Fix that lantern and mend that stove!! (Coleman that is)

[oldie moldy]

I recently became aware that there is a micro sub-culture that is all wrapped up in collecting, repairing and using Coleman stoves and lanterns. Reading in their sites they seem like a friendly bunch.
Anyways....one of their sources of replacement parts and advice, trouble-shooting tips and a good deal more is "Old Coleman Parts".

www.oldcolemanparts.com

I ordered a bunch of mantles and two of those little sparking igniters things that you can install in /on the lanterns so you don't need to try to use a match. Everything came quickly and it was just what I wanted.

That's really all I needed for now but I did look at all the parts they have for sale and I'd bet that they have anything a person might need. And comparing against Amazon the prices were less for the two items I bought.

Best Wishes, Rob

 

[sweeper]

ocp is a great place to get parts and information, with great service.

Another good Coleman site is

http://www.colemancollectorsforum.com

 

[red langford]

There is a place in Burlington Ontario that you can still get parts from too, and I looked and looked and can't seem to find the details. I bought a few globes, generators and mantles from them a few years ago.

 

[Iskweo]

Sub culture eh? Hmmm I resemble that remark. I just now had the idea of installing a two burner as a cook top in my kitchen...a propane one would work great. I have a lot of old Coleman items. Too many. Most of which I never use. I have a box full of chrome lantern (?) tanks in the boathouse and some sort of interesting little cup shaped burner heads. Catalytic heaters maybe? They were a gift.

I went to the extreme of cutting one of my old two burner boxes in half to make a single burner unit...more to follow on that. I need to shorten the tank now.

Christy

 

[scoutergriz]

Jeez, I thought everyone has 22 lanterns, 18 stoves, 5 coolers, 4 heaters, and two ovens! not to mention the 6 stoves and 3 lanterns I'm fixing for the Scouts, and 4 stoves for the Girl Guides

 

[southcove]

Its when you start having other people take UPS deliveries of these things so that the wife doesn't know that the collection of (knives, stoves, flashlights, tents, camertas, etc) continues to grow and expand (no one ever sells part of their collection, right?!)...

 

[wgiles]

On the spark ignitor, it is absolutely necessary to pull the ignitor down to the bottom of the globe once the lantern is lit. The heat from the flame will cause the flint spring to lose its temper and the ignitor will quit sparking.

 

[ppine]

I have used Coleman products since the 60s. I got a two burner stove for a wedding present in 1972. The last Coleman lantern I bought to replace the used one I got in the 60s, was a total dud. I sent it back to the factory, and told them to fix it or keep it. It has never worked right. I have gradually shifted over to propane devices.

 

[sweeper]

I'm not quite up to scoutergriz's inventory but I do have to confess to having 9-502 Single Burner Sportster Stoves, love that stove. ?# Lanterns, 2 ovens, only 1 cooler, but 2 Heaters.

 

[RogerMac]

My collection currently contains:
Lanterns
7 single mantle liquid fuel
7 two mantle liquid fuel
1 two mantle LP
1 single mantle butane
Stoves
9 single burner liquid fuel
2 two burner liquid fuel
2 single burner LP
1 two burner LP
1 single burner butane
Heaters
1 liquid fuel catalytic
1 LP catalytic
A few modern, non-collectible coolers and water jugs
Plus a few non-Coleman items

And this all started while looking for some seals and a generator for an old camp stove I hadn't used in about 8 years. A couple more great forums for stove and lantern information are Classic Pressure Lamps http://www.classicpressurelamps.com/forum/ and Classic Camp Stoves http://www.spiritburner.com/fusion/index.php? Another good source of parts is eBay seller lonestarlantern.

I agree with the comments about Coleman quality having tanked pretty badly under the current conglomerate owners, but with all the old stoves, lanterns and parts available, it's great fun keeping the classics going.

 

[coldfeet]

Jeez, I thought everyone has 22 lanterns, 18 stoves, 5 coolers, 4 heaters, and two ovens! not to mention the 6 stoves and 3 lanterns I'm fixing for the Scouts, and 4 stoves for the Girl Guides

scoutergriz - can you comment on that Coleman Oven? Saw one and wondered how it worked? Do you put it on top of the stove to heat up? Think owner was asking $40. I just picked up a never used HUGE Coleman white gas 2 burner that I'm going to test today. Giving away some of my gear to my daughter and her boyfriend so this would be a replacement for me, thanks.

 

[sweeper]

Any stove that will support it, or campfire. If you use it on a campfire put as big a rock as you can in it to help keep the heat inside the oven, if you let the fire die down. We used it on the wood stove once during a power outage. The newer ones collapse and don't take up a lot of room.

http://www.grestuff.com/1960s-coleman-folding-camp-oven/

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-20000...=1448200195&sr=8-1&keywords=Coleman+Camp+Oven

 

[Mihun09]

That just made me haul out my oven for another look see. Have had it 6 or 7 years and never used it. We have hordes of old Coleman stuff, we buy it and don't use it just 'cause we like it. We do have a 1940's vintage single burner we have tripped with that last couple of years but mostly it is a well used white gas two burner. We use my two burner propane for truck camping. Also have a propane single and just acquired an older, larger two burner complete with mouse nest. Haven't cleaned and tried it yet, maybe next Spring. If anyone has a need for the polished brass tanks, we have a half dozen, they look to be chrome actually and were from lanterns. I'm sure we could part with a few if there was any interest.

The idea was to have shelves in the living room for the ones we don't use, alongside the Chestnut Snowshoes I have.

 

[scoutergriz]

coldfeet; It's pretty easy to use. Unfold it and lock the tabs, place the grills in place, light the burner let it settle down and adjust the flame to a hot simmer, place the oven directly over the burner so the flame goes up into the opening, let it preheat (+-5min) pop in the food, and keep an eye on the temp, that's it!
Try not to open the door too much, as each time you open it, you lose all the heat.
You should NOT use it on an open fire- the paint is HEAT resistant, not flame proof, and can give off toxic fumes when burnt.

 

[scoutergriz]

mihun: those tanks should be either nickel-plated or painted, Not bare brass. Up to about the mid sixties, the higher end ones were nickel plated, and the regular ones were either painted brass or steel. Most likely the nickel plated tanks are one of 4 sizes, The largest would be from the 236 line, a 500cp single mantle monster and are very wide for their height. Next down would be the 220's, like a standard tank, but a little taller. They fit the 2 mantle lanterns. Then you get into the regular 200 series lantern tank, that's the one that's on almost all of the "regular" lanterns, last would be the 242's similar to the 200's but with very small fittings, and filler neck.
If the tanks are very wide and low profile, they are probably lamp tanks, some of them had pretty ornate designs, and most were painted in more pastel colours to match your walls and furniture.
Some of the more ornate or unusual tanks can run $50 or more on E-Bay.

 

[Canotrouge]

coldfeet; It's pretty easy to use. Unfold it and lock the tabs, place the grills in place, light the burner let it settle down and adjust the flame to a hot simmer, place the oven directly over the burner so the flame goes up into the opening, let it preheat (+-5min) pop in the food, and keep an eye on the temp, that's it!
Try not to open the door too much, as each time you open it, you lose all the heat.
You should NOT use it on an open fire- the paint is HEAT resistant, not flame proof, and can give off toxic fumes when burnt.

Could you use it on top of a wood stove??

 

[coldfeet]

Thanks folks, I think it's cool and will make an offer on it if they still have it. I used the big coleman today, will post some pics and put them up.. I couldn't find a date on the casing. I was told that it's stamped on it somewhere.

 

[Mihun09]

No Title

Ok, nothing special about these tanks other than not being painted ones. They are 6 1/8" across and stand 4" high.

 

[BWCA66]

Thanks folks, I think it's cool and will make an offer on it if they still have it. I used the big coleman today, will post some pics and put them up.. I couldn't find a date on the casing. I was told that it's stamped on it somewhere.

New one on Amazon is $29

 

[scoutergriz]

Could you use it on top of a wood stove??

I wouldn't; if you set it directly on the top, I don't think you'd get enough heat, and if you set it over a pot hole, you'd probably have a pretty good smoker- but it'll fill up the house with smoke pretty fast, Or it would be too cold to bake if the stove had a really good draw.
Mihun; that tank looks like NOS (new-old stock) either for a 202 professional lantern, a fairly rare model that was an upgraded 200 for hunt camps, miners, and surveyors, or a 236 Empire if it's the big one. Probably worth at least $50, maybe more if it's the 202.