As you have previously read, my Hillsboro unit has black separation cracks in the white paint at the base of the metal tower. My dealer, Dor-Donn Collectibles, has been told by her distributer that this is not a flaw but a characterist of this piece.

Please register the condition of your piece with respect to this condition that I have noted in my piece on this forum topic I am just beginning here. All of the 5 piece my dealer had exhibited this characteristic.

My unit and 5 I saw have the cracks. Count now is as follows:

5 cracked 0 no crack

Moby of Tidewater Virginia

I've read the other thread, Moby. But I'm still haven't figured out what it is you see. Is this a horizontal line that is in the center (Stairway?) pipe running up the center of the skeleton work?

Perhaps you can provide a photo.

Let' me describe how this tower is assembled.

There are five 'wheels with spokes' that lead to the center 'pipe'. Each wheel is one casting with. A black one on the base, two white ones and two black ones and finally the top of the tower. These 'wheels' are connected by the 8 leg pieces, a different segment between each while. There are also "X" wires that connect between the wheels.

At the center of this assembly, working up from the bottom, there is first a doorway unit, then two white 'pipe' spacers, then two black 'pipe' spacers and finally the top of the tower.

What you are descibing seems to me to be where the pipe spacers fit against the center part of the 'wheels'. In the white area, I can see a small gap that appears btween a wheel and the spacer. In the black area, I can't see it, perhaps because the gap would also be black. If this is what you see, then I don't believe the paint or 'pipe' are cracked. There's just an 'assembly gap' there. If I could measure it, it would probably be a millimeter of spearation on mine.

If what you see is a vertifical break in the 'pipe', then it sounds like the pipe is cracked.

John

My Hillsboro is fine...MIB...well it's out of the box on display in one of my curios.

Bob

Hi Moby,

I have really looked over my Hillsboro and I can't find anything that would be what you are describing.
Derith

No problems with my Hillsboro #178. Looks beautiful and with no "cracks".

-Todd

No cracks or blemishes here either. Looks fine even under the 10x loupe.

Mine looks perfect, and I've spent lots of time examining it for just this reason. I'll update this msg with the # tomorrow. #2663

[This message has been edited by sCalBG (edited 08-14-99).]

My number 61 appears to be as it should with no cracks visible in the paint.
Jim
Johnson

#147 is fine.

Kathy

My number 121 is perfect no cracks or blemishes.

Obviously the early editions were blemish free. Hope they remain that way. For us with the separation of areas with white paint, hope the value does not deminish when compared with the perfect editions. Beautiful piece either way.

Moby

328 has no cracks in the paint, but you can see where the pieces fit together, not really a crack, you can just tell.

I see no apparent problems with the base of my Hillsboro. It is just as John has described. With the addition of a little fuzz in the paint. I hope that everything is as supposed to be with your's.

Moby, as stated earlier mine is problem free. It is #1872, not too early of an edition. I don't know what number you have. Is it later than this?

edition #1160 no cracks, fuzz, or any other sort of blemish.

Number 135 reporting in...perfectly fine..:-)

#157 I do have some cracks & paint flaws.

My count today


10 with no separation

8 with separation

Thanks for the response

Moby

You need to work on your math Moby.

It is more like 14 no cracks, 6 cracks and 1 fuzz. I saw 3 more in stores around here with no cracks last week to raise the total to 10 that I have looked at with no cracks including my own. I know that the numbers have been all over the place also, mine is #93 and the last one I saw was #4270. By the way seperation is different than a crack, you start by calling it cracks and now you are calling it seperation.

Total: 24 no cracks, 6 cracks and 1 fuzz


SaintWackoPaul '
Keep the Flame

My # 605 is good with no problems

Saint WACKO Paul,

CLARIFICATION,

Call it crack, call it separation, call it straight, call it jagged, call it what you want.

It depends on what your meaning of the word is is.

What it is is black in a completely white raea. It is where the wheel wraps around the central large post and where the small base building attaches to the large post on one side only. It is straight in one place and jagged in another.

It is smooth iwhere the paint is thinner, and jagged where the paint is thicker.

I will keep it and cheerish it. It's real value is my ability to travel there in my mind when gazing up this lovely piece of art.

I understand that some have as I and others have no dark crack, separation, etc what so ever.. So be it.

Harbour Lights are a bright spot in an otherwise dull world. They bring out the best in many of us. Case closed!!!!!!!!!

Moby

Going deep for a rest. Will suface for the forum.

Hillsboro # 1028 Fine.

Yesterday we tied our record for the hottest day 100 degrees, heat index 113 give or take.

It is hot and humid in South Louisiana, little rain today, tomorrow calls for hot hot and more hot.

Bob
Deep In Cajun Country, Louisiana

I have just examined #6208 which I purchased a few days ago. It appears to me that the orignal lighthouse would have been constructed in much the same way as an underwater or through the mountain tunnel by joining large sections of metal caissons together.There would have been a separation between caissons which might or might not have been detectable or there may have been a bead of weld around the separation points. Mine has such a separation above the lower wheel where the second caisson joins the first. It is maybe one tenth of a millimeter; just enough to create a shadow. I don't consider it a defect.

I have number 4962 and it appears to be fine.

I have #4260 recently purchased in Jacksonville, FL. It does exhibit some MINOR seperation at the joints where the inner collar of the spoked wheels join the white tubular sections. It is not noticeable in the black areas of the tube but then it wouldn't be unless it was significant. I feel this in normal fit-up disparities and not flaws.

I have two of the Hillsboro's and am completely satisfied....however I have noticed the crack/separation as described above. Both are in the 4000's. Incidentally, I would be willing to part with one if anybody is interested. I is MIB only out for inspection. I will likely hold on to it for awhile to use in trade for something else---unless someone has an interesting trade on a southern light.

By the way, saw Bill Younger in Savannah this past weekend.

I got my Hillsboro, #3895, on Long Island last month. This is a wonderful piece, it is on my top shelf of my cabinet. I reported earlier that I thought my piece had a crack, it does not.

Keep The Light Burning

The Flame

Hi, I'm new to the ofrum and hope to get to know you all as time goes by. My Hillsboro #6139 is just perfect, no cracks, separations or anything else. In case anyone is interested, my parents were planning to purchase the "real" Hillsboro light in, I think, about 1954 but for unknown reasons changed their minds. Groan!! I have always dreamed about what it would have been like to grow up in a lighthouse. Now, I collect them. I think a more manageable way to live my dream.
Joyce

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One more Hillsboro, # 5364, checking in in perfect condition.

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Chuck

I have Hillsboro #789; there are no cracks in the paint.