Wolf Safety Flame Lamp

legendrider

Member
I recently dug out two Wolf flame lamps (ex Telecom, not Miners) from the attic.

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Unscrewed the bonnet to free the base, removed and cleaned the glass and opened the reservoir
refilled with paraffin, and refitted the reservoir lid/wick holder

Adjusted the wick and lit it, trimmed to a stable, luminous, smokeless flame about 3/4" high

Replaced the glass and gauzes, refitted and screwed down the bonnet & glass protector onto the base......

.... and out goes the flame. [repeat, and repeat again with second lamp]

It appears that the flame is being starved of air, and I cannot see any means of a lower air supply to the flame
the lower glass gasket fits firmly snugly onto the reservoir top creating a tight seal.

What am I missing here?

cheers MARK
 
I would say @Alex ??


My guess just throwing it out there it may be really daft but is the fuel fresh ? I don’t know if it goes off “stale” .
 
I have a wolf lamp and its the gauze, its so full of soot it doesn't let the air through anymore! I still haven't gotten around to cleaning it. Be careful of the old gaskets they are made of asbestos I believe.
 
I don't think you used the correct fuel. This should use a white gas fuel like for a Coleman lantern, not a 'lamp oil' or kerosene.
 
Could be that it's not sucking up fuel. I had a dud wick in mine and replacing the wick sorted it.
 
If the wick was not sucking up fuel, likely because someone had put paraffin into the lamp and it got sucked up into the wick.
 
Thank you all for your suggestions.

As a quick fix I inserted a short offcut of wire to act as a spacer above the reservoir flange, which allowed enough air to pass through the threads to enable the flame to burn clean & bright, which it did for several hours, to the profound gratitude of my frozen fingers.

I'll give it a good clean-up over the weekend, making sure the gauzes are clear of soot.
I'll pull the wick through to get fresh fabric and trim off all the char and scorching
I'll also visit my local camping store to obtain some fresh fuel.

I've not known kerosene 'go off' in the same way as petrol or diesel unless contaminated (it wasnt), but its another variable I can control.

will keep you posted on progress!

MARK
 
I don't think you used the correct fuel. This should use a white gas fuel like for a Coleman lantern, not a 'lamp oil' or kerosene.
No these are absolutely oil lamps, you must not put naptha in them as the wick holders and vessel is not designed for this, and could be at risk of exploding (so I'm led to believe).
Most Eccles lamps are Naptha, with the exception of the MC40 and the space heaters/civilian lamps (A1).
 
Thank you all for your suggestions.

As a quick fix I inserted a short offcut of wire to act as a spacer above the reservoir flange, which allowed enough air to pass through the threads to enable the flame to burn clean & bright, which it did for several hours, to the profound gratitude of my frozen fingers.

I'll give it a good clean-up over the weekend, making sure the gauzes are clear of soot.
I'll pull the wick through to get fresh fabric and trim off all the char and scorching
I'll also visit my local camping store to obtain some fresh fuel.

I've not known kerosene 'go off' in the same way as petrol or diesel unless contaminated (it wasnt), but its another variable I can control.

will keep you posted on progress!

MARK
Is it possible the old paraffin has dried out leaving deposits and rendered the wick near useless? Might be worth trying a new one?
 
Anything is possible I guess but the flame burns clean and steady until glass is placed on the base and the housing screwed down (both lamps)
 
I collect miners lamps, I've got an FS lamp myself but mine doesn't have the middle shut off ring like yours has. Does the middle shut off ring open at all? If it does slide it so it opens and that will help with the air flow to the flame. When I light my FS lamp I place the glass and guazes over the wick then I place the top section of the lamp over the glass and let it sit on the fuel cell. Wait a few moments for the air to start circulating the screw the lamp together.

As previous comments have said the wick could be waxed up from parrafin but if the lamp burns happily when it's dismantled then I think the problem is air flow.
 
I recently dug out two Wolf flame lamps (ex Telecom, not Miners) from the attic.

View attachment 1472

Unscrewed the bonnet to free the base, removed and cleaned the glass and opened the reservoir
refilled with paraffin, and refitted the reservoir lid/wick holder

Adjusted the wick and lit it, trimmed to a stable, luminous, smokeless flame about 3/4" high

Replaced the glass and gauzes, refitted and screwed down the bonnet & glass protector onto the base......

.... and out goes the flame. [repeat, and repeat again with second lamp]

It appears that the flame is being starved of air, and I cannot see any means of a lower air supply to the flame
the lower glass gasket fits firmly snugly onto the reservoir top creating a tight seal.

What am I missing here?

cheers MARK
as been mentioned try opening the shut off ring as that might be the problem
 
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