First post edit:
This began as an idea to show how to get an old light looking good and perhaps a dull one shine brighter.
It has evolved into getting non working ones going again as well. Along with that various ways those fertile minds of long ago had devised and built ways to conduct electricity from a dry cell battery to a light bulb. The in between I have found over time can be down right interesting.
I use the term 'vintage' to allow lights less than 100 years old to qualify.
The point is to showcase some cool old lights that need more than a spit n polish to either function or to both shine and have that old gleem from days gone by.
I'm starting on an old 2D Rayovac I believe to be from the 1930's. Could be 40's but it has some 30's flair.
(Edit: research shows it to be circa 1939 or there-abouts).
Black n chrome was cool ever since...
Protruding flat lens, painted brass body, chromed parts at both ends and in between, a Blake dual boat style switch for off/sos/on and a slider to cause the spot to be shaded to provide an albeit dim, but pure flood beam.
Switch slid back exposes the bulb.
Slid forward a sleeve covers the bulb.
If you look you can see where the bulb has scorched the sleeve.
Best part is the inside was leaker free and the vintage tin base bulb still lights.
Pix at first are how it arrived. I was scouring the web for a beat up Burgess 2D with a boat switch for parts and ran across an eBay auction with 20 some minutes and only 1 bid. It was for this, another lensless/reflectorless copper Rayovac bullet, and a junky 70's eveready. $5.99. I up'd it and soon saw another. I up'd again and other bidder did not counter. $6.30 + $3.95 s&h.
Anyway pix made it look worse than it is but it's still got flaws...a rusty nail hook, minor mill scale rust at various locations and some tarnish inside.
Pix as it arrived:
Inside is pretty clean except some rust on the rivets holding the slider assembly together.
Do not see much drama here.
Brass reflector looking good.
Inside the tail cap looks good.
Outside...
Looking forward to getting this all perdy again.
Switch needs a bit of TLC
Blake owns this patent.
This weekend I'll get out some Brasso wadding, Mothers wheel polish, sandpaper drill bits and commence to making this thing look a lot better.
The vintage bulb will be replaced with a soon to arrive #14... (Edit: Found a stockpile of old GE's, Chicago Miniatures and (hopefully Holland made Norelco) 1970's Rayovacs. Those old Hong Kong GE's aint bad but Norelco made some sweet bulbs.)
It burns brightly as is.
I'll continue later...(Edit: it's later)
So the Rayovac is done.
As predicted it didn't turn out all minty looking. But instead looks like one a cop woulda been using for 20 years, yet took good care of it.
Silver plating and some body coating worn off. But for this light it builds on the character.
At 3' the switch looks awesome. Up close some minor pitting remains. And silver is missing.
The nail hook was a task in itself.
Again, silver missing. But better.
So overall parts and pieces turned out pretty good.
I cleaned up the inside too. The slider is permanently mounted to the light assembly. So without a major undertaking of removing and replacing a bunch of rivets I chose to scour rusted pieces as best as possible with a sandpaper pencil thingy.
Before
After.
That is with the original #14 type bulb. I put in a 222 and it burns much brighter.
This began as an idea to show how to get an old light looking good and perhaps a dull one shine brighter.
It has evolved into getting non working ones going again as well. Along with that various ways those fertile minds of long ago had devised and built ways to conduct electricity from a dry cell battery to a light bulb. The in between I have found over time can be down right interesting.
I use the term 'vintage' to allow lights less than 100 years old to qualify.
The point is to showcase some cool old lights that need more than a spit n polish to either function or to both shine and have that old gleem from days gone by.
I'm starting on an old 2D Rayovac I believe to be from the 1930's. Could be 40's but it has some 30's flair.
(Edit: research shows it to be circa 1939 or there-abouts).
Black n chrome was cool ever since...
Protruding flat lens, painted brass body, chromed parts at both ends and in between, a Blake dual boat style switch for off/sos/on and a slider to cause the spot to be shaded to provide an albeit dim, but pure flood beam.
Switch slid back exposes the bulb.
Slid forward a sleeve covers the bulb.
If you look you can see where the bulb has scorched the sleeve.
Best part is the inside was leaker free and the vintage tin base bulb still lights.
Pix at first are how it arrived. I was scouring the web for a beat up Burgess 2D with a boat switch for parts and ran across an eBay auction with 20 some minutes and only 1 bid. It was for this, another lensless/reflectorless copper Rayovac bullet, and a junky 70's eveready. $5.99. I up'd it and soon saw another. I up'd again and other bidder did not counter. $6.30 + $3.95 s&h.
Anyway pix made it look worse than it is but it's still got flaws...a rusty nail hook, minor mill scale rust at various locations and some tarnish inside.
Pix as it arrived:
Inside is pretty clean except some rust on the rivets holding the slider assembly together.
Do not see much drama here.
Brass reflector looking good.
Inside the tail cap looks good.
Outside...
Looking forward to getting this all perdy again.
Switch needs a bit of TLC
Blake owns this patent.
This weekend I'll get out some Brasso wadding, Mothers wheel polish, sandpaper drill bits and commence to making this thing look a lot better.
The vintage bulb will be replaced with a soon to arrive #14... (Edit: Found a stockpile of old GE's, Chicago Miniatures and (hopefully Holland made Norelco) 1970's Rayovacs. Those old Hong Kong GE's aint bad but Norelco made some sweet bulbs.)
It burns brightly as is.
I'll continue later...(Edit: it's later)
So the Rayovac is done.
As predicted it didn't turn out all minty looking. But instead looks like one a cop woulda been using for 20 years, yet took good care of it.
Silver plating and some body coating worn off. But for this light it builds on the character.
At 3' the switch looks awesome. Up close some minor pitting remains. And silver is missing.
The nail hook was a task in itself.
Again, silver missing. But better.
So overall parts and pieces turned out pretty good.
I cleaned up the inside too. The slider is permanently mounted to the light assembly. So without a major undertaking of removing and replacing a bunch of rivets I chose to scour rusted pieces as best as possible with a sandpaper pencil thingy.
Before
After.
That is with the original #14 type bulb. I put in a 222 and it burns much brighter.
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