We love lamplight and we rarely turn on the electricity. We bought two Den Haan lamps for the newest "Windrush" last winter: a large Trawler Lamp that we hang over the table and a Gimbal Lamp that we mount on the bulkhead aft of the port settee berth. They are generally well made and they look beautiful, but we've had problems with each during their first season.
The Gimbal Lamp doesn't seem to burn untended for as long as an apparently identical "no-name" lamp that we bought for our CD 25 (and moved to our 27) from the much lamented M&E Marine. Agressive wick-trimming seems to help.
We bought the Trawler lamp in the hope that we'd at last be able to read by oil lamp light. Well, that's just barely possible, and the lamp is also a very effective cabin heater (we're not kidding). The enormously broad wick is carried on an ingenious cylindrical carriage that holds it so as to create a circle of flame--if you manage to get it clamped in place and trimmed just right. One burns a couple of inches of wick in an evening. The oil reservoir turned out to leak at one or more points along the crimped joint that marries the top to the bottom. We'd had the same problem on the lamp on our 25/27, and we fixed it the same way: we drained the reservoir well and washed it out. We then stripped the shellac from the entire joint and soldered the whole perimeter. We figured that, if we returned it to West Marine for a new lamp, the replacement would very likely have the same constructional flaw. We preferred to fix it ourselves and know we had it right.
The raves for the Weems and Plath "miner's" lamp make us wonder about their gimballed lamp, which looks a bit more nautical. However, Weems and Plath doesn't seem to make anything comparable to the Den Haan Trawler Lamp.
Ann and David Brownlee
CD 31 #1 "Windrush"
Havre de Grace, MD
dbrownle@sas.upenn.edu
Source of Cabin Oil Lamps
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Tom
Re: Source of Cabin Oil Lamps
Surely that bit about burning two inches of wick a night is a little hyperbole. I've had the same original wick in my trawler lamp for 11 years and use it all the time. I'm sure it's burned for many hundred hours and I haven't gone through any two hundred inches of wick. I wonder if you set it too high? The flame should go out horizontally but not turn up much and start smoking. Each night when you shut it off, run the wick up against the metal rim while it's hot and it sort of self-trims itself. Burning about 4 hours per night the resevoir lasts about a week before refilling. If you're using more that this, you may be setting the wick too high.
You can't read by any non-presurized oil lamp that I'm aware of. If you're cranking it up and trying to read by it, that may be the reason you're going through wicks. Mine has never leaked and it once went flying and put a big dent in the resevoir and still didn't leak, but I might just be lucky. Fine for mood lighting at dinner or cocktails, but I don't know anybody who reads by a plain oil lamp, even someting as big as the Trawler lamp. You need that white light from an Aladdin or pressurized Coleman type if you're going to read. They've got their own downsides, but they are bright.
TomCambria@mindspring.com
You can't read by any non-presurized oil lamp that I'm aware of. If you're cranking it up and trying to read by it, that may be the reason you're going through wicks. Mine has never leaked and it once went flying and put a big dent in the resevoir and still didn't leak, but I might just be lucky. Fine for mood lighting at dinner or cocktails, but I don't know anybody who reads by a plain oil lamp, even someting as big as the Trawler lamp. You need that white light from an Aladdin or pressurized Coleman type if you're going to read. They've got their own downsides, but they are bright.
Ann and David Brownlee wrote: We love lamplight and we rarely turn on the electricity. We bought two Den Haan lamps for the newest "Windrush" last winter: a large Trawler Lamp that we hang over the table and a Gimbal Lamp that we mount on the bulkhead aft of the port settee berth. They are generally well made and they look beautiful, but we've had problems with each during their first season.
The Gimbal Lamp doesn't seem to burn untended for as long as an apparently identical "no-name" lamp that we bought for our CD 25 (and moved to our 27) from the much lamented M&E Marine. Agressive wick-trimming seems to help.
We bought the Trawler lamp in the hope that we'd at last be able to read by oil lamp light. Well, that's just barely possible, and the lamp is also a very effective cabin heater (we're not kidding). The enormously broad wick is carried on an ingenious cylindrical carriage that holds it so as to create a circle of flame--if you manage to get it clamped in place and trimmed just right. One burns a couple of inches of wick in an evening. The oil reservoir turned out to leak at one or more points along the crimped joint that marries the top to the bottom. We'd had the same problem on the lamp on our 25/27, and we fixed it the same way: we drained the reservoir well and washed it out. We then stripped the shellac from the entire joint and soldered the whole perimeter. We figured that, if we returned it to West Marine for a new lamp, the replacement would very likely have the same constructional flaw. We preferred to fix it ourselves and know we had it right.
The raves for the Weems and Plath "miner's" lamp make us wonder about their gimballed lamp, which looks a bit more nautical. However, Weems and Plath doesn't seem to make anything comparable to the Den Haan Trawler Lamp.
Ann and David Brownlee
CD 31 #1 "Windrush"
Havre de Grace, MD
TomCambria@mindspring.com
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David Brownlee
Re: Source of Cabin Oil Lamps
Dear Tom,
Yes, I suppose I exaggerated the rate of Trawler Lamp wick consumption a bit. But I *have* found that it is tricky to regulate for efficient consumption.
David
CD 31 #1 "Windrush"
Havre de Grace, MD
dbrownle@sas.upenn.edu
Yes, I suppose I exaggerated the rate of Trawler Lamp wick consumption a bit. But I *have* found that it is tricky to regulate for efficient consumption.
David
CD 31 #1 "Windrush"
Havre de Grace, MD
dbrownle@sas.upenn.edu
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Larry DeMers
Re: Source of Cabin Oil Lamps
Hi Steve..Happy New Year!
It sounds like a fuel feed problem..ie: you have enough fuel to lite the wick, but it does not take up enough new fuel to maintain the burn rate. Is the wick long enough to reach down into the fuel resevoir? You should have several inches worth of wick down there and wet. ALso, I have noted that some fuels can cause the wick to become plugged with wax or some other foreign matter. Maybe yours is an aggravated case of this.
By comparison, our Weems and Plath Yachtsman Lamp will burn all evening at one setting. We frequently leave it on while visitng another boat at anchor, allowing a light when we return, but not taking battery power to do so.
I would try another whole wick and see if that makes a difference.
Good Luck,
and Cheers!
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
demers@sgi.com
It sounds like a fuel feed problem..ie: you have enough fuel to lite the wick, but it does not take up enough new fuel to maintain the burn rate. Is the wick long enough to reach down into the fuel resevoir? You should have several inches worth of wick down there and wet. ALso, I have noted that some fuels can cause the wick to become plugged with wax or some other foreign matter. Maybe yours is an aggravated case of this.
By comparison, our Weems and Plath Yachtsman Lamp will burn all evening at one setting. We frequently leave it on while visitng another boat at anchor, allowing a light when we return, but not taking battery power to do so.
I would try another whole wick and see if that makes a difference.
Good Luck,
and Cheers!
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Steve Alarcon wrote: Larry,
We also have the 10" W&P lamp. But I seem to be missing something. When lit, ours will burn normal for about 5 minutes, then the flame shrinks to nothing. I've tried readjusting, but the problem continues. We have three other oil lamps (one suspended above the table, and two bulkhead mounted) and have no difficulty with any of them. Am using the same oil in all. Any suggestions?
Steve Alarcon
CD36 Tenacity
Seattle
demers@sgi.com
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D. Stump
Re: Take 'em home and.....
Honorable Captains,
I believe you all know that I like to KISS things! In this case, simple household copper cleaner works wonders on the W & P lamps. Remove the wick, empty out the oil, and give it a good hot wash with "Power Powder" instant copper cleaner. If ya gets build up in the corners, behind the verticles by the chimney, you can remove the chimney(look at it upside down, a light tap with a screwdriver and the restraining ring, gaskets and chimney will all come out.
Once clean, I use the 3m Boat wax to preserve the shine a little longer than otherwise, but the copper cleaner is so easy, take 'em home and give 'em a bath if they get's dirty(does that apply to crew also???) Your humble servant..........
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30C
CDSOA #1
I believe you all know that I like to KISS things! In this case, simple household copper cleaner works wonders on the W & P lamps. Remove the wick, empty out the oil, and give it a good hot wash with "Power Powder" instant copper cleaner. If ya gets build up in the corners, behind the verticles by the chimney, you can remove the chimney(look at it upside down, a light tap with a screwdriver and the restraining ring, gaskets and chimney will all come out.
Once clean, I use the 3m Boat wax to preserve the shine a little longer than otherwise, but the copper cleaner is so easy, take 'em home and give 'em a bath if they get's dirty(does that apply to crew also???) Your humble servant..........
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30C
CDSOA #1