For sale are 3 calcium carbide bicycle lamps. These are approximately 100 years old, maybe more.
If you're not familiar with calcium carbide lamps, these have a reservoir at the bottom that you fill with calcium carbide pellets, and a reservoir at the top that you fill with water. Then you turn the flow screw, and water drips onto the calcium carbide, releasing acetylene gas, which you ignite, and you get a bright flame. Carbide lamps are still used on some miners/cavers helmets, but these, designed for bicycles, have a lens in front to protect the flame from the wind.
They may work with a little time and patience, but I am not selling them as working devices. I will provide some calcium carbide at no extra cost if you'd like to experiment at home to try to get them working. (Please experiment outside, on a non-flammable surface, wearing gloves and safety glasses and a fire extinguisher nearby, as 100 year old gear and acetylene gas can make for some excitement otherwise.)
It is very rare to see these in the states, especially on the West Coast, so these would make a great conversation piece, especially if you're a fan of steampunk. (I was going to use them on a steampunk bicycle project, but since other interests are taking precedence, I'd like to see them go to someone who'd enjoy them.)
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Acetyphote No. 517 from Jos. A. Lucas LTD. (If you're a British car buff, this is the company that would later prove the stuff of nightmares for MG, Austin, Triumph owners. (Hence the joke, "Why do the British drink warm beer?" "Because Lucas made refrigerators too.")) Slight crack in the front lens, but the red and green side lenses are in place. $120 if you'd like to buy it individually.
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Luxor Carbide Lamp - All lenses intact, appears to be missing a cork or a stopper from the water reservoir. $85 if you'd like to buy it individually.
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Solar Carbide Lamp - No visible brand name, but the nice carbide lamp dealer (such folks exist) who sold me this one sold it as a Solar Carbide Lamp. All lenses intact. May also need a cork for the water reservoir. $75 if you'd like to buy it individually.
$250 OBO for all 3.
PM me if you're interested. See pics at the craigslist ad - http://ift.tt/1IHBjlR
Submitted January 01, 2016 at 10:05AM by jbisinla http://ift.tt/1ZE0Ss0 LAlist
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