Thread: What are you working on?

Besides my razors here's the latest finished projects of the year. The shelf lamp is my latest and was a real mess. The lamp with the shade is a Corinthian that Roy found and told me about on flea bay. The last one was a flea bay find of my own that I couldn't resist. (clear Washington font)

SWEET!
Yet to fire mine up yet, Benz! Waiting til I have to or preferably when cold weather hits.
I am well prepared and versed, however!

Originally Posted by sharptonn

SWEET!
Yet to fire mine up yet, Benz! Waiting til I have to or preferably when cold weather hits.
I am well prepared and versed, however!

Tom--IIRC you have a green Washington font. If so put it in a dark room and shine a black light on it. If it glows a weird color it is a pre-WWII font that has uranium in the glass formula. The short shelf lamp in the picture is Alacite glass made between 1938 and 1941 and glows a yellow green with a black light.

Huh....I inherited a pile of green glass. I always called it depression glass.
A cheap black light?

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Huh....I inherited a pile of green glass. I always called it depression glass.
A cheap black light?

Yep a cheap black light. That will tell you an approximate age of the font. After war was declared civilian use of uranium was halted. Aladdin used it in several of their glass formulas. They still made Alacite during and after the war but altered the formula. Note that the white Corinthian shows the dyed kerosene in it. This glass is called "white Moonstone" and is opaque where as the Alacite isn't. The shelf lamp is full of dyed fuel also.

So...Dyed fuel made into the glass?

Originally Posted by sharptonn

So...Dyed fuel made into the glass?

No. I have the font filled with dyed kerosene. Last year I couldn't get un-dyed from my local supplier so I had to settle for dyed. I recently found a new supplier right next to the oil refinery that has un-dyed so I bought 30 gallons for the coming year. I use my Aladdins all winter hence the 30 gallons.

Gotcha! I bought Kerosene from Academy. Does not seem to be dyed.
What would the visual difference be?

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Gotcha! I bought Kerosene from Academy. Does not seem to be dyed.
What would the visual difference be?

Un-dyed is clear. Some people say the the dyed will clog up the wick. I never noticed wicks getting clogged from it but I don't like the red color in my clear fonts. The reason they dye the fuel is to show that it hasn't been taxed for highway and can be used for farm use etc. That's to prevent Mercedes Benz owners from putting un-taxed fuel in their tanks. The fine for putting dyed fuel in my Benz is horrendous.

So the kerosene is red dyed? So is 'farm' diesel?
Mine is relatively clear. Sold as lantern fuel at Academy. I can get 5 gals there and at Lowes.