Vintage Kerosene Lanterns: Types - Use - History + Vintage BS

In this video I show and talk about the following lanterns:
Dietz Hot Blast Kerosene Lantern
Embury Cold Blast Kerosene Lantern
Adlake Zero Blast Railroad Lantern
Paull's Host Blast Kerosene Lantern
Kerosene Road Flare
I talk about how they operate, what they are used for and give some history on the various lantern companies.
For Vintage BS, I show my 1979 Chrysler Sno-Runner Snowmobile.

[@ambision4114]

I've been writing a story, trying to figure out if a kerosene lamp would fall and break in a puddle of fire. I'm a little disappointed, but I'm glad I finally got my questions answered. Thank you so much

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

I thought that kerosene lanterns would burst into flames if dropped and broken for a long time too. The old movies always showed that happening, and like most believed it was true. When I decided to do some investigating about lamps and fuels, that is when I found out that kerosene isn't really flammable unless it is a vapor. My video proved that out. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@whistlerobinshouseandhobbies]

I have one of the old ball lanterns. It was made by the Brown Davis Company on Santa Fe Ave in Los Angeles, CA. I bought it to use as a decorative doorstop on the porch of my 1915 house. I love it because I used to see the Orange Orchard in Miller's Grove carrying them around at Thanksgiving and Christmas when we went for a drive in the Buick stationwagon. Great memories. 🌳🍊🌳

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

Neat story.

[@whistlerobinshouseandhobbies]

💖

[@josephsteffen2378]

Gota love the snorunner. Can only imagine how much fun a child would have on one.

[@mikedaugharty5544]

Thank you Mr obsolete for the very informative Lantern video they got one of them somewhere around those the bigger one that you got I think it's in the in the cellar somewhere and the Chrysler snow runners I've seen quite a few of them at snowmobile shows during the winter they were pretty ingenious not much for deep snow though thank you Sir

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

Thanks for watching. Sno Runners have their limitations, but are a fun piece of history.

[@SIXGUNSAM]

Liked this Video 👍Thanks for Sharing 🇺🇸

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

Thanks for watching.

[@CuttingEdgetools]

Great Video👍 enjoyed it much🇺🇸

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

Thanks for the nice comment and for watching.

[@johnnorman7708]

I recently have purchased 4 Dietz lanterns. Had one as a teenager for a few years and it got away some how. Did without a wick type lantern for 40 some years. Now I have 4 fueled, trimmed, and ready to use.

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

The nice thing about DIETZ lanterns, is that they are still being made, and repair parts, wicks etc. are available.

[@chrischiampo7647]

I Remember The Roadsigns Balls That Ran on Carbide 😀 Those are Some Amazing Lanterns Mr Obsolete 😀❤️❤️ Love Lanterns Too Great Camera Work Mrs Obsolete 😀

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

Thanks for your nice comments. More lantern video's coming soon.

[@kylerayk]

Love the hat! I have found that each lantern is unique on how to trim the wick. My D-Lites prefer a gentle radius trim, whereas the Blizzard and others prefer the straight cut with corners cropped.

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

It is interesting about how different lamps work best with different modified wicks. Good to learn new stuff.

[@johnnorman7708]

I think the shape of the flame tells you what it likes best. No high smoky peaks. (at maximum light) The cone shape of the burners was probably also an indication of trim geometry to some degree, but not always.

[@wemcal]

Great video and wonderful information in explaining the draft working for cleaner burns

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@liljoeii6091]

Those old lanterns boy they look pretty neat even the ones from the old train station thank you for the video

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

Lanterns have a lot of interesting history behind them, as well as being useful. Some were very ornate. Thanks for the comment and for watching.

[@bonzaibarty]

I learned a few things and thank you for the good video

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

Our video's are for entertainment and also sharing info. Thanks for watching.

[@maddog6493]

I love old lanterns ,buy them when I run into them, them snow runners are tricky to ride ,I drove one once and that was enough haaaa.

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

The SNO RUNNER's definately have their limitations, but an interesting piece of history.

[@jensenwilliam5434]

Thank your videos.

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

You are welcome!

[@arnenelson4495]

Luv the Lanterns but I'm here for the Vintage BS!

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

BS is a fun addition.

[@michaelgrandaw5199]

Now I know how to change out the wick on that old smudge pot . Thanks brother 👣

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

Always glad to share knowledge.

[@justinweaver8787]

Love those lanterns sir especially the road flare 1 happy thanksgiving.

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

Old lanterns and their history is quite fascinating. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family !

[@ericolson111]

I don't see too many of those sno runners too often. Neat little machines

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

The Sno Runners were a small blip in the history of snowmobiles.

[@KainKustomGarage]

That's Awesome, makes me want to find some old Kerosene Lanterns!

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

Old kerosene lanterns are a neat collectible, and are still useful besides, kind of like collecting old chainsaws ! There are a number of places to get globes, repair parts etc., so if you find them that are not complete, most of the time pieces are available to put them back in action.

[@johnnorman7708]

This is kinda funny. Chainsaw nuts and lantern nuts all showing up in the same place. We sure have a lot of similar interests. ​@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156

[@johnnorman7708]

Long reach, Diamond brand, "greenlight" strike on box matches are usually available at Walmart. 75 matches to the box, made in Chile. They are located with the fireplace logs and other heating stuff. At least one grocery store here also has 50 to the box long reach matches under the Best Choice house brand name made in India.

[@timothybyrom5560]

That snow runner is pretty cool. I've got a couple of little saws with west bend engines. Chrysler got serious, and bought IEL and the rest is history. I sure do like the old pioneer saws.

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

IEL was actually purchased by OMC,outboard marine corp. West Bend outboard and small engine division was purchased by Chrysler as well as Lone Star boats, when they decided to branch out from the car industry. The Pioneer chainsaw engine technology was used by OMC in their snowmobile engine designs. History is pretty interesting !

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

I am curious about your comment on Chrysler owning OMC. I was wondering where your info came from, as I can find no reference about it. I like to have all available info when I talk about history of companies and products when I do a video. So if you have actual data, timelines, etc., I would appreciate the info.

[@timothybyrom5560]

@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I'm kinda foggy on it myself. I'm going to re research it. I had the idea that Chrysler acquired OMC at one point. I do know at least some of their outboard engines were just rebadged OMC products. That is in the 70's,and into the 80's.

[@jeffreyrubish347]

We have an old Dietz lantern and three oil lamps as our power goes out several times each year.

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

Good to be prepared

[@Indeewoods]

That’s pretty cool how they are still making that lantern I’m gonna have to look into buying one of those. I’m just gonna have to spray it with vinegar or something to make it look rusty lol When I was in high school I was a vintage snowmobile fanatic and I had one of those service manuals that had all the various models in it and I remember there being one of those Chrysler snow runners in it I didn’t realize they were built as late as 1979 though. Would love to see it in action on the snow it looks like an exercise bike with a ski and a track lol.

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

The lanterns are readily available, but would suggest getting the cold blast version, as they put out a lot more light than the hot blast ones. Using lamp oil instead of kerosene is best as it doesn't stink like kerosene does in a confined area. I will get the Sno Runner out if we get enough snow down low, but so far this winter all the snow is in the mountains. The Sno Runner was sort of a failure, as conditions have to be perfect for it to perform properly. Today one can buy a track kit to put on dirt bikes, that is a whole lot better. The Sno Runners were just an interesting experiment that gives us a fun piece of history.

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

I forgot to mention that you should only use oil based lamp oil, as the paraffin based oil turns back to wax when cold.

[@SasquatchBunyan]

That Sno-Runner is “wicked!” (Pun intended. Ha!)

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

Sno Runner's were originally were to be used by the military, but they failed miserably, so they sold them to the general public. With not very deep snow, and a few minor mods on the engine, to get more horse power, they are actually quite fun.

[@crazydave4455]

👍 Should have done a little grass drag with the sno runner 😊we got 6.5”s yesterday

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

The SNO RUNNER doesn't have enough power to run on anything other than not very deep snow. The West Bend motor is easy to get more power out of them, and I have done a muffler mod which helps, but I need to put in a thinner head gasket, and modify the flywheel key to get more timing advance, to get a more usable power output.

[@brianking1138]

I want to see that snow runner in action.

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

Highly likely !

[@jerrycallaio5130]

We Used To Call Them: Smudge Pots...... Used To Avoid Traffic Hazards At Night.

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

Yes they were called smudge pots for sure !

[@dwhallon21]

I have been hankering to do more non electric living off grid. The kerosene / paraffin lamps hold a special place with me. But being in Indiana in winter time is especially challeninging because of heat situation. I have been looking at Coleman catalytic heaters as well as more modern Mr Heater propane heaters. Any thoughts??? Also I recall ads for sno runner when I was kid. Always wanted to try one out but never got to. They are kinda cool looking. Remember vintage is best

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

I have experience with both Coleman catalytic heaters and Mr. Heater propane heaters. The Coleman heaters are very efficient, but will heat only small areas. The Mr. Heaters are also efficient, and the larger one heats a fair sized area. Fuel for the Colemans is expensive, and the small propane cylinders have skyrocketed in price recently. If you use a 5 gallon or larger propane tank, you need to use a filter on the line, or use Mr. Heater hoses, otherwise you will have problems caused by brand X hoses leaking oil out of the hose lining, and messing up the internal parts of the heater. There is plenty of info online about this.

[@TonyM540]

You could think about using either an Aladdin lamp or a Coleman kerosene lamp as a light and heat source.@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156

[@chrisssmallengines7163]

Does Kerosene go bad , if in a closed container ? Is it OK to leave it in a heater for a long time more than a year ? . Does Kerosene cause problems if left in lamp or heater ?.

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

Kerosene most likely will last for a really long time in a sealed container. I used to have a kerosene jet type heater, and sometimes it would sit for years before being used, and it always lit right up. If kerosene is left in a wick type lantern, it will very slowly dry out out the exposed end, and make the wick stiff, and will need to be cut off or replaced.

[@jamessmith2668]

The railroad lantern wasn't for seeing it was for being seen and signaling

[@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156]

Exactly right. These lanterns don't have much light output, but the red can be seen for a long distance, and used for signaling. When cabooses were still on trains, they had red marker lanterns to show that it was the last car on a train also.

[@kimmer6]

@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I have a Dietz Acme Inspector lantern which has a housing that directs light forward and has a concave mirror behind the globe, and a nice handle on top. Dietz made my smaller Ideal Inspector lantern with mirror as well. These were the flashlights of the railroad engineers to inspect oil levels in wheel bearings and to lube parts of a steam locomotive at night. I have taken them camping and they provide a fair amount of light to see the path in the trees when my eyes are used to the dark. Everything is fine until my son lights off his 25,000 lumen LED flashlight that can be seen from Jupiter and Mars. The #2 Embury got my attention right away. I have the smaller Embury #1 lantern as well and love the Art Deco design. The globe on your Embury can be replaced with a Dietz D-Lite globe if ever needed. Same shape and dimensions.