Time's brought about tarnished brass, rusty steel and cast iron, some cobwebs, but every bit's original and they've not parted company with each other for nearly eighty years The simmer plate reduces the output of the burner and distributes it over the area of the plate and with the burner set to a simmer ... coffee pot could sit on there without boiling over ... a meat sauce could be reduced without burning ... From the Stove Reference Library Primus Heat Regulation Plate - 1930's Primus catalogue John
thought you put some eclipse shots there till i caught on! looks like a real barn find. prim-us or any pressure stove cast iron is rare to see! Thanks
The tarnish on the brass tank is a dull matt and not the sort of oxidation that will respond to a wipe-over with a waxed cloth. The burner needs a de-coke, producing yellow flames even though the jet orifice isn't oversized. The pot legs have thinned to spikes at the pan-ring end and I've a replacement set.[/i] So, having got some record photos of it here on CCS, I'm inclined to work on it, Wim. John
You usually have a nice way with words John, but I notice you get a touch lyrical when describing foodstuff.... and the piccies are delectable too: some of them very tasty! That plate, by the way, is a rare gem and makes for nice simmering of soups, stews, apple pie.... Mike
You've noticed, Mike! The final inducement to clean up the stove was the realisation that the matt finish to the tarnish was soaking up the heat more than a shiny brass top surface to the tank would do. So, I set to work with buffing wheel and metal polish and a small aerosol of black gloss paint for the windshield and pan ring, but more of that paint in a moment Lingering on the patio I got a shot by Tilley lamp of the simmer plate doing a fine job of keeping my coffee warm for that final cuppa Getting a flame shot was difficult. The heat and light levels were at a low ebb, so the simmer plate was doing its job I guess. Maybe you can just make out that 'spike' of blue flame projecting through the central hole of the plate? More about that paint. I'm not a fan of barbecue paint, which I've only ever seen in matt or 'satin' at best and I'm happier with something that reproduces the original gloss. Trouble is, I've not found a heatproof black gloss, so resolved to paint the parts for this stove just for the effect for photos, then since the stove isn't destined to be a 'shelf queen' was resigned to having the paint bubble and burn off on a first firing. That said, the Plasti-kote I picked up at a retail DIY warehouse worked really well and though it dulled to matt in the hottest areas of the pan ring, didn't blister and remained intact on the outer circumference. The paint on the windshield remained wholly intact. Impresssive Couldn't resist a before and after comparison shot, but if it hadn't been for the overheating of the tank with the matt tarnished finish, I might have been inclined to keep it as found ... John
Nice comparisons, with the before and after shots. On the leg closest to the pump, usually at the top of the swan neck, you should find a number, haven't got a clue what it is about, so far I have come across the numbers from zero to four. Until recently I had only found them on the 1930's 3 leggers, but then, I found a number on a 1920's three legged Primus last week.
Fantastic find John. I imagine there were relatively few around & all easily discarded once separated from the stove.
