What’s this?

any ideas on what this is? I’ll give you a few hints,

  1. it’s much older than you, trust me!..:wink:

  2. no, it isn’t an “ink-well”.

  3. it’s from circa 1936 A.D. in London, UK.

  4. it was used in the jewellery trade.

  5. I can still use it today!

  6. I can still use it in my setting-bench!

this is it’s great-great-grand child.:wink:

you were right it’s an ultra, mini-alcohol lamp! in fact, it belonged to my Dear Father who owned a jewellery factory and was a Diamond Polisher in London,UK.

It has a low heat, he used it to heat the shellac to hold a diamond crystal ready for bruiting, or starting to prepare to form the first stages of diamond polishing a “girdle”.

My Dad didn’t want a high-heat, as the shellac could have got burned. As the shellac was only to be finger-warm, he could still finger-form the shellac around the diamond. If the shellac was HOT, he’d be totally unable to hold & work the syropy-mixture!

For obvious reasons: I was unable to hold the iPhone, his own shellac stick and above all watch out for the flame!

Yes, the shellac stick was his @ circa 1936!

Hoping you appreciated this little English history lesson.

Gerry, on my iPhone

4 Likes

It looks like a counterweight for determining what a precious metal weighs.

My guess,

Lorraine

interesting guess, but sorry, it’s not the right one! The actual height is only 1.81 inches, just a little device that is still good to use after 84 years!

gerrysdiamondsettingessays.blogspot.com

Gerry, on my iPhone

I’ve head of these but never seen one before. Thank you for sharing!

An alcohol heating device. I still use a similar one for wax work with dental picks
Regards RLW

Hi
It is spirit lamp .Heating device using for mount a ring or jewel on wooden stick with help of

Lacquer for setting

Hi RWade1
This little alcohol lamp has a smaller flame, as compared to the larger lamp. Certain operations require little flames, hence lower temperatures.
Why the need for a wider flame? aka higher temperature. “Wax-work” needs more of a delicate and more precise heating, not burning!

I’m finding now that I now have four heating sources. My electric-pen with a manually desired heat.

Battery-operated wax-pen, this has two temperatures; on & off…;( now my Fathers’, low-flame alcohol-lamp!

It’s better to have a variety, than to ruin your wax-design because of a too much of a higher heat source?

gerrysdiamondsettingessays.blogspot.com

Gerry, on my iPhone

@gerrylewy18 oh my goodness. I use exactly the same four. NOW if I just had your experience and TALENT I be in great shape! Problem is I started way too late and at 76 there isn’t time to catch up. I really do appreciate your essays.
Regards RLW

That little lamp is a heckuva lot more stylish than the cheap heat gun I use for the same purpose! :+1::+1:

that little lamp is even more “secure” for one thing is there is a screw-top cover! The cover prevents undo evaporation of ‘methyl hydrate’ basically it has a tighter lid. Glad you like this 83 year old lamp!

gerrysdiamondsettingessays.blogspot.com

Gerry, on my iPhone