hi all i just picked up a Radius 42 off ebay.fr had a bit of a result as i had nearly £12 in points to spend I won the stove for just under £9 so i got another 3 quid off the shipping 8) there was no burner bell or flame spreader or key but luckily i bought a radius burner bell a month or two ago from Bryan. I have seen Gary's running with his BD cap so will try the same. Here's a couple of pics The questions I would like answering are were the tanks without the pressure release valve on top earlier than the one's with it on top of the tank like this one Bryan posted? - as his instructions date his to approx 1937 ish. The only one in the ref gal that looks the same as the one I have bought is this one posted by Magnus but the case has a different paint job but that might be market specific as the one I bought was for the French market going by what I have read about the tool loops inside the flap. btw I have a key for it already so fingers crossed it shouldn't take to much to get up and running. Any ideas of her age anyone?
Well I should have looked a bit harder and I would have found this - Zoomed in and can't see any sign of a safety release on the tank. From the 1920's catalogue. Link The stove must be at the latest 1934 if this patent is the same safety release valve fitted to the 42 so it's more likely from the 20's ??? Sorry I should have taken more time before posting this and I could of answered my own questions unless anyone knows better?
The safety release shown on Bryans 42 & is shown in the 1932 catalogue here on CCS. He dates his from the instructions as 1937. In the 1939 catalogue (not yet on the site) the safety release has gone. Magnus's orange tin is earlier than the green & you can just see the valve in the pic behind the burner stem. The 42's in the green tins span at least 3 variants. The early safety release, non & the later fillercap/safety release as shown in your patent drawing. Even though that patent for the combined cap/valve is dated 1934 it wasn't fitted to the 42 until some time after 1939. It is shown in the 1950's (1956?) catalogue here on CCS. I reckon that puts yours from c1938 until some time in the 50's. It's strange that Radius went from having a basic valve to non at all - then to a combined filler/valve but the stoves I've seen & the paper seem to confirm that. The best order I can do at present, earliest first 1: Pre orange tin - with safety valve My assumption - pre 1932 but not by a lot. 2: Orange tin - safety valve (my collection - not in SRG) 1932+/- ?? & here 3: Green tin - safety valve 1937+/-? Pre 1939 4: Green tin - no safety valve (my collection - not in SRG) Post 1937 5: Green tin - combined safety valve & filler cap post 1939 6: Silver tin - combined safety valve & filler cap 1950's? https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/
Thanks Ross It seems my detective work is on a par with Inspector Clouseau. I did notice the pot stands on mine didn't tally with the ones in the early pics. I wonder if they had problems with the early safety valve and dropped it till the newer type came along. I had the choice of going for the Radius or the E (1915?) Primus 96 that ended today. Link But decided I'd prefer the Radius it also means I have a bit ready for another stove I have my eye on finishing later in the week. I'll keep you posted on how I get on but I know someone else has been looking at it today and want to send them an email to see if they are going for it if so I'll back off (not many people I would do that for but he's a Gent so he gets first pop).
I thought it was tasty but the other one ending in the week is tastier to my eye. I'll pm you a link if you like, but I ain't posting it here. I don't want to screw up the "Gent's" auction if he is bidding.
The graphics looked shot if it is the version I think it is. Go on then - PT me the link - I'm curious!
well i got her today only put a drop of fuel in once i'd given it a quick fettle and added a burner basket and flame plate and tried her she was fine so gave it a quick polish filled her up (it's hard to see how much fuel your putting in) and i got a spluttering flashing flame switched her off used a pipette to take some fuel out tried again and she's was fine again well i say fine it go's like a rocket and i don't mind admitting i'm scared of her I fried some bacon and boiled the kettle (t25) and by the time i'd finished the flame was way fiercer than any of my other petrol stoves and it was fair screaming very very unnerving with no safety release i'll get her running again later if i'm brave enough and take some pics and put them in the ref gal i don't think she will get much use as i was bricking it by the time i'd finished cooking
Hi Lance a term fairly widely used over here , is it not used in the US ? there are some variations on the theme bricking it = link or another use of brick Link
Well, that cleared it right up. Lance, I appreciate your asking. I can usually puzzle them out (I guessed right in this case), but about 1/3 the time I'm left clueless (e.g. Ian's comment quoted above) by British expressions. I just hate pestering people for them to explain British idioms. Bill, that looks like a nice stove. Interesting that it heats so fiercely. Is this with the BD cap? Have you tried it with a normal spreader plate? Shame to let such a nice stove sit idle, but better safe than sorry I suppose. HJ
yes i tried both the Bernie cap which is great and it doesn't seem so scary and with the flame plate and i really noticed the difference between it and my other petrol stoves i reckon it might just be down to the smaller fuel tank heating up a lot quicker than i'm used to but it gets a fair old head of steam and sounds like a swarm of angry bee's and the flame is big compared to my others unless they have been simmering for an age then they sound similar it's just the speed it heats up and noise it makes and knowing there is no safety valve of any kind it's probably me being a wimp but it makes me twitchy
Having no valve would make me twitchy too, although, honestly, on my old stoves, who knows if the SRV would work properly. I think sight and sound are your best protection. You're only smart to follow your instincts. I wonder if a different tin would make a difference? Or perhaps adding the traditional style three pot supports and operating the stove outside of the tin? I saw hereon a post some time ago about someone who had made a band (copper?) that went around the tank and held on three pot supports. Anyway, just thinking outloud. A lot of work when you have plenty of other stoves in good working condition. HJ
Hi Bill, I have a NOS British safety pressure release valve which I believe will fit your Radius No.42. I tried it on a Optimus 80 and it fitted well. If you would like it, it's yours. Best Regards, Kerophile
Bill, Here's the post I was referring to earlier: https://classiccampstoves.com/posts/76471 From the aforementioned: HJ
i tried it in the tin it came with and an Army No7 tin it's the first time i have seen the top of an Army No7 tin glow cherry red it's not a problem i didn't buy it to be a user it was cheap and incomplete and i had ebay+ discount and the parts sitting here so thought sod it i'll have a bid, i fancied one for a while so grabbed it when i got a chance of a cheap one, as you do
