 I have an Outdoor Designs Observer Lantern (made by Kovea). I have the problem that gas is not getting through, I have put this problem down to the jet being blocked. I have taken the lantern apart so that i have the control valve with the jet in the top of it - the jet seems to be non-removable. My pricker for my petrol stove is far too big to get into this jet hole, I have tried other bits of wire but they either seem to be to thick or are not stiff enough. Through my poking efforts and cleaning the top of the jet with soapy water and testing it by turning the gas on I have found that there is gas getting through and after reassembling the lantern there is enough gas to light it, but I'm still not getting the usual level of performance. Can anyone tell me the proper way of cleaning a very small jet hole on a gas lantern ? . . . . I know this might spoil someones fun but can I have some serious answers for my question before all the smutty comments start spurting out all over this thread.
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| Edited: 31/12/08 14:44 |
 I remember Chris Townsend once writing that he cleared a blocked stove jet with a bristle from his toothbrush. Worth a try?
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 thanks there Frum, but the trouble is the hole is much smaller than on a stove . My eyesight is pretty good but I can barely even see where the hole is!
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| Edited: 31/12/08 18:01 |
I'm not sure that the jet is blocked....as in gas coming from a cylinder isnt known for being cruddy (unlike other fuels) so shouldnt leave a deposit in the jet (someone else can pick this one up and be smutty...) I have had a problem with a stove not connecting properly with the cylinder - so limiting gas supply. It started with no warning - I changed cylinder, it worked, changed back (as I realised the 1st cylinder wasnt empty as per first diagnosis)....problem returned. Ended up chucking the cylinder. Could be a problem with the valve. Dont know how servicable this will be (suspect not at all), but try lubricating with silicone spray - not normal oil based (WD40) as this may rot seals, but the silicone wont. Last resort....the jet. Try (this may not work) getting hold of some injector cleaner from a car shop. put some on the injector - this may dissolve the crud enough to allow the gas to expel it and burn it off. Very last resort. Try a model flying club - they may have some very fine wires for prodding with. Good luck
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 Cleaning any carbon crud deposits off any metal, wash with/apply a solution of old cold tea and plain vinegar, pretty much a 1 to 1 part mix. Don't know why this works but it does! Might work here? This is the secret mix used by squaddies of old to clean carbon deposits off of weapons working parts, much frowned upon by the armourers as I recall too there.  Very effective at cleaning dirty metal machine parts.
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Cold tea....anything special or standard NATO (white, two sugars)? Seriously, the vinegar I get (as it is acid) but tea as well! We live and learn.
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Any cold tea, don't know why it works, the chemistry behind it that is; but it does work and apparently years ago was known as a cure to help remove carbon from weapons even as far back as the late Victorian age! NB - That is cold tea from the cold pot just neat though, not with the milk added! Then just mix in the equal part of vinegar, either white table vinegar/standard balsamic table variety or apple cider vinegar, as either will do the required trick there apparently!
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| Edited: 02/01/09 10:42 |
Might have a word with daughter's boyfriend - he is a chemical engineer to see if he can add science to the knowledge. Mind you, sometimes half the fun in these remedies is not knowing why they work...just that they do....
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Yes, you're not wrong there, but equally it too would be interesting to know why the two ingredients added together work so well. My guess would be the tannin in the tea, tannic acid active ingredient, added to the vinegar part there? Tannin.
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| Edited: 02/01/09 11:40 |
I'll ask him next time I see him. There again...just bear with this. Recently I tangled my left forearm up with a circular saw (note to all reading this...dont do it, its a bad idea) which left me with an ugly laceration, stitches etc. The wound also became infected (sawblade, old wood, bits of clothing...predictable) which wouldnt respond to antibiotics. I was being seen on a daily basis by a young (by my standards) nurse for dressing and monitoring. Her approach was antibiotics, take swabs to check for what the infection was, tweak antibiotics.....expected time to cure....2 to 3 weeks, 8 to 10 weeks for scab to fall off. Young nurse has day off, so I see a greyhair (like me)....she reviews notes...asks if I am allergic to iodine (no....?) then washes the wound with alcoholic iodine wash ( )! Sends me home with some, tells me to repeat two or three times a day and come back in three days. Three days later - infection sorted! I ask the grey hair was it the alcohol or the iodine? She replied Dont know - could be either or both, or maybe the bug just got scared off....!
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Very scientific thought process her's was there then, that one! Maybe it just simply took a few days for your own body's anti-bodies to properly get in there, to sort fighting the infection then? Who knows, just glad to hear you're on the mend now anyways there mate! 
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Who knows...point being ( for this thread) that knowledge overruled science...worked faster, cheaper and now I have a wee bottle of the iodine stuff in bathroom cabinet...grey hair told me to keepit, it would last more than 10 years before going "out of date" and I might find it useful.......  Cant think what she meant
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The best jet prickers and cleaners are dentists root canal drills. very fine and strong . By the way does anyone know how to d\ismantle the Campinggaz lumostar so that I can get at the jet.
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look on ebay for (guitar nut files)they are really gas jet nozzle cleaners
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