- Action: To Do List item A0222 – Polish oil lamp and obtain fuel oil and wicks.
- Completed: 19 October 2017
- Cost: $26.48
Mounted on Indra's dinette forward bulkhead wall was a gimbal brass oil lamp with smoke bell. It had a vintage appearance as it was extremely tarnished.
Was not able to determine the make or manufacture of the oil lamp as no markings were visible on it. Research on the internet revealed it was similar to a Weems & Plath #718 Brass Atlantic Gimbal Lamp with Smoke Bell that listed for $165.99 (no longer produced). We added lamp fuel oil and wicks to items to be ordered and a clean and polish to the To Do List.
We removed the lamp, smoke bell, and mounting fixtures for cleaning. The lamp was disassembled and cleaned-out about two ounces of old congealed fuel from the fuel reservoir. Used some metal polish cleaner ($2.00) and it quickly revealed the shinny brass layer underneath the oxidized tarnish.
With a little more rubbing and polishing the lamp was looking as good as new!
Installed a new wick ($8.49) and added some Weems & Plath Liquid Paraffin Lamp Fuel ($15.99). Reassembled the lamp and mounted it back on the dinette forward bulkhead wall. It lighted successfully and the fuel oil proved to be virtually smokeless as claimed.
Prefer the shinny brass appearance versus the tarnished vintage look, now to keep it that way through routine clean-ups.
