Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Slide of the Month Extra - Coleman Lantern


August 2018

Time to make: 1 hours

Slides N' Woggles Issue 2

Original design: Greg Firestone May 2000

Modified version: Bill Macfarlane  August 2018













When I was a Scout it seemed every Scoutmaster worth their salt had a Coleman Lamp in the campsite. While some were white gas others were propane. It was my first purchase as a Scoutmaster years later in a Troop in Ogdensburg, NY and I still use it today in my current Troop.

Try as I might I could not find a key chain version of the Coleman Lantern Greg Firestone referenced but one day wandering though Dick's Sporting Goods or Walmart, I came upon a string of Coleman Lantern LED lights that was suppose to be used around the RV. I had found my source! First I cut off one of  the lights leaving enough wire to use. Popping off the top, I removed the wires from the sides and drilled a hole in the back to pass the wires through.  Next I cut out the base using a Dremel tool and drilled a hole in the back to pass the wires though. I sourced some parts from Radio Shack years ago (anybody remember when there was a store or two locally?) including a micro push button switch, a button battery holder, and a button battery. Stripping the ends of the wires I  checked the polarity of the LED by touching each side of the wires to the positive and negative side of the battery. I marked the wires and then created a simple circuit by soldering one wire to same polarity on battery holder, the other LED wire to one side of the switch, and a spare wire from the other side of the switch and battery holder. I put the battery in and tested the circuit before hot gluing the batter holder into the base of the lamp. (I make sure the open side was out so I could change the battery in the future.)

With a quick push of the button the Lantern lights up!







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