I'm new here, new to stoves in general and really new to foreign stoves. I just took possession of a 1914 (Date code D) Primus No. 100. It needs a few parts, plus I need advice on getting this stove to the point I can fire it up safely. I am totally unschooled on this type of stove so ALL advice will be appreciated. Parts Needed: First I need a pump assembly. It's missing entirely. Will a pump from another model/year work? Next I need a fill cap gasket, probably should replace the lead vaporiser washer too. Is there anything that should be replaced in the NRV assembly? Tips on removing this? Last piece I need to get it working is a flame spreader. Once running and cleaned up, I would like to locate a correct trivet, two original pot supports (two on this one are hand made)a silent burner, wind screen, reserve cap and a storage tin. Hey I can dream can't I? I'll post pics tomorrow of the stove. Thanks for all help. Mark aka Coolerman
Hello Mark. I do not have a Primus 100 but working with the smaller Primuses I would say that a pump from another model with the same tank capacity should work as long as the diameter of the pump tube is the same as the hole. I am assuming here that the previous owner remove the pump assembly. Now the NRV should be attached to the pump assembly and should come off with the proper NRV tool. As for the filler cap, the rubber should either be quality nitrile or buna-n rubber. I am not sure but some members may have spare flame spreader for that model otherwise you can check out Ebay or Ebay UK as it sometimes crops up as spares. I would suggest you do a search within the forum for NRV removal so you will get an idea on how to go about this. Best Ron
Thanks Ron, I'm reading all I can find, it might take a while... I looked at the fill cap last night. It's a pretty simple setup so I think I can make that gasket. I have a sheet of buna-n material I use to make gaskets for my old 1971 FJ40 Land Cruiser. I also started working on getting the leg that's frozen in place loose. I think a little http://www.globalsoftware-inc.com/coolerman/fj40/edsred.htm]Ed's Red[/url] dripped into the crack over a period of time will slowly loosen the rust and allow it to come free. I'm afraid to apply any heat or force to the soft soldered leg support... Here is a link to a web page I started about this stove fettle: My Primus 100 Back to reading...
Morning, Coolerman, Congratulations on scoring your great old Primus 100!! These are wonderful old stoves, and well worth owning, restoring, and using. However, be forewarned, that the 100 uses some parts that are VERY hard to find. I, too, and others, have early Primus, or Optimus 100 stoves, and we've played hob trying to find most of the parts we've all needed over the years!! My first one needed a flame spreader, and I ended up having an old time CCS member, "Handi" Albert (Albert White), from Down Under, cast me one from an original he had in his collection. You may have to do something similar. Or, you can cut yourself one out of thick brass, or steel, and pound it into shape. I have another 100 on which someone did that, and a fine job they did, too! Another option, and one that fell into my lap through the generosity of my friend, and fellow CCS member, NordicThug, is to replace the entire burner with another, and I think, even more rare version, that came to me complete from NT. But, if you are willing to be super patient, and to take your time (read that as possibly YEARS!), this stove CAN be rebuilt into it's former self, and your efforts will have been more than worthwhile!! One more thought: Many of the early 100's came with a burner basket that supported both the roarer flame spreader, and also another unit that, when substituted for the flame spreader, turned the stove into a silent version!!!! Those parts, too, are now very hard to find, but as did I, and others here at CCS, you CAN find them, IF you are patient, persistent, blessed, and lucky!!! Lots to which to look forward, I'm thinking!!! Again, you have a great old stove, and it will be well worth any and all efforts you put forth to restore it to it's former glory!!! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Hi Mark, as Doc Mark sais, you can make a (temporary) flame spreader yourself, or if you prefer a silent stove, contact BerniDawg to see if one of the silent caps he makes fits your model. A mini or midi cap should do the trick. They are not cheap, but there's an awfull amount of time invested in making them(just count the numbers of tiny lill holes he has to drill !) and they are extremely well made and effective. It is fairly easy to find a replacement pump plunger , all you've got to do is see what diameter you need (14 or 17 mm) and the length of the rod (to long won't really be a problem, to short might not get enough pressure in the fount). All in all it won't take you to long to get this beauty back to life ! Enjoy your fettling, all the best, Wim (oh, and welcome to our wild bunch )
Hey, Wim! You are absolutely right, my Friend!! I forgot that BernieDawg has made wonderful silent cap for the 100 before. But, I'm not certain if this is a standard offering, or not. If memory serves, it's different then the other caps and requires more on his part. Again, if I recall correctly, and unless he's changed his mind on this, a BD cap for the 100 might be a special order situation. I have been meaning to post photos of my own 100, setup with one of BD's outstanding caps, but at our last CASG4, I could not get the NRV to play fairly with me, and ended up boxing up the works until time permitted me to play more with it. As things stand, all of the stuff I took to that Gathering is safely locked in one of our trailers, and I've not touched it since the event! 8-[ I'll try to get that stuff removed and put away later today, as I do have some outside work to do today. In any case, it's most certainly with a note to Gary (BernieDawg) to ask about the situation with his outstanding silent caps for the 100. Thanks for reminding me about that, Brother Wim! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc (forgetful, sometimes.......)
Heya Mark Coolerman Welcome aboard! I saw that one go by and alllllmost bid on it. That's definitely one of my personal favs you've got there. Discus tank with a tank-mounted vent screw - nice! 8) Whilst I *could* make you a silent cap for this model as Wim has mentioned (Thanks Wim!), economically it makes sense to contact our CCS sponsor, Base-Camp, and purchase the P4010 silent cap built by Primus for this stove and *still available* for a mere £8.95 plus shipping. (Grab 'em fast boys. They won't last forever!) They work so well I've not yet made a version of this silent damper. (Well, there was this *one* that I sent out to someone.) (Thanks Doctor M!) Looking at the Base-Camp parts list I note there's a "pump-rod assembly for #1 & #5 stoves", part #2255 which may work for you, some listings for pump knob, pump pistons and pump caps. Seems that you could probably get all that you need for your pump right there from Mike "the stove" at Base-Camp. Plus, it might be a good idea to inquire to see if he has a "used" pump assembly for your stove. Who knows? He might even have one from an early 100 like yours. Same goes for the pot legs. Doesn't hurt to ask, I reckon, and let good old Mike get you what you need. There was a feller on the forums here, Chickenthief by handle, who's a cracking machinist and could maybe make you a reserve cap. Hopefully he's still with us and hasn't done a runner. Hope that helps a bit. I like the webpage. Keep us up to date on how things proceed. Oh! And, (Warning! Shameless self promotion ahead), there's a splendid NRV wrench up on eBay at the moment that's just what you might need for removing that NRV. (ssssshhhhh. a search for NRV wrench would probably find it.) Cheers, Gary
Morning, Dawg!! I'm very glad you jumped in to clarify the situation with the 100 caps. Hope I didn't muddy the waters by mentioning it! 8-[ Your work is SO outstanding, Gary, that it's hard to control my enthusiasm for what you do for us crazy Stovies!!! But your suggestion of getting an original Primus silent cap, from Base Camp, is a great one. I was gifted one of those fine caps from a great friend from Down Under (Thanks, Dan!), and it works perfectly! As an aside, I surely look forward to a trip up your way, one of these years, for either a Gathering, a canoe/kayak trip, or just some fun camping together!! Take care, my Friend and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
The lady of the house and I were discussing that very issue and possible venues just last evening, Doc! Eerie, your psychic nature. Expect an email on that subject later today or tomorrow. Cheers, Gary
Wow! Is this a welcome or what? In 6 posts you guys made me feel at home, answered all my immediate questions, and pointed me to exactly where to go for further help! I guess subscribing to the site last night was a good idea! I'm putting together an order for Base Camp today. I recently made a tool to remove Coleman check valves, so tonight I will attempt to make a NRV removal tool for this stove. (If I'm going to fettle these foreign stoves, I may as well learn to fettle tools as well. ) I have the NRV soaking in Ed's Red already so hopefully, after the tool is built, it will come right out for the first time in 97 years. Who is that laughing? Thanks guys, I'll keep the thread going and the web page...
OK I have the check valve (sorry NRV) out! I made a tool from a brass punch from Harbor Freight and it broke free the first attempt. The Ed's Red really works for this kind of stuff. Anyway I'm having trouble believing that this valve is 97 years old! You can see that the rubber insert in the cap has a bit of a "set" but it still seals well. Is this part available from anyone? If not I'll just sand it just a touch to remove the set.
One more thing: I soaked the burner/vaporiser assembly in vinegar for a few minutes to get the worst of the crud off and found a couple of interesting things. One, the casting is quite rough on the tulip. It's actually cracked in one place in pic two. Is that a normal casting appearance for this time period or is it an artifact of long period burning on brass? Are you guys polishing out this casting roughness? Seems like some are mirror smooth. Last thing is are there any tricks to separating the tulip from the vaporiser? Mines stuck but good!
Hey, Coolerman, By the way, I love your middle name!!! Perfect for this place!! 8) Good job on getting your NRV out. Sometimes they are a bit tight, and will not come out as easily as did yours. Please PT me your mailing address, and I'll send you a pip that should fit your brass keeper. Even if they LOOK ok, they should be replaced, as they are usually too hard to really do a trusty job over more time. As for your crack, and the rough casting. Sometimes the casting turns out rough, and sometimes not. Age to could something to do with it, too, as well as improper cleaning solvents and solutions. The crack doesn't look like it will be too much of a problem, but be sure to check your fuel tank VERY carefully for any evidence of the same cracking. If you have them, your stove is going to be a "looker" and not a "user". I got a very lovely Hipolito stove that looked perfect in the photos, but had tons of stress cracks in the font, or fuel tank, and cannot be safely used as a pressure appliance. I'm guessing your Primus will be just fine, though. Again, great job, and let me know if you want a proper pip for replacement of the one you see. Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Thanks Doc you have a new PT! I'm trying to remove a stuck leg currently and if the Ed's Red doesn't work, I'm going to try electrolysis. (Just on the steel pot support and leg NOT the whole stove in solution!) I have been using this method for years on my Land Cruiser to remove rust and stuck together parts. NEWS!!! I just got the owner of a flea market to agree to ship me the first Model 100 I found last month and posted about. It is missing just about everything, but it DOES have the pump assembly I need! I don't know what the date on that one is, but its got the air screw in the tank, not the cap so must be close in age to mine.
Update: I have all kinds of updates on my stove to share! I got the original leg unstuck without having to unsolder the leg holder! I had tried several things. I clamped the leg in a vice, put an adjustable wrench over the leg right up against the leg holder then hit the wrench with a hammer. All this did was mar the leg holder after many blows. I then heated the holder with a heat gun over and over trying to break the rust bond. No joy. I soaked it in Ed's Red during all this to see it that would work. Nope. Finally I rigged up a method to lower it in to my de-rust tank so that ONLY the leg holder and leg were in the tank and let it stay there overnight. The next morning all the rust was gone and the leg was loose! A quick tap with the wrench set up and it came out. I know this leg is original just from looking at it. The end is tapered to prevent it from spinning while in the holder and it matches the 15 degree angle of the originals as measured from the leg angle chart posted here. Just need two more of these...
Next update is minor I made a fill cap gasket to replace the hardened and cracked one. This was one of those 5 minute jobs as I already had the buna rubber material. I just laid the cap on top of the rubber, traced around it with a marker, cut it out with scissors inside the line then pushed it into the cap.
Next I made up a lead washer for the burner vaporizer. I used some lead cut from a plumber vent stack cover I had. It's not as thick as the original washer but it works just fine. I cut a piece a bit larger than the opening in the stove, laid it over the hole and tapped it with a plastic hammer to mark it. Then I cut it out on the inside line and dropped it into the top of the stove. I then threaded the vaporizer back into the stove just enough to mark the lead circle then removed it again. Last I used a 5/16 hole punch to punch a hole into the center of the lead circle using the mark I made to center it. It works perfectly! It won't last as long as the original but I can make one in 5 minutes and I made a spare to carry with the stove.
Last bit of news: I got the tulip separated from the vaporizer tube. After several attempts to beat it off using the adjustable wrench method described above to remove the leg, I finally got smart and broke out the propane torch. It was just a matter of getting it to glow red then one good blow with the hammer, and it popped right off. A quick dip in vinegar to clean off the crud under it and it was good to go.
Hey Coolerman, You're doing a great job on this stove, and a fine description of it here. I can't wait to see your first flame shot. Yonadav
Thanks Yonadav, I can't either! My "spare" stove should be here tomorrow with the pump assembly I need. Then it's just a matter of a few minor parts to get to first flame! http://www.globalsoftware-inc.com/coolerman/coleman/campstove/primus100.htm Link to the complete web page for this stove...
