So I was working on my new-to-me Svea 123 and lo and behold, when I pulled the wick I found the end of it wrapped in fine wire mesh! I didn’t expect that - my 8R didn’t have any wire mesh in there. I gather this is normal for earlier stoves. Does it serve any purpose besides making wick replacement just that much more difficult? Anyway, the old wick looked pretty durn good but having pulled it, I replaced it anyway with some lamp wicking I’d unravelled, and I re-used the wire mesh. I’m in need of a graphite seal for the valve stem. I think I'll dig around in the local hardware store and see if they have anything appropriate. I thought it was burning poorly because of an old nasty and charred wick but it turns out it was only loss of pressure. Oh, and can anyone give me a clue as to when this stove may have been manufactured?
Here is a discussion that will start an few hours of reading. Or more. Don't hold too tightly to information along the way, it will be corrected later. Early '70's Optimus SVEA 123 Ken in NC
