A brief delve into the history of the company that made these stoves appears HERE together with my write-up on the Lytham 'Titch'. This is the Titch's big brother, the Tiddler Titch is described as a 'miniature cooker', capable of taking most makes of self-sealing cartridges The Tiddler on the other hand is 'compact' rather than miniature but can take most makes of cartridges (in fact, not just self-sealing ones but Campingaz-type pierceable carts) The stove has a larger container to fit the extra parts to instal pierceable gas carts All there is to accommodate in the Titch's box is the flexi hose and fittings The Tiddler has to fit more in Titch and Tiddler have the same jet and burner construction The Tiddler has a pierceable gas cart fitting adaptor as well as a self-sealing cart adaptor The pierceable gas cart adaptor incorporates a valve to enable the stove to be detached from the gas cart after use. Clever The cutter/inlet pipe. That gas cart's an empty one of course The seal to the gas cart holder is accomplished with that O-ring ... ... and (TO BE CONTINUED)
... by that neoprene disc on the inside of the holder cap that makes a seal against the top of the gas cart surrounding the central 'dimple' To attach a gas cartridge, the wire stays are swung upwards to engage with three lugs on the holder cap, one of the lugs having a spring catch so that the final stay can be eased up and over the catch up a ramped lug arrangement. Secures it and can be unclipped to slide the stay off when the gas cart's empty Green-coloured cart, blue-coloured cart, it makes no difference to the Tiddler - which of course ... fits most leading makes of cartridge Perfect seal and ready to attach to or disconnect from the stove's flexi-hose at will I pondered for a bit on the three holes, equi-spaced around the circumference of the lid. It soon became obvious what they're for - as a steady to enable the lid to be used as a base for the stove Useful output ... now powered by a self-sealing gas cart John
excellent! the printing on the labels is soooooo early seventies! takes me back to my days in the scouts and school, nostalgia is getting better as i get older! Presscall for moderator (you know it makes sense)
I don't normally like gas stove although I do own a couple of 'vanilla' models, these though are fantastic, great find
Thanks all! Si, it was an ebay find ages ago. I've only just got around to getting the details on here. The flexi hose, fabric-covered rubber, was a bit too fragile for my taste so I cut off the crimp fittings (Oetiker brand) and swapped it for a modern, steel braided sheathed, hose. The stove-end and control valve-end fittings weren't equipped with the usual hose barbs, but had un-tapered plain shanks with a raised lip for the crimp to butt up to. The difference in length of the shanks determined the respective lengths of the tubing crimps I used - pipe fittings (plasic pipe connector liners I think) I used the four-jaw lathe chuck in the technique I outlined HERE . Photo's from that post and not this job Job done John
excellent presentation, John. And another fine job you did. Once you retire you can make a fettler-shop - I`m shure I know enough customers Peter
I too was fascinated by the sight of the little Titch when I found it at a car boot sale for £1 still attached to a half full gas canister, cute little stove. I have a Military no 2 stove as yet unexplored, a Primus no 5, an Optimus no 8 copy and my amusing little Stesco coiler, makes me laugh every time I light it it's almost too simple to work, but it does.
I put a search on ebay for the lytham's after seeing this thread back in 2015 and have just scored a titch, nice
I bought a Tich and Tiddler as a pair and they came with a couple of tee pieces to connect them both to one cylinder. I still use them occationally.
Yes indeed. Kovea makes an adapter for puncture-type canisters, which works much the same way. See MercatorGear - KOVEA P-Adapter KA-1004 Quirky and fun. It reminds me of the cartoons in the 1985 BBC miniseries Blott on the Landscape
I don't own a a gas operated stove , the way you have rigged the titch and going ETC. Looks to me like it would pretty much compete with even the modern stuff . I like the way the lid connects to the wind screen and requires no other tin pieces . Great write up and a very good example of what the forerunners of todays stoves could do . Will the jetting and burner handle liquid as well as vapor feed ? Seems it was ahead of its day . WR