A while back I had submitted a post regarding a Solus with a Primus burner, etc. https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/10376 Well, I noticed a "lot" on Ebay with a beat up Canadian Solus with a silent burner and some other "stuff". The pic was terrible, but I could make out that it had the proper burner and cap to replace the ones on my own. I bid and got it. When the package arrived I was pleased to see the "stuff" included 2 additional unused silent burners, another cap, 3 inner caps, 3 old Coleman parts envelopes with Coleman prickers and 2 replacement leathers. The Solus itself was a Discus, silent burner with a big dent in the tank. I put the stove aside, and dug into the parts. That's why I bought it in the first place, and wanted to make my square shouldered Solus "right". I picked the best looking burner, put it on, got some new washers from Kerophile, and slapped the whole thing together. The pot support ring on the square shouldered Solus came with it and was probably generic as it had no markings. Marblecreek's recent post regarding his Solus fettle inspired me to try to see if the dented discus stove that was just something of a bonus, was something that might be worth saving....big dent and all. I pulled it out and started to examine it more closely. I shone a flashlight inside the tank and it was immaculate! I checked it closely for possible leaks, saw nothing too alarming, and got out the brass cleaner. After several hours of cleaning the gunk off, I put it together, and filled it with fuel. I took it outside with the square shouldered Solus and tried to light the discus first. I was doing this outside with a bit of a breeze, so it was difficult. The discus started to rattle quite a bit, then came the familiar "pop" and it settled into a nice quiet clean blue flame. The square shouldered Solus burned with a heavy green flame at first, no doubt due to verdigris and 50 year old copper. The unfired burner was a little more troublesome than the broken-in discus burner. It bloomed much faster, but the flame stayed a bit on the orange side. I did run a whole can of carb cleaner through the tank and there may have been some residual. They both burned beautifully and I'll try running a tank of fuel through the squareed Solus to see if it gets any bluer. The orange washers in the picture of all the pieces are new from Kerophile, and the dark colored burner in the background is the Primus burner I took off the shouldered Solus. The thing that drives me nuts with copper burners is the flaky black scale that always seems to be present after the burner cools down. The new burner developed it and one of my Optimus 111b's with a copper burner has the same problem. (sorry guys, I clicked "Finish" in the pic upload window, but they didn't seem to appear.) (Edit by Mod. - you needed to click on 'Full' beside each image to add them to your post, MB - then click on 'Finished' I've done that for you...)
Hi Matt, a really impressive fettle of two handsome stoves! They are both burning well with very acceptable flame-patterns. I reckon they will settle down and show even more blue as you put more fuel through them. There is no cure for the black oxide flakes...It is Thermodynamics you know, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Best Regards, Kerophile.
Thanks George, I'm still an infant in all this really, but it sure is fun! Just for the record, I get the rolling of the eyes from the Mrs. like alot of you do.