Thanks for the tips. I suspect the previous owners of the stove let it burn dry while laying on its side possibly the very last time they used it. I would guess that they didn’t prime it right. It then turned into a fireball. So, they kicked it into some sand to let it extinguish itself. Judging by the soot layer and sand encrustation on it when I got it. Just a guess. So what does happen when it burns dry? Anyway, I made a regulating key for it using a machine screw and a masterfully crafted piece of wood for a handle. I'll provide step by step directions for construction for anyone who may actually need them. (ha ha) The screw key works very well. No mods needed to the screw. With the wood handle, I never have to worry about Svea thumb, not that I leave the key in. My stove didn’t come with a key of course. I included the bag that the screw came in so’s y’all can see exactly what I used. The wood handle is a bit long and I should cut it down by a couple more centimeters.
The heat damages the internal wick, so it doesn't work as well. Nice 123. It was my first real stove also, and it's a hard one to beat. ....Arch
Does a wick damaged as such present any obvious qualities one could use to identify the wick as so damaged?
Hi H-F The wick is made out of cotton string, so will be white-ish when new or in good condition. A damaged wick will be toasted (more or less literally), so will be charred looking, brown or black. I suspect that it's most likely the end of teh wick that is inside the burner head that would show the damage, and this could only be seen by unscrewing the burner head and pulling the wick. Cheers
If the stove works ok, then it's not worth checking. If the wick is damaged, there were a lot of posts on the old forum of people replacing them with strands from a cotton mop. ....Arch
Should the wick char, the stove will probably not work very well, if at all. All of the stoves using this basic burner are subject to this. Those being: 123's, 8R, Primus 70, Optimus 80, Optimus 99 and most likely some others I've overlooked. If your stove is working to specifications, don't go fixin' it. Gerry
