Calling Homestrand owners.....help!!!! I just RX'd a Homestrand 205-32A stove and it was in need of some attention. For those who may have not laid eyes on one before it is a two silent burner alcohol stove. Designed for marine use. Fixed the NRV, new seal on the tank lid, and am fitting a new leather to the pump. It was using a strange plastic/hard rubber that was cracked. I think a coleman sized leather will fit (an Albert special...). So far so good. I used my Svea midi pump and cap to pressurize the tank, open one of the valves and fill the spiritcup. A good prime and it starts up. A few seconds later the flame starts to slowly from one side of the burner cap to blow itself out. I can't get it lit again until it cools. I've never seen this before. Both burners do this. Any ideas? Also I've taken one of the burners off of the stove. How the heck do you get the outer cap off of the burner? It must come off as there would be no way to change the jet or cleaning needle otherwise. Once again if anyone out there has one, please share. I can take some pictures if would help. -franco
Hey, Franco, Congratulations on getting a fantastic stove! I have two working Homestrand stoves, like yours, and one other that I use for parts. In my experience with these stoves, it's best not to pump them up very much at all, when priming and lighting them. I pump maybe four times, and then prime, with a good bit of Meths. Once the priming flame has burned out completely, I then apply the match to each burner, and open the adjustment wheel to light them. I let each burner get nice and hot before adding more pressure with the pump. Then, they tend to burn nice, hot, and blue, with none of that blowing themselves out. Give it a try and see if that helps you. Do you need instructions for your Homestrand stoves? I have a complete instruction card, and also a metal plate, with instructions. If you would like a copy of each, I can take photos and email them to you. The card lists all the parts, with their numbers, which is nice to have. Just let me know. I can't do it today, as work is hot and heavy right now. But, I will get it done in a few days and then send the photos along to you, if you'd like them. Once you get used to your Homestrand stove, you will love it!! All three of mine have burners, pump, and tank by SVEA, and I'll bet yours does, too. Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc Mark P.S. I forgot about your outer cap problems. All of the outer and inner caps on my two working Homestrand stoves just lift off. But, the caps on my "parts" stove were wired on. You might check to see if yours are, too. Also, some of the outer burner caps, on some silent stoves, have a notch milled into the bottom lip of the cap, which matches a node on the burner rim. Unless you align the notch with the node, the cap will not come off. I hope that helps.
Hi Doc, When you get the time, I could use a set of instructions for a homestrand. I've not been able to get mine to light properly. I think I add too much pressure too soon as mine tends to flare up too fast. Too bloody hard to be patient.
Hey, Alan, Do you want me to take photos and email them to you, or would you prefer a xerox copy of all the stuff I have on hand? It's easy to do the xerox, and that might be easier to read, if that's what you'd prefer. Just send me a PM with your mailing address, and I'll copy the instructions and send them off to you. I can take the photos later today, and try that way, too, whichever you like. Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc Mark
Yes Doc I would love any info you could send my way. None of the parts on my stove are marked with SVEA. The burner is not your usual silent burner. There are no u-tubes. I'll post a photo. The outer cap on mine doesn't even spin! I suspect it is corroded in place. Thanx. -franco
Hi, Alan and Franco, Would you both please PM me with your email addresses? I took photos of the instructions you both wanted, and can send them to you directly that way. Thanks, very much, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc Mark
Hi Doc, I sent a pm. I believe my burners are Svea as you describe. I've been able to get a nice low flame, but then I think I pump too much and too fast. In the end the stove looks like one of David's photos with a big fireball.
Morning, Alan and Franco, I've sent off the photos of the instructions I have on hand, this morning. If you need something more, or if the photos are not clear enough, please let me know, and I'll send xerox copies of the same. Hope this help you. Alan, I've never had fireball problems with my Homestrand stoves. One question: When you visited the UK last year, for the Stove Gathering, did you, by any slim chance, actually TOUCH David??????!!!!! Maybe his "stove curse" rubbed off on you!! #-o Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc Mark
I got the mail Doc thanx again. Here's a couple of pictures of one of the burners. |imgRemoved| |imgRemoved| No u-tubes just one big body. Different. -franco
Hey, Franco, Thanks for the photo of your burners. Yours are different from those that Alan and I have in our stoves, and I think yours is actually an Optimus #209, or another burner that's like it. That burner is meant strictly for Meths, and cannot be used with kerosene. The burners that Alan and I have are actually SVEA #1915 burners and they can also be used with kerosene, if the jet and cleaning needle are changed out. I, too, have one of those #209 burners, and it's supposed to be a really great one. It was used in a Meths version of the Optimus #45 stove, too, and I've always planned to clean up the #209 burner I have, and install it on one of my #45 stoves. My burner does not have the inner, nor the outer caps, that it needs. But, from the 1972 Optimus parts catalog, which you can find on this site, the inner and outer caps of both types of burners are identical. Check out the Optimus #535 stove in that catalog, and in the parts section, you'll see your burner. One day, I'll play with mine and see if I can bring it back to life. From looking at my own #209 burner, I see a way that the outer cap should be "captive". So, yours must be similar. If you look, carefully, at the bottom edges of the outer burner cap, you should see two opposing "flats" that are machined into it, on either side of the rim. Now, check the lip down where the outer cap sits on the burner, and see if you find two opposing "nips" milled into it. If you do, then your's is the same as mine. Twist the outer cap until the "flats" on the outer cap rim, are aligned with the "nibs" milled into the burner rim, and VIOLA, you should be able to lift off the outer cap and get to the inner cap. I note that the inner cap has no real way of keeping it in place, so maybe your problems have been caused by the inner cap being off it's normal place, which would cause massive flaring and a high, yellow flame. That burner is supposed to prime very easily, and burn Meths MUCH more efficiently, that many other Meths burners. I hope this helps. Good luck, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc Mark
Well I found some time last night and played with the stove. After some thought and experimentation I discovered that the outer cap snaps into place. There are three indents on the burner body (one can be seen in my previous pictures). Getting the cap out was a chore as the snap fit is very tight, and there was some corrosion. I took it all apart cleaned it up and put it back together. I still have the same problem. Within seconds of getting to temp, the flames blows itself out. And I am only able to relight it after it cools down abit. Thinking about this I think the burner is suffering from fuel starvation. When cold, the liquid alcohol comes in freely. However when it gets hot enough to become a gas it is taking the path of least resistance out of the burner. Back into the tank! I'm suspecting that the filter is too free flowing and that perhaps like a Turm it needs the filter to retain some pressure to work properly. Well am I out to lunch in my theory? -franco
Hey franco i'd say your not out to lunch on your theary but perhaps on the location of the leak. If i had to guess id say there is a seal problem twix the burner head and the fuel tube. It gets hot enough to burn and that heat causes a gap somewhere in the fuel line. zip not enough or in a poor location to cause a flareup in that location but enough to cause an escape of fuel gasses. soap and water will find out quickly enough. lance
Thanx Lance, I'll give the soap and water a try. I'm hoping you're right. A question for anyone with a 209 burner, does the filter fit tightly into the burner stem? I found mine was just loose enough to slide back and forth with nothing more than shaking the burner. -franco
Morning, Franco, The filter in my 209 burner is so tightly fitted that I doubt I could get it out, without tons of effort. I have never tried to use my 209 burner, as it is in need of some help. Someone bent the spindle a little, and the nipple is nackered up something horrible. Also the stuffing box nut is missing. I have also found that normal Optimus parts do not seem to fit this burner as well as they should. It almost seems that the threads are different!! Anyway, I hope you have success with yours, as it's supposed to be an outstanding burner! One day, I'll make the time to muck about with mine, and see for myself! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc Mark
