GREEN PAINTED PATENTED CASE OPTIMUS 8

Hi, Here are some photos of an Early (1940/50s?) Optimus 8 stove I have recently assembled. The steel case came from France, via my friend Tim. It was essentially fully stripped when I received it but there were traces of green paint, the colour of which I have tried to replicate.
The internals were a gift from my friend Bill, and are actually the regulated Optimus 8R-type burner:



The paint is heat-resistant type (to around 200 deg. C), which I am trying out. The colour is British Racing Green.

Best Regards,
Kerophile.

 

Hi George,

Fabulous Job ........... nice shade of green and a fantastic rebuild.

Cheers Tim

 

Really nice! How many of those might have been made?

 

great work..in the 40's-50's how would a stove like that been seen?..a common camp stove,a high end climbing stove,better or not as good as the other bigger brass stoves?..when it came out would it have been the Whisperlight of it's day?..

 

Hi Randy, a few thousand perhaps, but WW2 got in the way so certainly not as many as the later Op.8/8R variants. I think that very few of this "Patent" model made it to the UK at that time.

Check out the Op.8 entry in this 1937 Optimus Catalogue:

https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/125

An 8F model with the same shape of case appears in this 1957/8 Catalogue, but I can't see if the Patent No. was embossed on the front of the green case:

https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/9292

Perhaps Ross or Bryan will come along later and sort me out.

Best Regards,
Kerophile.

 

hi George
looking very nice
your pics have inspired me to get mine off the shelf and have a tinker i had forgotten how good the 8's are she had the kettle boiling in minutes easily on a par with the 123's
i much prefer the old case shape to the newer 8r's they look a lot classier
let me know how the paint fairs with use maybe i'll stop respraying all mine black

 

Beautiful stove!!!

I want one!

Thanks for sharing
Jeff

 

Very nice restore Kerophile, the paint looks a good match. I really like the embossed case on the older ones.

 

Hi, the poor contrast of the first photo, of the case, has been bugging me so I went away and tried again:



I think this shot is better.

Best Regards,
Kerophile.

 

You perfectionist George.

hello George, That engine block paint seems to be a good idea. A few more colour options that bbq black and brake caliper red.

 

I looked at Bryans one in the SRG and yours and his look very close to the same colour.

 

Hi Dave, check out this 1940 price list from the UK:

https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/338

According to this the Op.8 was priced fairly competitively, at the same as a boxed No.96 stove,
at GBP 0.50,

This would suggest that it would be accesible to serious hikers and climbers, although it would be a significant proportion of the average adult weekly wage at the time (if you were luck to have a job, and not serving in the Armed Forces)

Best Regards,
Kerophile.

 

Thank you George,
I looked at the 8 AND the number 6! Hadn't seen a 6 before! ( or the 8 like yours until today )
ATB,
Randy

 

Hi Randy, the Optimus No.6 was an Optimus version of the Svea Campus No.3, the British Monitor Minor or Perhaps a Primus No.70:

https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/12544

Best Regards,
Kerophile

 

Hi Kerophile

I used the British Racing Green on a Campingo No 1, last year. Its not a bad colour match.

I also acquired a No 8, a little while ago, and I was looking around at different shades of paint, and I painted my No 8, using Halfords Peugeot Conifer ( Green ) Aerosol, not a bad match but I was not happy with the finish of it, as the paint pickled inside, and there was some silicone on it, then I found Plasti-kote, Hunter Green 153S, which is also a good shade, and also Hammerite Smooth Dark Green.
I have done test areas, with both the Plasti-cote and the Hammerite on the case, and I think my preference is the Hammerite.
OK it is not heat resistant, but I wont be firing the burner up in the case.

Kind regards
Ian

 

Hi Ian, this is the sellers shop I used:


http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Fascinating-Finishes-Ltd__W0QQ_armrsZ1

and this is the specific hest-resistant paint:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/250ml-Engine-...Material_Paint_Varnish_MJ?hash=item563785f339

I used brush application, after treating the steel with phosphoric acid, and the paint "handles" well. I am waiting for it to fully harden before I test the heat-resistant properties.

Best Regards,
Kerophile.

 

George, in the last 3 years I saw ONE of those pop up on Ebay. I threw a bunch of money at it and lost it soundly. You're a lucky man my friend. A lucky man indeed!

 

Hi Ian, I believe it is better to have good friends than money, when it comes to stoves.

Best Regards,
George.

 

Hi guys

i actually have a very early 8 in pretty good condition, i will do a post shortly as mine is the original paint a very dark green. I was reading the history from Bryan and mine has the flat lid tank so early 1930's. This one of my top stoves and i baby this like a child

 

Hi BTM.

1931 to 1947 is the age gap we have it down to. They are need stoves!

Take some pics please.

Cheers,
Jeff