Metholated spirit burners

[Pete999]

The British Antarctic Survey teams still use them, simple and effective without too much to go wrong when you are in the ice-cold arsend of nowhere. I think they struggle to get spares these days!

Crikey I was asking about an old fashioned tool that Electricians carried in their tool bags, didn't really expect a History lecture. Vintage "ALTOCK MAJOR AUTOMATIC BLOW LAMP" Google it folks I can't copy the link but use Google or you preferred search Engine

 

[static zap]

Aha this one , like waiting for a valve TV to get warmed up !
(I remember risky stoves fueled on petrol )
Did have a butane piezo torch -with clip-on copper slug solder tip .
but found open flame an inconvenience.

 

[pirate]

I've got one of those, Pete999!
Bit fiddly, but hey...got the job done.
In fact. I'm going to dig it out tomorrow and pop to the pharmacy for some meths....or, maybe not...
[automerge]1590872813[/automerge]
Oh...mine doesn't have the wooden handle or the spreader tube thingy...my Dad used it quite a lot, but I don't think I'll be using it for heat-shrink tubing

 

[Midwest]

My Dad had a paraffin blow lamp. He used to strip old paint off the window frames. He used to send me up the local hardware shop, to get the paraffin.

Dum, dum, dum dum Esso Blue.

 

[telectrix]

My Dad had a paraffin blow lamp. He used to strip old paint off the window frames. He used to send me up the local hardware shop, to get the paraffin.

View attachment 58532 Dum, dum, dum dum Esso Blue.

how many window panes did he crack?

 

[pc1966]

Dum, dum, dum dum Esso Blue.

I remember garages used to have both blue and pink paraffin, I don't think I ever found out the difference other than advertising!

 

[telectrix]

blue for boys, pink for pouffdas girls

 

[UNG]

Wasn’t it the old paraffin fuelled primus stoves and blow lamps that used meths to get them going?

You could use the paraffin to get your Primus stove going just needed a bit of the Tampax from your survival pack to soak up the paraffin and allow it to burn

I've still got 2 working Primus stoves not had them lit for a few years and the last time they were used in anger was on an event in the French Alps back in Jan 2008 both of them are around 60 years old

 

[Midwest]

how many window panes did he crack?

None as I recall. He was very skilful, not clumsy like some

 

[telectrix]

None as I recall. He was very skilful, not clumsy like some

bet he never tried on metal frame windows, like my dad did. metal expands when hot he ended up replacing 5 panes before he'd dig in his pocket for paint stripper.

 

[Midwest]

bet he never tried on metal frame windows, like my dad did. metal expands when hot he ended up replacing 5 panes before he'd dig in his pocket for paint stripper.

If I recall, he’d remove the bead of putty, which was a good inch wide, strip off the old paint. Replace putty, then apply new paint. Used to do it almost yearly.

Till ‘ali‘ windows came along. Precursor of upvc double glazing.

 

[Spoon]

If I recall, he’d remove the bead of putty, which was a good inch wide, strip off the old paint. Replace putty, then apply new paint. Used to do it almost yearly.

I remember my day having to replace a particular pain of glass regularly, as we used to break it while playing football.
Yep, you did miss out tacking the thin pain of glass in before reapplying the putty. I also remember him hitting the glass and shattering it while doing so, then having to go an get another one...

 

[Midwest]

My bad, forgot about the pins.

 

[Zerax]

Till ‘ali‘ windows came along. Precursor of upvc double glazing.

I always remember my grandmothers house having metal 'Crittall' windows... you could watch the condensation literally dripping off of them... not a great invention in my opinion !