Recommendation? Mods for using a mantle with less expensive kerosene lamps?

[nopeda]

I've just recently learned about kerosene lamps that are super bright because they use a mantle burning above the wick. The only ones I've seen that are available are Aladdins which are quite expensive. The price isn't that huge a deal, but I'm wondering if anyone is familiar with doing modifications to less expenssive oil lamps so you can use a mantle with them. Like maybe using the Aladdin Lox-On mantle in a different type of lamp, possibly with the Kone Kap adapter Aladdin makes for using the Lox-On mantle with their older model lamps.

Also I've seen the HM2 Hard Pre-formed Mantle which is described as an inverted mantle for all gas yard lights and the UM3 Upright Mantle described as a mantle with metal frame for gas yard lights. Would those types of mantles also work with a kerosene lamp if they can be held in the correct position above the wick? Or are mantles for gas lights so different from those made for kerosene lamps that they wouldn't work the same way?

Thank you for any help learning about this topic!

David

 

[Charlie_K]

As best I know, there's no way of producing a cheap substitution mantle for lamps.

 

[nopeda]

As best I know, there's no way of producing a cheap substitution mantle for lamps.

At this point I'm thinking to use the Aladdin Lox-On mantle which costs about $15, but would like to find a cheaper lamp to try to use it with since the Aladdin lamps are about $100 and up.

 

[gadgetgeek]

My understanding is that the mantle provides a combustion catalyst for vaporized fuel, so you would need some way to have a generator tube and pressurized fuel system, which is where the cost comes from. I could be wrong, but I've never seen a kero lamp with a mantle that also used a wick in the traditional sense, though I've seen some that have some form of material for burning the priming fuel.
I only did a little work with mantled lamps, they seemed like a good light source, but LEDs got better fast, and mantles are too fragile for reliable use.

 

[nopeda]

My understanding is that the mantle provides a combustion catalyst for vaporized fuel, so you would need some way to have a generator tube and pressurized fuel system, which is where the cost comes from. I could be wrong, but I've never seen a kero lamp with a mantle that also used a wick in the traditional sense, though I've seen some that have some form of material for burning the priming fuel.
I only did a little work with mantled lamps, they seemed like a good light source, but LEDs got better fast, and mantles are too fragile for reliable use.

Maybe I have the wrong interpretation of how these things work. Here's a video about the type I'm asking about:

I agree about the LEDs, but this is something I just want to learn about because it seems very interesting to me. I would like to find some good LEDs that can re-charge their batteries by solar power but so far all I've found like that also have motion sensors in them so they are always blinking lighter and darker which sux for consistent light. I use them in my van, but still it's annoying with them blinking on and off all the time.

 

[gadgetgeek]

I'm not familiar with those style of lamps, and I'm not sure exactly how they are working. I would suspect though that there is a reason they are expensive, its generally the case that cheaper versions miss critical details. From my understanding with any lamp, the mixture is very delicate, and thus they need to be very carefully designed.
In regards to the LEDs you are better off building a custom system in your van, that way you can upgrade components as you need.

 

[Charlie_K]

From my understanding with any lamp, the mixture is very delicate, and thus they need to be very carefully designed.

That's why I'm a flat wick man. I like my Coleman lanterns, I like my Aladdin lamp, but I have more flat wick lamps and lanterns than anything. They might not give as much light, but they're reliable, simple, and more durable when exposed to movement.