# Awesome worker's toolbox lantern



## lctorana (Sep 14, 2009)

At the Melbourne meet on Saturday night, I was given a present
_(actually two presents; Grox gave me a battery charger)_

Kiwiman's wife Vivian found a discarded torch and kept it for me.

Got it home, dismantled and reassembled it, gave it a shot of contact cleaner, inserted a 509 4F lantern battery, and...

...BINGO!

Even the bulb was good!

The bulb was a krypton KPR113, so this lantern has had a comparatively recent heart transplant from its previous owner. The original called for a vacuum bulb, as engraved on the makers nameplate on the back.

I then washed the plastic lens, put it back in right way out, and set the head up the right way, hotwired it with a 6-cell battery and - what else - a Philips HPR71. Bunnings and Eveready must love me.

Pics:














Believe it or not, the room lights were ON, the same as the three above, for this shot:





The lantern feels great in the hand, and the slide switch is a joy to use, and works like the day it was made.

And, here's the best bit. Even with my hundred other torches, this has gone straight to use.

I had to do a little maintenance job at the church tonight, so took my toolbox, and some torches. And this lantern. (The church has those weird lights that take forever to come on, so hence byo lighting.)

It's just awesome when you're working! You sit it down, it's nice and stable, and you angle that huge dinner-plate head to point exactly at your job, and get to work. Helpful for shining at oddly placed door locks, too.

Far easier to use, and far more accurate to place than the folding stand in the Mk5 Dolphin. Purpose built for the job. The closest current-day model would be the Eveready 231IND, although that uses an 8F battery rather than the 4F-in-a-tin-box. Big Beam make the Model 166 of course, but to use that (or a Big Jim) as an area light, you'd have to find the elusive flood version of the 4546 or 4547. The 4512? Not sure.

One last thing of interest. Because the bulb mount is SO far forward in the reflector, the spill is the widest I've ever seen. Even wider than the 128-LED showerhead. The beam is 2' diameter when the head is 2" from the wall! Seriously.

This thing has it's place in the modern world among the fancy hotwires and LEDs, and I'm proud to own it. And delighted to say it's already in productive service!

Edit - glass lens found and added - it's now brighter than ever.


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## [email protected] (Oct 4, 2009)

Nice find, kinda' reminds me of something a railway employee may have used, got any idea as to it's heritage? date of manufacture? :thinking:


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## Solscud007 (Oct 4, 2009)

lets see pics of the tool box portion. or did I misread that? it is a tool box too right?


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## lctorana (Oct 4, 2009)

Solscud007 said:


> lets see pics of the tool box portion. or did I misread that? it is a tool box too right?


Oh ha-ha.

Don't give up your day job to be a comedian JUST yet.


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## Solscud007 (Oct 5, 2009)

I wasnt joking. Im not familiar with "toolbox lanterns" so I thought it was a tool box with a lantern attached to it.


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## [email protected] (Oct 5, 2009)

Outdoor beamshots?


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## gallonoffuel (Oct 6, 2009)

Solscud007 said:


> I wasnt joking. Im not familiar with "toolbox lanterns" so I thought it was a tool box with a lantern attached to it.



Ditto. 

Still a cool piece though, looks like an HID candidate. :devil:


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## lctorana (Oct 6, 2009)

And your pocket torch has a pocket attached to it, your bedside torch has a bed attached to it, your household torch has a house attached to it, and I'll explain the concept of "adjective" next lesson.


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