These are the oil lamps I have on the cowl of my 1915 Model T. Any idea who manufactured them? Thanks
Here's a different view
E&J or Brown.
E&J stamped the tops #8 Tail lamp is #9
Sometimes they are blank.
: ^ )
Brown and Corcoran had plain tops; E&J had their name on them. E&J's also had their name on the wick adjusting knob. I don't know how to tell Browns from Corcorans.
Also, most E&J's I've seen have two rivets in the lens ring opening tab. The others have one rivet. Some repro's have none.
How's about a photo of the inside showing the shape of the interior - early should be "rounded" as compared to "squareish" - some later lamps have been "doctored" to appear early.
I have found this lettering stamped on the bottom of the bowl.
E&J No. 3-414 (the 3 may be an 8)
Pat. May 26-14
Pat. June 23-14
Very hard to read because the letters are full of paint. However, there is one rivet in the lens ring opening tab.
The domed top has nothing stamped in it and there is no lettering on the wick adjustment knob.
Could it be a reproduction?
I doubt that it's a repro. My take on it is that it's a Corcoran or Brown lamp with an E&J font. These things have had a lot of parts changed around through the years.
David-
The looks all 1915 from the outside. Is the reflector round on the inside, like this?
For more side lamp details, take a look here:
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/331880/378716.html?1375595658
: ^ )
Keith
The inside of the reflector is round. The lamps must be 1915.
Thanks for everyone's response and information.
How can I recondition the reflector, lamp and bowl. The bowl has rust in it. Can it be soaked in rust remove of some type? Thanks
In regard to the rivets holding the lens removal tab, I have an original set of three E&J lights that have the tab only soldered on--no rivet or rivets. I know these are original as I knew the original owner (long passed) that I obtained the remains of the 1915 from about 45 years ago. Also have the paperwork from the selling dealer in 1915 for the car. So at least some of the E&Js were soldered on only (maybe the early production and a rivet added later for strength). I agree with Mike's other descriptions for the variations. I also have an original Brown/Corcoran set that have no markings on the top; one rivet was used on the tab.
Dennis -- Thanks for that info. I too have seen some E&J lamps with no rivets in the tab but couldn't tell for sure whether they were original. I could tell that the two-rivet E&J ones were original; same with the Corcoran and Brown ones with one rivet.
So again, thanks for the info. I'll make the proper adjustments in my mental notes.
Mike,
My mental notes were sorely lacking. I had to go to the shop and find all the lights to confirm my recollections. Too many years passed by. It's really a challenge finding all the minor differences in the "t"s to be able to assemble everything together correctly. Thanks for your input on this and all your other posts.
Dennis
David: Sure you can use some rust remover. Since I haven't got sand blasting equipment at home I use various methods and combinations of methods for rust removal like electrolysis in water with some Arm & Hammer soda, wire wheel and phosphoric acid depending on the part.
For a small part like the bowl I would dip it in a 20% phosporic acid solution overnight.
Mix food grade molasses (not feed/animal) 7 parts water to one part molasses and soak the font in it.
This about the same as Evapo-rust only less expensive and a little slower.