Whoo-hoo! In the 2 years since I got interested in pressure stoves, I'm finally going to get my mitts on the model I've wanted for some time, at a price I can live with. A chap on E(vil)-Bay has sold a silent burner 111 for a good price, probably because he didn't put 111 (much less 111t) in the first line of the ad. I've wanted one of these (or a 199 (yeah, in my dreams!)) since I first learned there were stoves that could burn almost anything (only the 111c beats this multi-fuel capability, adding Diesel to the mix). [Does a little happy dance with excitement and expectation] I'm expecting it by courier in the next 48 hours. It looks it's a bit of a fixer-upper. Silly question. It looks from the exploded diagrams available from Basecamp and the archive section of the Optimus website that the fuel tank on the 111 series is held in place by two screws. Do these screws go into "blind" holes, with sealed bottoms, or must the screws be in place for the tank to seal, because the holes are 'patent' (or "open", if you'd prefer me not to drop anatomical jargon into an engineering coversation!)?
The screws go into threaded bosses which are (in my small range of experience) soft soldered into the tank.
Welcome to the 111 family. They will be in your daytime dreams. They are really neat stoves, even I enjoy stripping old paint and repainting them. Duane
congratulations and welcome! enjoy your 111 (which, if with a silent burner, is a 111T - very nice!) i was fortunate enough to get in on a liquidation of some military surplus 111s and got a 111T (triple fuel), along with the best of the series (IMHO), the 111 (kerosene)... these are the best stoves for my hurricane preparedness... fierce burner, the 111! here's one of my 111s with a stainless mesh to support Turkish coffee or pan simmering: willie on the hurricane-ready Gulf of Mexico
The tank and heat shield is held in place by the two scews which do not open up the tank to let out pressure. You can certainly burn diesel in the 111 and 111T but its a messy fuel and not ideal, come to that you can burn diesel in most paraffin stoves but be prepared to do a lot of jet cleaning. I love the 111 range, the bog standard paraffin 111 being my favourite as they are just so bloody reliable. Have fun with your new stove but you will want more than one now
Welcome to the 111 group. I heard that the 111s breed. After getting one, a few weeks later I had 2 more. 111B, 111T, and 111. I got kits from Fettle Box, and parts from Base Camp sitting in the shop ready to replace. The 111T will burn alcohol. I can't wait to see that. Good luck, Ken in NC
G,,day if 111,s are breeding. i havent had any luck finding the offspring locally. good luck with your new "baby" cheers kerry
You have to start out with a breeding pair, then provide darkness and seclusion. Be patient, they are shy ...
Good one. I have never seen one for sale locally, so finding a compatible breeding pair will be difficult. if I find one, will artificial insemination work ??? or will I need to send it to someone like you for natural mating? what is the normal gestation time ? has anybody been lucky enough to have twins or even triplets ? I might just have to settle for adoption! cheers kerry
Twins... Opti 22's Triplets, I dunno,do they make a 33? I started out with only one, now I have...five,I think. It's dark and quiet in the garage, you know...
Hi Smiffy congratulations on a brilliant score, the 111's are a brilliant stove and highly prized. Nowadays they are really fetching money on the bay, which are now out of my price range. I am fortunate to own three 111's and still get confused with all the models lol,111,111t etc. The screws that hold the tank to the case and heat shield, screw into threaded plugs that are soldered to the tank, and as you say they are blind so if they become loose there wont be a pressure leak or fuel leak. I am with Rik here on not using Diesel, it will burn but will take a lot more preheating, and you will be cleaning out the jet and decokeing the burner a lot more, my fuel of choice and in my opinion the best fuel for amulti fuel 111 is paraffin, It gives good heat out put clean and more safer to use and is cheap to use, even if you have to buy paraffin in the expensive pre packed 4 litre containers it will last ages in a 111 and still work out cheaper than a butane stove
Congratulations on your good news, are we to say that Evil Bay was the daddy? 8-[ I just wish they would breed in my neck of the woods. May I say I await Optimus 99 also a fixer, same daddy cheers Sooty B Fingers
The 111c, though nice, was a step backwards from the 111t IMHO. I would personally love to have a copy of the kero only model. Its not really in my immediate future though. I'll have to make due with my small stable of "t" models and my kap.
Optimus 111 roarers are very common in the U.K., they appear on Ebay every week without fail. The careful buyer can get a good one if one is prepared to wait and at a reasonable price.The Optimus 111 roarer is a magnificent performer as anyone who has one can testify. Smithy, don't let your enthusiasm run away with itself.May I suggest that before you attempt to light the stove do the following: 1. Take out the pump rod and squirt WD40 or equivalent down the pup tube and leave alone for a day or three. 2. And this should be No 1 if you don't have one...get a NRV tool from Loco7Stove as they are the best NRV removal tools on the planet. 3. Once you have the Stu NRV removal tool take out the NRV and replace pip and spring. 4. Replace pump leather. 5. Replace reserve lid washer. 6. Fill with paraffin and check for leaks. If all O.K. put some meths in the spirit cup and on your way. Do not run on Diesel...why anyone would want to run a stove on diesel is beyond me. Don't run it on alcohol...it has only half the calorific value of paraffin. Don't run it on white gas....yes I know all 111's can run on white gas...but the NRV is its Achilles heel...and paraffin is such a fantastic and SAFE fuel to use. Any stove I get I never ever try and run the thing before I replace the NRV etc.O.K., I'm a patient person but why hurry? Although I had been using paraffin stoves for decades I knew diddly squat about them until I joined CCS back in 2008. Through the kindness of members I have learnt a lot and continue to do so. Before I learnt about NRV's I had several stoves I acquired pour fuel into the pump tube....fortunately I was using paraffin and not white gas as I'd have been badly burnt. That is why the first thing I do is replace the NRV on any stove I aquire even if I have seen photos of that stove in operation.That way I know the stove will function properly.
