Does anyone know what this is? Tank is about half a litre, marked with "Alpha" and underneath "GB" - Gustav Barthel. I think it runs on ethanol, and the air mix is adjustable with the vertical screw in the middle, which I can raise and lower to get more or less air. Opening for fuel is the horizontal screw which goes through the tank. Pressure gauge on the top works good. The little black thing on the fuel lid is a short hose which I put there to fill air with a compressor. What was it used for ? Have never seen anything like it...
Hi, I have never seen one like this before. However, there is a Gustav Barthel catalogue in the Reference Library (accessible to CCS Subscribers) which shows laboratory burners: https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/barthel-laboratory-burners.10766/ The model you show is not there, but there is the "Neukryolith", approx. one-litre Benzin/ Benzol-powered laboratory burner which has some similarities to your model. This catalogue model has a built-in air pump on it's tank. It also seems to have seven interchangeable burner heads or burner tubes which can be connected to the burner base. Hope this helps, Best Regards, Kerophile.
The size of the nozzle, and i tried it with both eth and petrol, and with petrol it had a soft, smokey and sooty flame. With ethanol the flame was short and blue, but it only worked for a few seconds, it was garbidge in the nozzle. I have cleaned it now but not started it since.
Sorry, I can*t see that link. I also thought that it was a lab burner of some kind, but what a complicated construction... I wish I was there when they made it, and could have a peek into their brains !
Hi Helena, I am in the process of restoring to running condition a similar burner to yours made by G. Barthel. Mine is missing a jet and I am interested to know if yours has the jet size stamped on it? I love the style of yours! Also interested to know if you have yours running now? Best regards, Brassmonkey
@Brass monkey Helena hasn’t been on CCS since January of last year and the chance of alerting her if she did pay a visit would be better with an ‘alert’:- @Helena Christensen John
Somehow, I missed this when originally posted. I had to have a few close looks at it to understand how it works! Rather complicated if you ask me. But a nice thing to have...
Hi Wim, Nice to hear from you. Tried to get it running today. But without correct fitting Jet I have not had much success. Best regards, Brassmonkey
@Brassmonkey @Helena Christensen @presscall Hi, I´ve just finished the restoration of a ca. 1910 alcohol projector lamp. This lamp is more or less the same as Helena,s Gustav Barthel "Alpha", shown here from a 2017 post. Mine has no markings, but I´m certain this is a Gustav Barthel lamp. The burners of these two lamps are identical, except for the air intake adjustment knob that is missing on my burner. I understand why this knob control was developed, as you have to wear heat protecting gloves to adjust the air intake adjustment tube on mine. As you can see the red fiber knob on Helena,s burner is burned black from probably both pre heating and heat generating from the nearby mixing tube. Air intake adjustment is essential for these alcohol burner lamps to work well. These burners need more restriction of air intake then you probably anticipate. Nice little lamp and would probably be better off also posted also on CPL. /Conny
@Conny C Thanks for the ‘alert’. It’s good to see the device working and well done on the restoration. A projector lamp, of course! I agree, not everyone there visits here - the dark side! John
The thought of a pressurized gas flame for projection of old (highly flammable) acetate film gives me the willies. Of course, it's the only way they could have done it. ....Arch
Indeed Arch. I was a volunteer projectionist for a cinema club in 1969 and that projector utilised electric arc, so the potential for fire was there, as with halogen bulbs. Since collecting acetylene lamps I’ve become aware of acetylene light source projectors too. I guess ‘cool’ light sources have only arisen relatively recently with the advent of LED lamps. John
@ArchMc @presscall Yes it was a hazardous business being a projectionist in those early days. Most ways of getting projection light before the electric carbon arc light was available, were different ways of volatile fuel burner light. Beside alcohol, gasoline and acetylene burners also ether was used in combination with oxygen to run a limelight burner. Such a lighting device was used for a cinematograph show on an annual charity Bazar in Paris 1897. When refiling the ether tank the projectionist accidently started a fire in which 126 missed their lives and 200 was injured. A big thing then when most people at the Bazar was high society people, mostly aristocratic women. /Conny Some other types of alcohol projector lamps ….. Limelight burner lights from a Dutch website .... Virtueel Toverlantaarnmuseum - 'de Luikerwaal' - Dutch Virtual Magic Lantern Museum.
Hi Conny, Thank you for your post. Truly fascinating! I am amazed at the G. Barthel variants out there! Can you clear up a bit of confusion on my part. What fuel does yours run on? Still trying to locate a jet for mine and determine what fuel to use. Thanks and regards, Brassmonkey.
