Coughtrie light

[russell_w_b]

Here's mine. Now with an LED lamp in it.

[G6Tanuki]

Originally Posted by Techman

The use of copper grease (or copper slip) is a bit like the use of WD-40, in that you have to know where to use it and where NOT to use it. Keep the copper grease well away from that alloy, the copper content will react with it, particularly when the grease content dries out with the heat from the lamp. It should be used on 'ferrous' metals ONLY, ie, iron and steel.

I expect that a few people will disagree with the above, but ordinary standard grease is the way to go on this one.

There are Aluminium-based anti-seize lubricants available: I'd suggest that these would probably be better than Copaslip. A Moly-grease would also be a good choice, since the molybdenum component is likely to remain to some extent after the original grease has dried-out/degraded.

When screwing things into aluminium or aluminium-alloys, the choice of screw-material is important - to avoid corrosion you need a screw made from something as close as possible in the Electrochemical Series to aluminium. Various 1950s TV-antenna manufacturers found out the hard way that brass junction-box terminals and extruded-aluminium antenna-elements had a short life, moreso when they were installed a few feet away from a chimney-pot that was belching the combustion-products of high-sulphur coal, Anthracite etc!

[McMurdo]

flicking through a 1950's electrical wholesaler's catalogue shows many manufacturers of the time making very similar fittings. Coughtrie are in there, Revo, Heyes-Lacent & Dorman.

[Herald1360]

Originally Posted by Techman

No! Sorry, definitely not copper grease. That's why I particularly said a dab of 'ordinary' grease.

The use of copper grease (or copper slip) is a bit like the use of WD-40, in that you have to know where to use it and where NOT to use it. Keep the copper grease well away from that alloy, the copper content will react with it, particularly when the grease content dries out with the heat from the lamp. It should be used on 'ferrous' metals ONLY, ie, iron and steel.

I expect that a few people will disagree with the above, but ordinary standard grease is the way to go on this one.

How about silicone grease? It's my "go to" for any screws that might rust or seize and it's water repellant too.

[russell_w_b]

I use Vaseline on the screws in mine. Never had a problem yet!

[ToneArm]

I had to cut the dome off and drill out the sheared bolt from the top. I'll re-assemble with a M5 bolt and a dome head nut to resemble the old casting, once repainted. Is there any problem using stainless bolts with aluminium?
Glyn

[emeritus]

Here's a photo of what I now know is our Coughtrie outside light. No idea of its age, it was here when we moved here nearly 40 yeas ago and I had never bother to check who made it. When changing the bulb a decade or so ago, the gasket disintegrated and I replaced it with a home-made "O" ring made from some RS polyureathane belting. I have never had any problems with seized screws. It is earthed via the sheath of the mineral insulated cable. I guess there must be an opening or unblanked cable entry at the back as the glass manages to collect the odd insect and there is no other way in.

I was interested to hear that lamps of this type are still available. I wanted to buy another similar corner lamp for the back garden when we had an extension built last year. However, the local electrical suppliers said they weren't aware of any lamps of this type so I fitted conventional bulkheads instead.

It is now fitted with a 20W CFL lamp. In this application the fact that that CFL stick lamps produce much greater illumination sideways than end-on is no disadvantage.

[Lancs Lad]

That CFL looks like a bit of a squeeze, emeritus, and apparently they don't take kindly to being inside enclosed fittings, or to cold frosty conditions

I have these (see pic) in mine. They're 10 watt LED filament bulbs, and produce the equivalent of a 100 watt incandescent, with almost identical colour temperature.

Instant full brightness too. No waiting for the CFL to warm up!

[Lloyd 1985]

I might have to get one of those bulbs for ours, there is a 60W incandescent bulb in it currently.

Coughtrie SW10 gaskets are available on eBay currently, think they were £7.99, bit pricey for a bit of rubber I know, but it is the correct size, and should last a fair while. The original gasket wraps around the lip of the glass dome, rather than being a flat ring like the gasket for the FS10.

CFL’s should be ok in these fittings, as they are not entirely sealed, the bracket end of the swan neck is actually open, which is probably why bugs get into them. The finned design of the SW10 probably offers some heat sinking too. I actually semi- filled the hole at the bracket end of the swan neck on ours, just left a small hole for expansion, keeps all the big bugs out of it!

Regards
Lloyd

[ToneArm]

All done. Here's a pic of my lamp ready to go up. The drilled out bolt has been replaced with a M5 stainless cap head screw and dome nut. It is the one on the left - it's an obvious repair if you're looking for it but quite unobtrusive, even close up. Very pleased with it.
Cheers
Glyn

[Lancs Lad]

That's very nice, Glyn. Just the same as the one that was on our old garage for years. Sadly, it was inadvertently 'lost' when the garage was demolished

The bolts were fixed to the collar though, and were secured by wing-nuts on top.

[cheerfulcharlie]

A modern alternative? being ip44 rated stick any es27 bulb in there you like. Plastic version cheaper.

https://www.bltdirect.com/outdoor-ip...lantern-silver

[julie_m]

I think I might be tempted to do the other side just so it matched, but that's just my OCD speaking. And I haven't just done the hard work of drilling and filing it myself nor carried a heavy and fragile glass bowl carefully up a scary ladder, so I'm perhaps not in the best position to say how noticeable it will be from floor level -- particularly since the nut is going to be in the shadow of the lamp housing when it's on!

[dave walsh]

I don't know about spotting the repair Glyn-it looks brand new to me
I was happy, like others, to discover that my long lived outside lamp is a classic [Lloyd put up a picture at post 3*] but I think the design of yours is superior. I can't do anything to change that but I may go for a rich colour instead of grey when I move mine to a more discrete location [p 17*].

This is a shed I created by adding wooden sides and a top on to a small buttressed concrete building sunk in the ground down the garden. For a long time we assumed it was an Air Raid Shelter [common in this neck of the woods] but the lead pipes in the corner and the sharp drop down inside were a puzzle.
There used to be a Manor House with extensive grounds at the top of the [Bex] hill, now all built on, so the next theory was an Ice House. It was only when we met a previous owner from the 1950's that we learned the structure had been a "feeder" for fish ponds lower down the slope, in more Aristocratic days! I call it the TANK which puzzles a few people who assume I'm pursuing a military theme. I did also use to suggest it had been built by the Romans who are known for their incredibly hard concrete.
The doorway is fairly narrow but there is no way I would attempt to widen it.

Dave

[Lancs Lad]

Ooh, Dave! Sounds most intriguing! You must live in a very interesting old house!

Any chance of some photos, please? Absolutely fascinating.

Yes, Julie, those glass 'globes' are very solid and weighty. They made quality stuff in those days!

[Lloyd 1985]

That light looks really nice, I like the colour you have chosen for it.

I’ve got 2 more FS10’s in the shed to play with, one is a corner mount one, and the other is one just for a flat wall. I’ve also got a couple of SP6 bulkheads too.

Regards
Lloyd

[Lancs Lad]

Lucky you, Lloyd!
I'm envious.

I really like the FS-10. There used to be an electrical stall in Lancaster Market that had them for sale (in the 1990s) and I always coveted one. They were probably NOS (it was that kind of stall) but, in hindsight, an absolute bargain at £29.99p!

Sadly, I could never justify spending what was then (to me) a lot of money on a light fitting that I had no actual use for.

I really wish now that I had bought one (and to hell with food for a week!)

I do have a very old one, but I would have loved a brand-new version, with that lovely stylish corner bracket

[Rubberfingers]

Here's one right on the end of Bournemouth Pier https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.71...=en&authuser=0 (though I don't quite know whats gone wrong with the image)

[julie_m]

Originally Posted by Lancs Lad

Yes, Julie, those glass 'globes' are very solid and weighty. They made quality stuff in those days!

Were you thinking at any point during the operation, of the chandelier scene from Only Fools and Horses?

[Lancs Lad]

No, Julie, I wasn't.

I just know how satifyingly heavy those lovely Coughtrie glass lamp enclosures are.