the fall when they cancelled the night shifts and moved us to day shift. The downtown plant was at 2nd and St. Francis and was the original Coleman Plant. The building was demolished a couple of years ago and due to groundwater contamination was paved over and turned into a parking lot for downtown events. Across the street from where the main plant was another Coleman plant, I think they made coolers over there, not quite sure on that though. That building has been turned into a Museum/factory outlet store. I like going in there every once in awhile to look at camping equipment and look at the old pictures and Coleman camping equipment they have on display.

 

[taccruiser97]

I don't know if anybody is interested, but the reason I say there is a very good chance I made the fount is because occasionally I was pulled from my primary job and worked a machine that coated the inside of the fount. 100% chance I did something in the production of that fount.

There were 2 of us that made the founts at that time, me and an old dude. He did not talk to me or anybody else for that matter. As of 1979 he had worked for Coleman for 40 years, having started in the late 30s. He took a 4 year sabbatical from work to fight his way through Germany, came home, and went right back to work at Coleman, doing the same job he had before he left for WW2. He would clock in at precisely 7 am, take his allotted 2 15 minute breaks, no longer, no less, eat his lunch, and by 2 pm, he had made bonus, he would stop work, go sit in the lunchroom until 3 pm and go home. Never missed work.

Working at Coleman and next to him convinced me factory work was definitely not in the cards for me.

Coincidentally about a year after I left, he ran a red light in front of me while I was on my way in for shift change, and I pulled him over. It was the first time he ever spoke to me, and he copped an attitude with me because I was going to make him late for work. He got a ticket. I would have cut him a break if he hadn't copped the attitude.

I heard he retired a year or two after that from some of the guys I worked in the plant with, and probably about 3 years after he retired he croaked. Wow, he didn't even get the long retirement he had earned.

 

[FJ60Cam]

You must've been good at your job - the inside of the fount is spotless! Even the filler hole is nice and clean.