Stove Handy Hints

Discussion in 'Fettling Forum' started by kerophile, Dec 19, 2008.

  1. kerophile

    kerophile United Kingdom SotM Winner Subscriber

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    Removing hardened "rubber" washers

    A tip for removing very hard, fossilised, "rubber" washers from filler caps is to remove cap from the stove and then heat the brass cap with a stove, blowtorch or similar. This will soften the washer and you can easily fish it out whilst it is still hot.

    Best Regards,
    Kerophile.
     
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  2. Doug L

    Doug L Subscriber

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    Ok I have one for you.
    Don't keep tools above your work bench on those magnetic tool holders or the like.You don't want a wrench/spanner or anything falling onto your brass stove or on the tin box when you're working.

    Another:
    Keep your stove on a shallow metal pan or tray when filling with fuel and make sure any spills are wiped up and allowed to evaporate before you light up.
     
  3. davidcolter

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    Its is a big help when using a NRV tool to wrap the shaft with duct tape until it is a cosy sliding fit perfectly centred in the pump tube. This makes it much easier to use.
     
  4. kerophile

    kerophile United Kingdom SotM Winner Subscriber

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    Making a new wick for a Primus 70/71, Optimus 80, Svea 123 or similar.

    When choosing "cotton" string or mop strands to make a wick it is always a good idea to do a burn test on a sample first.

    If the "cotton" string chars it is probably cotton and good. If it partly melts it likely contains polyester or similar plastic and is useless for wick duty

    Best Regards,
    Kerophile.
     
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  5. sarco789

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  6. DaveD

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    BTW if anyone needs any cotton string (mop string), I have a large amount - so PM me and send me a self-addressed stamped envelope and I will send you some free.

    Dave
     
  7. kerophile

    kerophile United Kingdom SotM Winner Subscriber

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  8. kerophile

    kerophile United Kingdom SotM Winner Subscriber

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    Small Hearth for silver soldering/Brazing.

    Using a properly made small hearth makes brazing very much easier, as it helps retain and reflect heat, and can support the work pieces.

    Do not use ordinary cement or bricks from a storage heater as they have a high mass and conductivity and soak up heat rather than reflect it. What you need is refractory bricks or liners.

    Here is a good tip:

    Go to your local re-cycling centre and recover the refractory heating panels from a gas powered room heater, or room-portable Calor gas heater. They can be used in their steel supports, or broken out to make small sections. You can then assemble a small hearth suitable for the task in hand.

    1352019241-Ceramic_heat_element..JPG

    It is likely that stove or fireplace shops sell spare heater/reflector panels but I am unsure of the price and those from an old heater come free.




    Best Regards,
    Kerophile.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 27, 2015
  9. Bom Bom Bom Bom

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    On a similar theme, I use a large tin full of vermiculite granules. You can buy expensive vermiculite fireboard, or go to a garden centre and you can buy a large bag of vermiculite granules, used for mixing in potting compost for drainage, for not a lot of money. I rinsed it through before using to remove dust.

    Using the granules means that you can support pieces of work at a convenient angle. If you have a piece that already has brazed joints elsewhere you can bury it in the granules such that only the work area is exposed meaning you only then have to worry about conducted heat rather than stray flames. Partially filling the tin with water will also help to conduct away heat from the buried part if required.

    Cheers, Graham.
     
  10. islandpiper

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    :lol: :lol: :mrgreen: On a lighter note, it is important never to line all your stoves up in one spot, as if to take a "group picture". If your wife sees them all together it may be harder to justify getting "just one more". piper
     
  11. kerophile

    kerophile United Kingdom SotM Winner Subscriber

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  12. kerophile

    kerophile United Kingdom SotM Winner Subscriber

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  13. monkeyboy

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    Good morning all,

    Not a hint but a humorous story that goes to George's point about using the correct wrench (spanner). When I was stationed in England a dear friend of mine related this story. He told me that as a young lad he was an apprentice Fitter or in U.S.A. speak a heavy engine mechanic. Well Les went out and bought this expensive adjustable spanner what we call a cresent wrench. Well he brought it to work and showed it to his foreman. The foreman then took his brand new adjustable spanner and threw it as far as he could into the brush and then told Les if he wanted to keep his job that he would use the correct wrench for the job or he would be out of there. In those days it was very expensive to have the proper wrench as a set of Whitworth, Metric and AF (Across Flats, ie the type of wrenches we use in the States) was required. That was an expensive lesson for Les, but it was very good advice. Always use the proper wrench for the job to prevent damage to the part. Cheers
    I once worked for a maintenance supervisor who told me basically the same story,he said "if I catch any of my mechanics using a Crescent wrench I'll fire 'em"
     
  14. magikbus

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    So what would he have done if someone working for him had been caught using a plumbers adjustable pipe wrench? We call them "Saskatchewan crescent wrenches".
    Stan
     
  15. 1966dave

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    My old shop teacher used to say " if the tools not right.....the guys not bright"
     
  16. magikbus

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    On a trip to my dentist a few years ago, he cursed and threw one of his dental picks into the garbage. I asked why and he said they get tiny chips on them and damage teeth so he throws them away. I asked if I could have it and was rewarded with not only the one in the garbage, but a couple more he had put way at the back of a drawer.

    They are the best tool ever for digging out old gaskets of all kinds, even lead ones!
    Stan
     
  17. kerophile

    kerophile United Kingdom SotM Winner Subscriber

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  18. kerophile

    kerophile United Kingdom SotM Winner Subscriber

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    ALIGNMENT OF KNOBS ON REGULATED BURNER STOVES.

    It sometimes happens when installing a regulated burner in a stove, that when the burner is fully tightened the regulating control does not match-up with the hole in the case or surround.

    With burners which utilise heat-resistant washers, one solution which used to be offered by the manufacturers, was washers of different thicknesses. Whereas a standard HR Washer might be 1.5 mm thick, they might also offer 1mm and 2mm HR washers.

    SIMPLE...by chosing a non-standard washer or combining a pair, you can fine tune alignment and adequate tightness to get correct positioning of the control knobs.

    Base Camp sells non-standard HR washers:

    CTK1105 Heatproof Packing for marine stoves, thicker than 2221, used on Shipmate and similar stoves to get spindle pointing forwards. Also useful on any large stove to seal difficult burners. £ 1.35

    alternatively, if you are patient you can grind-down a standard HR Washer using wet and dry abrasive paper (used wet) and supported on a glass sheet to give a flat surface.

    Another option is to seek out suitable size soft copper washers.


    Best Regards,
    Kerophile.
     
  19. Longilily

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    My tip......

    Don't play with stoves, there addictive =; [-( [-X :lol:
     
  20. magikbus

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    You can also bend pump leathers to your will by slipping them inside a short piece of plumbing pipe (wrong way round) of the correct size overnight to make it compliant when it's time to insert it into the pump tube right way round.
    Stan