Hi Rodger, great old Radius to add to your 'discus' collection. I've a Primus 96 with a similar air screw bodge- it works well as there's also a tiny piece of packing popped in first as a seal. I haven't the heart to fit a 'proper' replacement air screw! I'll add it to the thread when I get a chance, I've been meaning to for months.
@A A C Thanks! I’ve got some pot support legs off another Radius Ltd (sadly with multiple stress cracking) to fit it out - when I’ve re-soldered the leg mount. @Blackdog Looking forward to seeing your Primus No. 96 Chris!
I picked this up yesterday in Brisbane, QLD: You may notice the rather "jaunty" angle of the riser and hence burner. There is also evidence of copious previous soldering: "K.F.E. ESKILSTUNA SWEDEN M.F.A.B." - I think! "THE BEST STOVE IN THE WORLD": I am unsure of which model it would be under the patina! The images that alerted me: (Another) Primus 4155 regulated burner... Previous discussion here: Primus Part No.4160 for No.4155 Burner Pricker functioning properly: This afternoon I "cold-set" the riser and fettled the stove. The pump rod was "cactus", but I'd accumulated a suitable replacement. It was then time to fire it up: There is a height discrepancy between the outer cap of the burner and the pot legs, which necessitated use of a cast iron pan ring to raise the kettle sufficiently: It performed well: Minimal rotation of the spindle produced a gentle simmer: No "sooting": Thanks!
Great post @Rodger Willows, I'll never tire of the display of coloured flames as an old burner comes back to life! This KFE must have led a hard working life with the usual repairs to all the weak points. 'The best stove in the world' is open to debate, but for somebody this was quite possibly the only stove in the world, and had to keep working no matter what.
I am preparing this stove for the reference gallery, but I thought that at this stage it could be posted in this thread. This is an early Radius No. 6, which is not yet in our gallery. There is still some work to be done on it before I get it in order. I have seen all kinds of wonders inside tanks, but this is the first time I have encountered a wasp/bee nest. After replacing the necessary parts and decoding the burner, it lit up quite nicely.
@Knee Great work! Those “UFO” burners are impressive - I haven’t yet encountered one in person… I look forward to seeing the fully-fettled result in the Reference Gallery.
Thanks Rodger. Actually, I still need to solder the legs, which involves cleaning and removing the patina. The engravings seem to be quite deep, so there is a chance that cleaning will not adversely affect their quality.
I recently picked up this little stove for next to nothing. I still don’t know where it came from. I don’t know if the layer of soot is hiding something, but the burner has no markings. Maybe it’s just another no-name stove? Some parts of the pump suggest it’s fairly new. I replaced the pump diaphragm and the O-rings so I could check for leaks. The filler cap gasket needed replacing. Other than that, everything’s tight. I fired it up. The color of the flames doesn’t look clean. I’ll work on it some more when I have a free moment.
Hi @Rodger Willows . That’s the size, and that’s how I saw it at first, too. But that’s not it. Maybe I’ll figure something out someday...
Hi All In this episode of Rusty but Running.... I present an S stamped 1928 Primus 704. Unfortunately found without its stand and smelting pot. An interesting but well made pressure release valve installed. I had a flame tube cut at our local brass works, It is longer than original at 80mm but wanted it that way to allow adjustment if needed. It took alot of preheating to get up to speed. Needs work still. It will receive @Rodger Willows boil up method to clean up and retain patina. Happy with the performance. Kind Regards Scott B
Great sequence of photos @Scott B, big beastie! A lot of these old furnaces really took a hammering in use, true to form this one has had some repairs. Now was the 'proper' air release screw lost in use, or is that a deliberate extension to avoid 'Primus' being painfully imprinted on finger and thumb when a long session of work was finished?
Prompted by need to check some details to compare with @Håvard Kvernelv's excellent new 1897 Primus No.6 gallery post, here is my long neglected spare same date Primus No.6 fired, for first time in decades. Remarkably the only new parts required to achieve this firing were a new burner washer and a filler cap seal! Not bad for a rather battered and care worn 99 year old. The resultant afternoon coffee and biscuits went down well (@Rangie)
