Hey everyone my name is Todd and I'm brand new to the boards here. I joined because I recently found this stove in house that I've been working on. It really looks cool and I wanted to know more about it. I've not found much online. Is there anyone that can tell me more about this stove?
Welcome, Todd! I'm no expert but I have never seen anything like that before. Any more details/action shots? John
Hi Todd, welcome to the site! With what I've learned on this site, I think your stove kinda pre-dates the (more common) pressure-type stoves as it relies on gravity to feed the burners. I am sure it won't take long before one of our American members will come along with heaps of info on your (seemingly very well preserved) stove. Best regards, Wim
Thanks for looking guys, I can add some more photos, but to be honest with you, I'm a little scared to fire this thing up. What I know so far was that it was built around 1896, it has a label on fuel container that states to only use 74% deoderized gasoline. It appears to have a main fuel valve underneath the fuel canister it is then pressurized by gravity and travels down the line to where each burner has a seperate valve. It looks to me that you actually adjust the pressure for each burner directly underneath the burner where there is another valve of some sort. That is as much information as I've been able to gather. Here are some close up images of the valve assembly.
I wonder what was called gasoline in 1896? My money is on kerosene to run it or maybe alcohol. 1896 predates cars in common use so probably pre-dates easy access to petrol. Lamp oil was well used though This is a guess bassed on nothing useful so hopefully someone else knows more.
I agree with you, here is what is a photo of what is on the fuel canister. Perhaps that mix would essentially make it kerosene? Another great feature on this stove is that the decorative labeling on the canister is actually painted on, not a paper label.
Thats not 74% its 74o. Im guessing 74 octane which overrides everything I said. A close up of the burner could be a clue. I think we all want flame shots but they would have to be a nice blue ring of fire on each burner not a big circle of fire on the floor around it.
Thanks Geeves, yes it would be nice to see it work. By trade I'm a firefighter so I can say that fire wouldn't spread. Anyhow, here are some close up images of the burner.
My bet is on kero for a fuel. Several things point this way but the real kicker is the burner design. Since you are a firefighter and will be sure to take proper percautions you can try kero first. You will know soon enough if that is the proper fuel. Seeing the preheat cup under the burner is the first clue it's a kero stove. Might well be one of the first of this style to be seen in your part of the world. lance
Im not convinced its kero by those burners. True its a big preheater but at the same time there is not a lot transferring heat back from the burner to the vaporiser. I suspect it will quickly turn yellow using kero.
I only suggested he use kero first in that if it is not kero then he is less likely to set himself or anything else on fire. It'd be a sad day if he tried using Coleman fuel or auto gas first and had an explosion. He can always dilute the kero left in the fount, with Coleman fuel, once it's been drained but it's a sight bit easier to do it this way then to try and repair his face, neck, body with plastic surgery, following sever burns. I know of a lad here on the forum who thought all camp stoves burned Coleman fuel. Idiot put Coleman fuel in a brass classic and (luck was with him) nearly set his house on fire. He was saved from further acts of similar stupidity by this site and the knowledge gained from it. lance
It is a gasoline burner and Coleman fuel is perfect for it. It uses a preaheat cup like many early two burner suitcase camp stoves because it predates the fuel-air mixing instant light feature which only arrived around the 1920's. It wont get hot enough to vaporize kero, you will just end up with a fireball. One of these guys might have seen one of these stoves before: http://colemancollectorsforum.websitetoolbox.com/ I'd say it is rare, in an excellent state of preservation and well worth restoring.
I've got lean towards Coleman fuel as well. I'd make sure to bring that thing into work and put on full combat gear and have the fire engine backing me up. To be honest though I'm more worried about burning up some of the cool features of the stove, like the canister. It's times like these when I wish the blogging world was local instead of global. I really would hate to burn up any history.
It's really cool to think I may have such a rare item. The only information i've been able to find online is an ad that is for sale on EBay from 1896.
Hey guys, I had posted that stove on an antique website looking for more information there as well. A gentlemen offered $200 for the stove and said he would arrange for someone to pick the stove up. Do you guys think this would be a good idea? I really know nothing about it and I'm have such difficult time find any other information. What do you guys think?
Do keep it and use it as it was intended. It will be a keepsake long into your future. You can always sell it down the road if you find it to be annoying later in your life. If that gentleman thinks it worth 200.00 sight unseen then it's a sure bet it's worth more. lance
Light it once for the flame shot yes. Use regularly probably not. The tank looks to be steel so its likely to leak at some stage if fuel is stored in it. I can imagine the results with this style of stove when low fuel level causes low flame half way through cooking. It would be just too tempting to refill on the fly. Pouring gasoline near a flame is never wise and rarely done twice
