Also, it smells like a cat litter box. Only worse. I just had a demo from friend/CR list member/carbide lamp collector Michael Allison. Stinky stuff!
Matthew Bowne Brooklyn, New York
>From: "Ken Sanford" <kanford@comcast.net>
>To: "Julius Naim" <julius.naim@gmail.com>
>CC: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>Subject: Re: [CR]carbide lamps
>Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2007 17:09:01 -0500
>
>Julius
>
>Damn good thing to get the carbide out of your loft! It looks like grey
>gravel but when it gets wet it gives off very flamable atcetylene (sp?)
>gas! Carbide + water yields gas, and a gooey pasty residue is left in the
>bottom of the lamp. A typical lamp gives light for two hours or so.
>
>Carbide lamps were used as bicycle lamps many years ago - mainly in
>northern latitudes when winter means you ride both to and from work in the
>dark.
>
>I used them extensively in the sixties and seventies when I was exploring
>caves. Today, the advent of long lasting battery powered lcd lights has
>rendered carbide lamps even more obsolete.
>
>Perhaps for display purposes on a pre WW II bike...
>
>Ken Sanford
>Kensington, MD
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Julius Naim" <julius.naim@gmail.com>
>To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2007 4:10 PM
>Subject: [CR]carbide lamps
>
>
>>Hi
>>
>>I came across some calcium carbine in my loft during a clear out, I didn't
>>know what is was and found it was used in lamps for caving and cycling.
>>
>>I was wondering if anyone uses carbide lamps on their bicycles, perhaps
>>like this one;
>>http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170080592359
>>I was thinking of getting one and a bit more info would be
>>interesting/useful
>>
>>All the best
>>
>>Julius Naim
>>London, UK