I picked up a 1980 dated 413G a few months ago. I finally had a chance to look at it this week. I like the extra grill space it offers. It’s definitely something I can see myself using for garden cooking. After a bit of asthmatic wheezing it fired up and ran okay, albeit a little rich. I figure I will have a go doing it up over the summer. Cleaning up the stove itself is something I have done before, but I’m looking for recommendations on how to approach repainting the case. Do people tend to take the suitcase apart (if that’s even practical) and re-rivet it when finished, or mask the various trims and work around them? The inside of the lid is in fairly good condition so I might leave it be and save the decal, but then I will have mis-matched colours. Painting around it might be an option, but not if I run it through an electrolysis tank. What can be done with the rusted plating on the latches and the grill? Any and all advice (including “leave it be”) is welcome. -R
Over here rusty, worn, working Coleman stoves seem be the norm. That burned-off rusty area nearest the main burner is a badge of honor.
These are very nice stoves. I find the 425 types simply too small to get a decent size frying pan and anything else together at the same time. The 3 burners are even better, but size is a double edged sword. Where to pack these monsters can be a PITA. You can pack a few single burners, but then you need a windscreen for each and that can be like juggling cats if it's gusty. My only legit gripe with Coleman suitcase stoves is that the aux burner(s) is unable to match the power of the main burner. Other stoves like Prentiss Wabers, Thermos, and AGMs that I've had do not suffer from this limitation. I keep a beat up old 413 next to my gas grill during the warmer months and will drag it out in the cold month on occasion when preparing large meals like Thanksgiving. There is no "perfect" stove, I suppose. Best get them all. And a trailer to haul em..........
There is indeed a balance to be struck between shiny and seasoned. I’m thinking mostly about treating the rust and preserving the case for another 40 years. If I can improve my minimal painting skills in the process so much the better. -R
I’ve wondered how all the bits and pieces get reattached if at all on the suitcases. Makes repainting my old model 1 look easy with all its lid, windscreen, oven pieces. Duane
With the help of a great tutorial on OldTown Coleman I have taken this apart and give everything a good clean. The stove itself and its fuel tank cleaned up well. The case needs work. The lid is in reasonable shape, but the body has quiet a bit of rust. Treating that hasn’t done the paint any favours so a repaint is in order. Before I do that I am wondering how to approach patching up one of the ‘legs’ the stove sits on when stored on its side: I’m thinking of trying to shape a piece of brass sheet to cover the hole, probably from the inside, and silver soldering it in place. Is that viable? Are there better approaches? -R
Steel maybe better than brass , should solder ok . ball pean hammer or similar should be able to shape it . Good luck with the project .
never tried this before, but I would probably try to plug it with filler. It gets warm there but not hot...could probably get away with lead. Once filled you could shape it to whatever you want and prime and paint. They used to fill body dents back in the day with lead before using bondo...
Hmm… perhaps soldering in a brass (which I have to hand) or steel (which I do not) mesh and using that as a ‘skeleton’ for some filler putty… -R
Sounds more than reasonable. And you can shape brass mesh by hand by forcing it into another leg of the stove for shape. You could also hammer on some light thin brass sheet to shape. Then solder that plate into place.
How rusty is it all around that point? You may be best off shaping a new foot in steel or brass sheet with a square top edge to rivet or solder to the existing steel stove box after you cut out the existing foot. Tony
I was going to cut back some of the compromised metal to form a reliable edge. I hadn’t thought of going that far, but can see how a straight edge would make the repair easier. Thanks for the tip. -R
I have a shelf or two with some cantilevering hunks of green amazing like that too. None, however are in their original boxes though. I don't have many, if any, show pieces though.
