Tilley Lamps?

Great looking bits of kit, but cheap versions rust very easily.

For every litre of fuel you burn, you produce the equivalent of a litre of water as vapour, plus some potentially nasty tiny particulates.

I would not want want on board. Even plain paraffin lamps are a bit dodgy.
 
I'd not pay too much service to the above. He's mourning the loss of his young love - having sent her off to market at Taunton late last week.

Baaaaah!

As for Tilley lamps, people have been using them in 'nauti' environments worldwide for yonks. They provide a warm, yellowish light that is comforting, as well as considerable heat. They're quite simple to operate and maintain - given a little understanding and some simple spares - while the 'real' ones last for many decades. Cheap Chinese copies have the chrome plating flaking off in months....

They do pump out water vapour, just as you do, so reasonable ventilation is warranted. Some fresh air is indicated for other purposes, too, and it is recommended in some quarters to keep a canary in a cage nearby. Tradition has it that, when the canary croaks, it's time to take a stroll around the deck and stretch one's legs. If one cannot actually get up onto one's legs, then it's time to say goodnight.

On occasion, they smell a bit. This is a function of the paraffin, and can be addressed by putting a few drops of a special aromatic oil into the reservoir. Givenchy and Dior do very well - but don't get caught!

Perhaps their best use is to attract fish at night, the way those old Chinese riverboatmen do. Unlike the Chinks, what bumps the bottom of the boat hereabouts may well not be mackerel, but Orca orca and whalesharks.

Be not surprised if they also attract other critturs - it has been known for a cloud of Scottish midges to block out the light of the sun. Same thing at night. The sneaky yottie then hangs his Tilley lamp on someone else's boat, and enjoys a midge-free evening.....

Oh, yes, and do not be alarmed at the suggestion of inhaling 'particulates'. That's an old global-warmist trick to stop you considering combustion of anything. Midges and mozzies are far more dangerous, whether applied internally or externally.

:)
 
The fabric of a pressure lamp mantle is first soaked in a solution of thorium and cerium nitrates. The nitrates are then precipitated into the cloth with ammonia, and after it's dried the mantle is coated with nitrocellulose and beryllium to help the mantle 'burn in' properly. That's nitro-cellulose as in BANG

It's the thorium in the mantle that incandesces and gives off the bright white light.

And thorium is radio-active, which is why Aladdin, Tilly and co are all licensed to make pressure lamp mantles by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Gives a new meaning to 'gentle glow' doesn't it ? :)
 
i used to have a couple on my narrow boat. lovely light without draining the batteries and a nice sound too. only had one of the meths pipe heaters between the two though.
 
I bought an old brass tilley on ebay but I've had to replace quite a lot of it to get it to burn cleanly and hold pressure and it still needs more bits so it hasn't made it to the boat yet. With the bits I've had to buy it hasn't been that much of a bargain really though I suppose it's got more character than a new lamp. Next it gets a new burner and then hopefully using it won't make the entire contents of my flat reek of paraffin for weeks and then I might try it on the boat.
 
I have one, bought in our camping days.
Good outdoors and more light than the little Camping gas lanterns.

All in all though not a great fan. Fiddly to refuel and to light up, fragile mantle ( but so has the gas one) Smelly, messy, and too large unless you have an ocean liner.

SWMBO wont even let me use it when we have a power supply failure at home.

One of many things I ought to get rid of. The Tilley that is not SWMBO ... but on the other hand .....
 
Searush
If you have some boat stuff that you don't use
There is a place to put said gear
I think it is called 'marinaskip' or summat like that!
I thought I,d throw a little light on the subject for you
 
They’re warm and bright and give out a pleasant chhhhhhhh noise when burning. I used to use mine on dark winter nights when out fishing. One night, just as the biggest fish I’ve almost caught but didn’t took my hook, a bit of dirt entered the metering needle and the whole lamp flared up. It was distracting enough in the open air to cause me to lose that fish of a lifetime but I learned a lesson and would never have a pressure lamp on a boat.
 
Tilleys are great when they are up and working. Great light, but produce a lot of heat too which may be good or bad depending on where you are. Gas is easier and less prone to problems if left unattended (in the real world it happens!).
Downsides are the meths starter and the paraffin which could, depending on what type of boat you are on, be a bit smelly. The mantles are very fragile after use, but with reasonable handling (no severe jolts) should not be too big a problem as long as you have the glass cover on. Another small irritation is of course that you have to periodically pump up the pressure again and they should therefore always be turned off before turning in.
Comparing the upsides, the downsides, and the cost, I would try one and see how you get on.
 
Kawasaki said:
Searush
If you have some boat stuff that you don't use
There is a place to put said gear
I think it is called 'marinaskip' or summat like that!
I thought I,d throw a little light on the subject for you
Click to expand...

:D Gosh I hadn't thought of that:D

I actually consider them, like the 1930's brass petrol blowlamp & a genuine wartime Primus stove, to be heirlooms. Not sure in my kids will have the same attachment tho' as they have never seen any of them used in anger. Each one reminds me of various formative incidents in my childhood. :D

I suspect you can relate to such things quite well.
 
When I sort the interior lighting on my boat, I plan to add something like one of the above lamps. I am interested to hear of any alternatives and/or recommendations.
Allan
 
Many thanks, I was hoping for something a little better looking to enhance the interior of the boat. I will try to find a Coleman or Tilley lacally to see what they really look like.
Allan
 
Lady Campanula said:
I'd not pay too much service to the above. He's mourning the loss of his young love - having sent her off to market at Taunton late last week.

Baaaaah!



:)
Click to expand...

Oh dear, obviously not very local or up to date, Taunton market closed some years ago, soon to be a building site :mad: Market now just off Junction 24 of M5 at North Petherton.
 
Allan said:
When I sort the interior lighting on my boat, I plan to add something like one of the above lamps. I am interested to hear of any alternatives and/or recommendations.
Allan
Click to expand...

I havent seen one that is specificaly meant for internal but I have seen some gas wall lights in a caravan shop a couple of years ago , other than that I guess it would be brass wall lights in gimbals they had some in force 4 in cardiff the other week though the light output is not great .
 
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