Keep the chill orf and read by ?

[Crowblack]

Anyone know, about lamp's on the market, which can be used to read by, just light things up to see round the "sloon" and also keep a bit of the night chill orf.

Don't really mind what it looks like or keeping a modest amount of "another" fuel on board, to save "leccy", but don't want one of those hissing job's which wakes everybody else up on the anchorage.

 

[stuey_two]

lamps

Google for Tilley, Coleman or Gaz - they all work well, deliver a very bright light and quite a lot of heat. Tilley use parafon, Coleman use petrol, Gaz use butane - your choice.
All hiss a little but not enough to be heard by the boat next door. I suspect that the noises that have offended you probably came from Eberspachers and other diesel heaters

 

[Deleted member 36384]

I have a small gimballed paraffin lamp which operates by a wick i.e. the fuel rises up the wick by capillary action. The light intensity and burn efficiency is adjusted by moving the wick up and down with a small knob on the side. This is the type that dont hiss.

The light is very mellow and it gives out heat but not much. Larger lamps would obviously give out a lot more heat. I dont have the name to hand but its nothing more than one of the many low quality brass items for sale in Chandlers. I am sure than any on line chandler will have this type available, they are often seen in the chandler flyers that accompany the Yacht Mags as well.

If you dont want the hiss then its probably this type that you are looking for i.e. a wick and not the gas mantle variety.

 

[Leighb]

I would second the oil lamp for light and some warmth.

It is surpising how much one of these warms up the cabin. Admittedly the light is not great, but just enough to read by if you sit in the best position.

Gives a very pleaseant warm atmosphere.

 

[nortonmotors]

A Tilley every time ! On full throttle, a decent light and about 400W of heat too.
And then there's the fun of getting it lit ; pressure up too soon and there's orange flame and black smoke ; too late, the meths has gone out and you have to start again.
But the thrill of getting the 'pop' and instant light is worth all the hassle - and the 'ironmonger's shop' smell when you first open the mainhatch.
R.

 

[bob26]

Heat , light .....and smell?

I used to have a gimballed oil lamp on my main bulkhead but soon gave up using it in favour of a Tilley which gave out a much better light, more heat and didn't smell so much.

I have read claims that proper lamp oil does not smell (I used old fashioned paraffin). Be interested to hear if that is so?

The light from a wick lamp is a cosier background than the bright light from a mantle (which achieves greater efficiency and less smoke and smell by vapourizing the oil before burning) but I wouldn't want to read by one.

 

[Poignard]

I have read claims that proper lamp oil does not smell (I used old fashioned paraffin). Be interested to hear if that is so?

I have never used paraffin in our two wick lamps. I use proper lamp oil and it does not seem to smell. Mind you, it may be masked by the smell of bilge water, leaking diesel, pipe tobacco, rum, old clothes, dry rot, blocked heads, kippers etc.

 

[planteater]

I have a Fastnet unpressurised lamp - no odour whatsoever with lamp oil. Once you run dry and start burning wick it gets a bit smelly.

I also have a Bialladin pressurised mantle paraffin lamp. Fantastic for heat and bright white light but a bit scary at times.

 

[neil_s]

If you don't want to spend too much, then a hurricane lamp is a good start. 'Feurhand' brand is good. They can be used as an anchor light or in the saloon. They do rust away quite quickly, but you can amuse yourself by painting them up in your favourite colours. I have two. One stays at home (in case of a power cut) and the other stays on the boat. I bought one of the fancy brass Dietz ones, too. It works well, but isn't very strong so it has become an ornament at home. There's nothing like messing about with paraffin and matches!

Neil

 

[Leighb]

I have read claims that proper lamp oil does not smell (I used old fashioned paraffin). Be interested to hear if that is so?

Definitely don't use paraffin, with proper lamp oil there is no significant smell.

It is of course more expensive, but as you only use a litre or so in a year that is hardly important?

 

[gasdave]

proper lamp oil

What is "proper lamp oil" called and where does one get it?

 

[Crowblack]

Thanks's everyone for the response's - now got something to go at !

 

[Leighb]

What is "proper lamp oil" called and where does one get it?

Oddly enough it comes in bottles labelled guess what - "Lamp Oil"

You can buy at chandlers, where no doubt you pay over the odds, but for the odd bottle I can't get overexcited. I expect ironmongers - if they exist any more - or emporia such as B & Q sell it?

 

[prv]

I ended up buying a bottle at Hobbycraft, where it was no doubt also overpriced but perhaps less so than in a chandler's.

Pete

 

[Gordonmc]

What is "proper lamp oil" called and where does one get it?

B&Q do sell the stuff in the gardening section. Scented with citronella so the midgies keep away.

 

[andygc]

I used to have a gimballed oil lamp on my main bulkhead but soon gave up using it in favour of a Tilley which gave out a much better light, more heat and didn't smell so much.

I have read claims that proper lamp oil does not smell (I used old fashioned paraffin). Be interested to hear if that is so?

The light from a wick lamp is a cosier background than the bright light from a mantle (which achieves greater efficiency and less smoke and smell by vapourizing the oil before burning) but I wouldn't want to read by one.

I am a lamp collector and use several different types - flatwick, roundwick, circular wick, non-pressurised incandescent and pressurised incandescent. Decent quality paraffin does not smell when it is burning in a clean and well-maintained lamp - read the label and look for low sulphur. You can also use 28 sec heating oil, which is pretty much the same stuff. Lamp oil is an extravagance. Citronella oil has a place, just, in a garden to deter mosquitoes.

The Vapalux pressure lamp (also once sold as Bialaddin) is better engineered than the Tilley and is easier to light because the spirit wick is part of the lamp and not a clip on device that sometimes doesn't hold quite enough meths. It is the MOD's choice, presumably because it is pretty well soldier-proof and the spare parts fit every model ever made. If you don't want to be a British patriot then you could get a Coleman. Some Colemans are dual-fuel, they run on petrol as well (but you have to get the right fuel for the vapouriser to last well). Other makers claim their lanterns are dual fuel, but it would probably be wise to ignore the claim.

If you don't want the brightness and hiss of a pressure lamp then I would suggest a circular wick lamp - ones with a Kosmos burner are readily available. You can find them on the Classic Marine website or look at the maker's web site - Den Haan Rotterdam. The Kosmos lamps are the ones with a pinched-in waist on the chimney. Flat wick lamps are just a bit too dim to read by easily.