Dietz Model 32 Road Flare / "smudge pot"

[Wildchild467]

Does anybody have any experience with these antique road flares aka “smudge pots”? I bought 2 brand new ones at a swap meet a couple years ago and painted them up nice and planned on using them when I go camping. They work nice to keep the 'skeeters down and to light the area around the camp. I have used K-1 clear kerosene as fuel and they work pretty good. One of my complaints with them is that they leak from the top like crazy. The kerosene wicks up the wick and leaks all over whatever the flare is sitting on. This only happens when the flare is not being used (extinguished). Also, the have had a tendency of going out after a long period of time. It does not look like they are serviceable friendly either to replace the wick. I want to upload a picture of them, but I am having technical difficulties getting the picture from my phone to my email. I will upload a picture when I can.

 

[DeadParrot]

I have various ones that I found in the town dump in the early 70's. Back when they were public town dumps and not EPA certified landfills. Mine are mostly like the round ones in the older Road Runner cartoons. The kerosene does wick out when not in use. Might want to try some of the citronella lamp fuel if you want to run off the flying critters. Don't fill them all the way up.

 

[Wildchild467]

Are there any guidelines for the wick height on these? It seems to me that if there is not enough wind, the burner carbons up and eventually goes out. I'm just wondering if this is the nature of the beast or if i need to replace a wick or something.

 

[porkysplace]

It's been a really long time since using any of these , but if too much wick sticks up it will just burn off . Having enough wick inside to keep the wick soaked as they burn low on fuel is the key . These were phased out in the late 1960's along with the Dietz lanterns with red globes the were hung on barricades at night . Once the blinker heads that used 2 6v square batteries came out these were pretty much band as they figured out have flame burning along the roads and fuel leaking during a car crash were not a good combination. I spent a few summers growing up filling these daily in the summers for my grandfathers construction co,

 

[Triple C]

Wow, talk about a flash back! I had forgotten all about those. I don't have anything to add except thanks for the memories.

 

[DeadParrot]

Here are some of the ones I have. As far as the carbon issue, yep, pretty much nature of the beast. A stiff piece of wire or otherwise retired screwdriver works well to clean them off. That carbon rates very high on the stain o meter.

 

[74M35A2]

WildWhatevers, you're lucky that was not a bomb, and exploded when you lit it.

 

[Wildchild467]

Parrot,

Those are neat looking! I just wish I could get mine not to leak when they are filled up. Maybe I need a new gasket on the cap that covers the burner after the flame goes out.

 

[Tow4]

I have a couple like DP posted. I use them with citronella oil to keep the bugs down.

 

[Scar59]

Wow, talk about a flash back! I had forgotten all about those. I don't have anything to add except thanks for the memories.

No kidding, we called them "road bombs" when we were little. Amazing flash back, when times were simpler.

 

[FrankUSMC]

We used them in the Marines on the firing line to blacken our sights on the rifles. I will ask one of the marines at work if they still used them.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET