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I Forge Iron

Show us your Lanterns & Oil Lamps


Chris C

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Gee guys you aught to move to Wasilla if you want reliable power, ours only drops off briefly every couple few months unless something drastic happens. Power was off here for maybe 4-5 hrs. after the November quake. Came back on about time it was getting light outside of course.

Frosty The Lucky.

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I just came home from the corner market.  Needed to refill the gas cans I depleted with my generator.  There was a much "older" than I lady who was doing the same. (or actually her son was)  She said she lives just two blocks from me and still has no electricity.  The storm hit Monday night at 8:30 and she's still without electricity.  Really makes me angry, but what can you do?  We had so little damage in comparison with Edmond and Oklahoma City.  They had a tornado on the ground for 10 minutes and something like 60,000 people without electricity.  I heard on the radio today that they hope to have the last 8,500 back on-line by tomorrow evening.

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Living out here on the edge of nothing I kept a coal oil lantern on top the refrigerator with a box of kitchen matches next to it.  I could get to it and light it in the dark and then go set up the other lanterns that store in wooden boxes with the camping stuff. Got a hand forged S hook that will hang a lantern off the chain for the light over the  kitchen table, put one in the bathroom and I was set.  Propane kitchen range too; so hot food!

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Yup, Thomas, we have 4 lanterns we keep filled around the house for when that happens.  However, to cook, we have to go out to the Casita to use the propane stove top.  Our lanterns are more decorative table top styles, though................not like the old steel lanterns with the bail.  (love those......just don't have one any longer)

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When we don't feel like firing up the generator, we use Aladdin lamps for light and our cook stove is propane. If the power is out for more than a couple of hours its generator time to run the well, don't like being out of running water.:lol: We live so far out in the woods, we don't get Monday night football till Wednesday.

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19 hours ago, Chris The Curious said:

Always wished I had an Aladdin lamp.

You can still buy them new at most good hardware stores. At one time I collected antique lamps, until I ran out of room to put em. Became interested in them when I was in the Coast Guard and the light house I was stationed on used an Aladdin lamp for emergency light in the main rotating beacon.

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I haven't seen one in a hardware store in 40 years.  Couldn't afford them back then and mostly likely couldn't now.  If memory serves me, they are capable of putting out the equivalent light of a 100 watt bulb...............is that correct?  That's sure a heck of a lot better than my little flat-wick lamps.

 

Chris

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"150 watt"................Wow, I didn't realize tht. 

I just found Aladdin's website.  Yup............still too spensive fer me.  But if I ever see on in a garage sale, I'm going to pick it up.  The come in real handy during blackouts.

 

Chris

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I have 15 working Aladdin's in my collection, most with their shades. they are scattered all over the house along wit a bunch of antique flat wick lamps. I use them in the winter for ambiance and the heat they will produce, up to 4,000 BTU's. When running them (even a couple) there has to be adequate ventilation to off set the CO produced and so they have enough oxygen to burn properly. In the old days the houses were so drafty ventilation was not a problem.:)

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Greetings Chris and Irondragon. 

     Lanterns are addictive. I only have 5 Aladdin’s butttttt 250 plus wick style.  Been restoring and collecting for 50 some years. Without kerosine lanterns this country would not have made as much progress. Many companies started making lanterns and additional companies followed suit. Lenses by Corning , steel, and of course Standard oil. Lots of history in lanterns. If only they could talk. 

Have fun and of course Forge on and make beautiful things 

Jim

8BC185A9-53BF-4139-8337-530AEF7CFEE3.jpeg

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Jim that's a very impressive collection.

I got to thinking about how the smithy would have been lighted before the wide spread use of electricity, beside the fire from the forge. I imagine the more affluent shops might have used Aladdin Lamps or Lanterns. I will try and get some pictures later of my collection (which is spread out).

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I really need to spring for cable. I had no idea the storm was all that bad, Chris. We just got a lot of rain. Enough that the pool came close to over flowing. 

Power here in Purcell is very spotty unless you live on the far north side where power is supplied by OEC. We live on the north side of town. Those in the town proper have power distributed by the City of Purcell where even a stiff breeze seems to knock out the power. 

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A not well known historical factoid is that kerosene (paraffin to you Brits/Aussies) light and paraffin candles are a result of the discovery of oil in PA in 1859.  Prior to that lighting was beeswax candles, whale oil lamps, rush lights, etc..  Much of the popularity of kerosene was the result of advertising by Standard Oil to develop demand for "rock oil" products.  Paraffin is a by product of refining oil. 

Also, many people do not realize that biblical and medieval oil lamps burned vegetable oil, not kerosene.  There have been a number of fires caused by someone trying to burn kerosene in a reproduction clay oil lamp with a cloth wick.  A properly adjusted olive oil single wick lamp puts out about as much light as a candle (1 candle power?).

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand 

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