The stove carries a reference to a 'provisional patent' dated 1956 so it's around that year of manufacturer, though I gather these stayed in production into the 60's A contemporary Turm Sport is smaller, but to get from here ... ... to here The Turm has to undergo all sorts of contortions to get everything stowed, by which time the Bukta will have long since folded shut The carton carries a wealth of endorsement of the stove's excellence and versatility. "The World's Simplest Stove" No bits and pieces - just open, light, cook" "Neat, compact, easily carried - canoe camping - hiking - mountain camping" "Slip into your rucksack or any odd corner of your car - camping - touring - picnics" "The stove with a hundred and one uses - emergency cooking - nursery use - sick room" Yes, I'm sure I've plenty of 'odd corners' of my car I can stow it away in ... Once dismantled, there are in fact plenty of 'bits and pieces' I didn't need to dismantle it completely but I'd something to put right on it and I thought I'd strip everthing down as a help for anyone else reading this who can benefit from sight of the 'innards' should they get one they've to work on. Mine wasn't fuelling right, with a yellow flame and not blue and a gurgling from the fuel tank as heat found its way back through the existing threadbare filter. From previous experience of meths stoves of this sort I guessed the wick in the burner tube would be shot, which it was, the rusted wire core dumping particles into the vapourising fuel, producing the yellow flames I've successfully used heat-resistant yarn from a soldering mat for filter replacements before and I had plenty left to make a new filter for the Bukta The fuel line to the burner has a leak-proof joint at the hinge point of the case lid I've seen Bukta Methex stoves with unpainted brass fuel tanks but this one's in steel, painted to match the case. I don't know for sure, but on the basis of the marketing axiom we often see in stovedom, brass-gets-replaced-by-steel-to-cut-costs I suspect this is a late-production Methex. Having said that, it's survived with just a bit of paint loss and external rust around the fuel filler and isn't holed or thinned by corrosion inside the tank That fuel filler cap is in the 'operating' position there, exposing those holes in the riser to vent the tank without having to remove and possibly lose the filler cap. More to follow ... John
Hi john, a very nice score the Bukta Methex is a beautifully made spirit stove, comparing the pic's of it and the Turm sport I rate it in quality and build equal to the Turm. A brilliantly documented break down and fettle as well John, and what fantastic idea using heat resistant yarn for the wick/filter made from a soldering mat, it should last as long as the stove as it can not char. I was thinking a while back, I may have mentioned it before on here, useing these soldering mats instead of a flattened tin to protect the paint from being burnt on my 111's cases
The priming pan doubles as the base of the burner rose, which bolts onto it The jet is an integral part of the burner tube construction The control spindle has a brass tube sleeve that slips over it. It's a neat touch that prevents grit from entering spindle threads that would be otherwise be exposed The control wheel looks like something of an afterthought however. Functional to the point of being clunky in design and with visible scribe marks on the vulcanite wheel to find centre for the drill during manufacture. I happen to know it's original to the Methex and not a home-made item when the original's been lost, because I've seen the identical item on other Methex stoves. Until I'd had a ponder, I couldn't see where the thing could be stowed in the stove without just chucking it in the burner pan and having it rattle around (or have the bother of chucking a rag in there to pack it). I kept pondering - over several brews made on the stove - and sorted it. But more of that later. Reassembly nearly complete There's a clip-on windshield that's made secure when the pot rest tray is snapped into place So, that control wheel. I couldn't believe that an otherwise excellently designed stove could leave it loose and without somewhere to clip it or stow it in the stove after use Turns out, that windshield offers a sprung-loaded lodging to slot the control wheel into The Methex gives a 'spirited' performance and simmers a treat too John
What a beauty - best one I've seen. The ones that I've seen are usually in the same condition as the Turm.
Cheers Bryan, Tim, Duncan. It's a clean example sure enough Tim but when I got it (ebay find) it reeked of pump petrol and had soot around the burner and up the fuel tank, so it was so nearly wrecked as quite possibly could have been the person - I'm assuming it wasn't the original owner - who gave it a test firing on petrol. I'm supposing that at the first sight of 'priming' flames and smoke they must have shut the control valve pretty damned quick and not had a second go, thankfully for them and the stove. The wick was threadbare as I say and the gurgling in a tank of meths was the start of the reservoir of fuel boiling as the heat of the burner leeched past the wick and began to vapourise fuel in the feeder tube. Alarming enough with meths as the fuel, but with petrol in the tank rather more exciting I think. John
You're right Tim. They're more usually found eaten away by tin-worm, like the example on the right here Curious, but the Methex decal and the stamped lettering are 'upside down' on that one compared to those on the one in better condition Like I said earlier in this topic, the control wheel looks distintly home-made, but it's clearly original to the stove, with one just like it with the rough example from a different source I was aware that some of these stoves have a brass fuel tank ... ... which must be intended to be for looks rather than practicality since it loses out on rust proofness by having a steel back panel On an outing, the wide spacing of the pot rest rods means I can't just pop the narrower base of the MSR pan on it to simmer. Method in my madness however since I knew I'd be re-heating refried beans and that they'd need constant stirring and precise heat control to prevent burning, so I just wafted the pan over the burner as I stirred No need for anything so labour-intensive for boiling water for tea of course. Leisurely John
