Century Model 101 - Was there such a thing?

[Erin]

See the model 101 - the florescent green/red wax lamp? Did this ever really exist? I've never seen one and this is the only picture I can see that has this color combo.

 

Anyone have any information on this lamp? Did it never make it to production? 

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

Show us detailed photos of the lamp, base, box and warranty when you get it? I also wonder whether the inside of the cap or the underside of the base has a date stamp/sticker, and whether it has a two-part base and/or a switch on the base. I don't think it's a first-year; they had smooth no-seam bases, a switch on the base, and the lava was a thick oil that stayed semi-liquid at room temperature like early Crestworths and Hunters.

[Erin]

You can count on pics Jonas. I believe the switch is on the cord, not the base. I should be receiving the lamp today!

Jonas Clark-Elliott said:

Show us detailed photos of the lamp, base, box and warranty when you get it? I also wonder whether the inside of the cap or the underside of the base has a date stamp/sticker, and whether it has a two-part base and/or a switch on the base. I don't think it's a first-year; they had smooth no-seam bases, a switch on the base, and the lava was a thick oil that stayed semi-liquid at room temperature like early Crestworths and Hunters.

[Erin]

Lamp received and added some pics to the photo gallery. There is (literally) nothing to see right now as this lamp is SO cloudy, you can't even see the lava move in it. I'll be cycling for the next few days.

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

From reading the warranty, I think this must be a 2nd-year lamp, but early due to the address. The 1st-year lamps most assuredly had a seamless base, a switch on the base, and 'oil' rather than wax for lava; the 1st-year brochure has actual photos that make all of these clear. Also indicating that it is early is the note to always use the plastic tray - the 1st-year models had a plain tray, without feet, that I assume snapped or pushed onto the base. Is your tray screwed on?

 

Another indicator of it being early 2nd year is that, by that time, they had added 13 new models (but perhaps not put them in the instructions yet), so the space for writing in the wattage may indicate this since different models used different bulbs.

 

All of this is just guesswork. Try cycling for a while, and if that doesn't work try filtering and see what color you get. It might be possible to re-dye the fluid with fluorescent ink from a yellow hi-liter or with the dye called fluorescein, which has the same color. I'd suggest getting an extra globe in a common color, popping the bottlecap, dying it, and letting it run daily for a week or so to see how it performs/whether the dye affects the chemical balance enough to screw with the action. I know 1960s formula is different, but it's as close as one can easily get, 'cuz if the test fails, it's almost better to just filter it and leave it faded because it's still the original fill and will have amazing snaky flow.

 

For the test: Pry the rear end cap off a yellow - not green, these don't glow much - hi-liter type marker. The big thick kind. Use a bent paper clip to fish out the ink holder, a plastic tube full of cotton wick soaked with the ink. Suspend this, tube and all, from a piece of bare metal wire, threaded *through* the tube's sides so the tube can't come off the wire. Then dangle it in and rattle it against the sides of the globe to get ink to leak out. Stir frequently until you get a nice, vivid, electric yellow-green. Then do your tests, after you cork it or cap it again to prevent evaporation. Trust me that the yellow markers make the same color liquid shown in the catalog photo, neon yellow-green with a greenish tinge. Even without blacklight, it's an absolutely shocking color, especially with red wax...!

[Erin]

I'll get some more detailed pics up soon. Jonas, do you have a pic of the first year brochure? 

 

My black tray seems to be screwed on with one screw that shows up on the inside near the socket. I'll photograph that as well. 

 

I do have two yellow/red centuries from the 90s - one with a screw cap and one with a bottlecap. Which one should I sacrifice? ;) So, use YELLOW highlighter not green? And should I be doing that on a clear liquid lamp? 

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

Well, first of all, do your cycling and, if that doesn't work, filter, and see what color the liquid is once it's clear. Sunlight can and will eat fluorescent dyes.

 

If it's clear liquid, use clear; if it's yellow, use yellow. But try to pick up an extra 32oz. globe somewhere of the color, and use that as a test subject, not a good 52 with a nice base. If the experiment works, THEN color the old Century-- and keep the 32, recapped, as a fun extra. Make sure to use the flipping of the ink cartridge to both get ink out AND stir, so you know when you've reached the right color.

 

If you DO fix it all up, try to find yourself a clear red/clear, ORANGE/yellow, and green/blue, and put those with this and your yellow/turquoise, and you'll be the only collector EVER to assemble all five Century colors of the 60s! Pair that with your old box and warranty and you're set. Bonus if, eventually, you find enough coppery bases for all of them.

 

Sorry, don't seem to have the 1965 page scanned. But it shows photos of lamps in two (as far as I know) never-sold colors: red/pale blue and, incredibly, what appears to be black/clear!

[Erin]

I have an orange/yellow Squiggle, but it went cloudy again after I filtered it. I don't see many clear/red Centuries from the 60s/early Centuries. 

Jonas Clark-Elliott said:

If you DO fix it all up, try to find yourself a clear red/clear, ORANGE/yellow, and green/blue, and put those with this and your yellow/turquoise, and you'll be the only collector EVER to assemble all five Century colors of the 60s! Pair that with your old box and warranty and you're set. Bonus if, eventually, you find enough coppery bases for all of them.

 

Sorry, don't seem to have the 1965 page scanned. But it shows photos of lamps in two (as far as I know) never-sold colors: red/pale blue and, incredibly, what appears to be black/clear!

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

So on that color, a later clear/red works.

 

I have a display of three here, showing (separately) the three common bases, and the three 70s colors. Below are the 60s copper two-piece base, the 70s low-top gold base faded to silver as they tended to, and the 80s+ high-top gold base. On these are, in same order, true orange/yellow, true green/blue, and 70s red/clear. None of these are 60s run-for-days formula; that's only in my Aristocrat and Princess.

 

What IS the filtering process, anyway? Can I do it at home with normal equipment? I advocated it above because I understand that it can work very well, but I've never done it.

[Erin]

Jonas, the best method of filtering and the only one that seems to have success is using a ceramic water filter. There are two types members here have had success with - the MSR Ex Miniworks (about $80) and the Soldier's Pure Easy Water Filter (about $35). Both can be found on amazon.com and eBay. I am going to purchase the cheaper one and give it a go in the next month or so. 

 

Also, I don't see any pic attached to your last post. ;)

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

Sorry 'bout that. I'll take a photo soon. *grin*

[Erin]

Well, I am happy to say I had success with the Soldier's PureEasy filter. Got it from eBay for $35 shipped. At first when I filtered it, it still looked cloudy, but better. I woke up this morning and it was clear! Well, clear enough! I added some florescent green dye from a marker, but since the water was... amber-colored (?), it's not really turning green. I wonder if sun-fading it next summer and then re-dyeing would work? 

 

It only looks green from certain angles and with certain lights. It does not look green at all when running. That being said, I'm pleased. :) The flow is great and I'm very happy to have this lamp! 

 

Flowing, on the far right:

[wizard of ooze]

Just spotted what appeared to be a Century 101 in a 1966 episode of 'Gidget' called 'A Hard Day's Night'. It had almost neon green liquid and red/orange lava. This is one of the earliest appearances of Lava on TV and a rare color combo as well.