This is a Prentiss-Wabers from 1945. I bought it with a broken eccentric block. It took a brass rod, drill press and lots of filing in 8 hours to make a new one. But it runs like a champ now.
That's fantastic Chancho! Your stove looks very nice and clean and looks to be running with a nice and blue flame. Sweet. sam
Beautiful example! I love these stoves. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Put flame control and a Coleman check valve on it and it's the best single burner of the 20th century. High on the list as is. Does anyone here have the original "wheel" valve model? More accurately does anyone have 2 and need to get rid of one? HA!! Mike
I see them occasionally pop up on ebay but they are never in that great of shape for the early ones (aka wheel model) they are usually made in 42 or 43.
I do but i'm keeping them both. They, along with my 111's are my go to stoves in my UTE, for when i have to bug out because of a biblical size flood or other natural disaster in these parts. BTW: For those who may be concerned, long before the ocean levels get to this elevation (1,000' above current sea level) i plan to buy severl truck loads of gofer wood and build myself a very large boat. Then i'm going to set out looking for animals two by two. lance
Lance, that's a novel idea, but just in case this is the reason for hanging on to 2 of them, sadly, those 2 1942s will NOT reproduce. Ark or no Ark. HA!! Have a super weekend, Mike
Lance, I forgot to ask. Can you give a pro/con on the wheel vs knob and any other differences you see between the 1942 and 1942 MOD? Thanks, Mike
IIRC, (I don't have the wheel model now) the biggest difference is that the cleaning needle on the wheel model required that the valve be opened fully to engage the needle, whereas in the later model w/ the lever operation, the needle could be engaged w/ the valve part- or even completely shut. This later setup meant that if the needle suddenly cleared a blockage there was less chance of pressurised fuel (and possibly hot) lashing out all over the place. I don't think the valve control of the flame was any better with the wheel than it was with the later valve but the later lever/needle assy offered the user a degree of control. I don't think this was planned at the design stage but was something that was discovered to work through use and which any resulting needle damage could easily be rectified with the spares carried here and there on the stove. Here's the earlier & later model M-1942s in fine form;
still one of my absolute favorite stoves they tend to bread more though - they are my own personal "svea 123 - like" addiction
