... is finally done. NB I'm not really sure if this should have been entered in the "Stove Reference Gallery", in the "Action Gallery", in the "Fettling Forum" or here in the "Stove Forum"? If this is the wrong place; please move it to where it rightfully belongs! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello my fellow stovies, I will now tell you a story that originally started waaay back in 1972 - when I bought my first camping stove, a Trangia 27. I used it extensively together with like-minded friends - but I always hated the way it made all my meals slightly taste of the denaturant present in the fuel alcohol. So I started to look for a better burner+fuel for my Trangia, which I considered vastly superior in every other aspect! After a looong time I suddenly, and by pure chance, in 1988 stumbled over a Trangia 25 fitted out with a kerosene burner; a KAP Arctic! And this in its birth town no less: Kiruna, Sweden. I immediately bought it! - And I was smitten by the blue flame bug! A long 25 year jump into present times and the start of last years autumn semester at school. One of my nephews decided he wanted to attend high school in a variant called 'Adventure' - where they do all that fancy outdoors stuff; kayak paddling, climbing, mountaineering, long hikes etc. All of it in both winter and non-winter (OK, the kayaks are exchanged for skates in winter). And his father, my youngest brother, asked if he could borrow some of that fancy hiking stuff I had had back in the 70's - if it was still around. Sure, I said, no problem. Just come over and pick what you'd like to borrow for him, it's all still here. And I started to dig it all out of various closets - and when I found that KAP deep down in a coffer I decided I'd try to get another one to give him as a present, I didn't want him to be as disappointed as I were back then over more or less foul tasting camp site meals. I quickly found out this would be a chase for the holy Grail: It seemed everybody wanted one, and no-one wanted to sell... So I had to settle for second best, a spare Optimus burner fitted into a Trangia via the use of that Finn adaptor kit. Works a treat, and my nephew were delighted! But this had woken my interest in this, and I remembered my winter mountain training in the military service where an Optimus 111 kerosene stove had made our day (and week!) when we were melting snow into water in the field. It was highly efficient when doing this, but a bit on the heavy side if carried. This was no problem in our situation back then, since we had all the heavy stuff of the company/squad in the pulks/sleds/toboggans (?) we were towing behind us in two man teams. (You know; 80mm grenade launchers, FN MAG machine guns, 84mm Carl Gustav recoilless rifles, AT mines etc etc. And all the ammo!!! - so some "heavy" stoves mixed in there made absolutely no difference whatsoever!) So, I decided I wanted to find him an Optimus 111 for such situations. In the end I found several, these were easy to find. Very easy compared to the KAP! I bought a couple, and then I came in contact with a stovie who wanted to downsize his collection, and I could buy it "if I bought all the 'modern' Optimus stoves". Well, in it were among the 111's an Optimus 199 Ranger and an Optimus 85 Loke - two stoves I by now had learned were the ones to have to complement my old KAP Arctic. So we struck a deal - and I ended up with a sizeable heap of Optimus stoves. (My nephew got an 111T out of this btw.) By now I was hooked - but there were one 'modern' Optimus I still didn't have in my rapidly growing collection: The Optimus 111B. So, something radical had to be done! Now we are somewhere around the New Year 2013/2014 and I read a plea here on CCS from our dear friend Doc Mark who needed help in getting hold of Trangia 25 DuoSSAL pots... I checked with Trangia up in Trångsviken, and sure enough, they had DuoSSAL pots to sell. So Mark and I struck a deal, I'd get him an outer and an inner 25-pot, brand new in DuoSSAL, sent out to California - and he'd send me an Optimus 111B burner with a G(asoline) jet. Now, more than half a year later this deal have ended in one very unique Optimus 111B being in my possession, it's built from parts liberated from a very worn out ex-military 111 I got in the previously mentioned lot. It was rusty and quite incomplete, so a prime candidate for converting into a user-111B. (Late in spring this year a genuine 111B were sent to me from a friend in New Mexico, so now I have such an oem beast in the collection.) I added some parts to the build from other sources, like the brass wind shield and the green funnel. OK, enjoy: The letter from Doc Mark have arrived. Parts gathered on the work bench in the Man Cave. One sorry excuse for a stove tin box. Riveted on instructions removed and the burner parts assembled ready to test fire. What I had done was fit a wick pad and a brass wind shield. I had also fitted new screws to the flame ring and cleaned away casting flash in the primer hole. The hole was also slightly enlarged to get a down-slope from all parts of the little funnel area. From the military kerosene stove I have kept all the good military spec. parts, like the chained fuel fill lid. The box were bead blasted to get rid of all that rust and other dirt. Then it was painted a Chevy Orange engine paint on the outside. This one wont ever get lost! After protecting the orange outside with masking tape the inside were painted with a white engine paint. These engine paints were marked as good for up to 260C/500F - so I reckon it'll be OK... Adding a little bling to the stove... After clear coating it all it was time for final assembly. I know you all wants some flame shots - they will come in the next entry, since we're rapidly approaching the limit of attachments allowed...
OK, here goes - priming with alcohol. On full blast with Aspen four-stroke gasoline. Quite a performer IMHO. I took my IR thermometer and checked surface temperatures on the lid area, the sides and the tank behind the heat shield: Nowhere above 60C! Here's the revived stove together with its siblings; mainly kerosene 111's + (on the right) one B, one T and one Hiker+ What I've decided to use this 111B for is as an emergency stove in my car. Packed inside a stainless square pan+skillet set (for a British Army No.2 stove) and using the volume between the two square boxes for storage. Since the B will easily boil 1000mL of water in ~4½ minutes, getting coffee or tea (or a soup) along the route will be a breeze. Here you can see some of the stuff that's stored in the pan/stove: In zip-lock bags are instant coffee, tea bags, sugar lumps, bouillon cubes, salt, pepper and matches. There's also a Primus pan handle stored inside the stove box - since the British originals were simply rubbish... Inside there is also a small glass jar with pre-heat alcohol securely stored. Box stuffed full... ...and strapped up. And it's all stored, together with a Primus fuel bottle filled with Aspen 4-stroke, in the spare wheel well of the Passat. Cheers, /Odd PS Along similar lines I've put my Optimus 199 Ranger into the boot of my hobby car, a much smaller 2-seater (a 1980 Triumph TR8) convertible. Smaller car - smaller stove... But the use and abilities will be very similar...
Great post Odd. I love the stove, love the detailed commentary and love the great photos. I have some 111 cases that need a similar regeneration but I have put it off for years. Your finished case is wonderful!
I just realised one of my originally intended images never made it into the posting. It's the one showing the inside of the 111 box when it is stuffed with the things it carries. You only saw the packed up summary in the No2 pan... This should have been inbetween the 21st and the 22nd image - showing the jar with pre-heater alcohol, the syringe for filling pre-heater cup, the Primus pan handle, the Optimus fuel filler funnel and also a matchbox - all stored inside the 111 box.
Pictures to accompany the PS from above: "Along similar lines I've put my Optimus 199 Ranger into the boot of my hobby car, a much smaller 2-seater convertible (a 1980 Triumph TR8). Smaller car - smaller stove... But the use and abilities will be very similar..." However, with a plastic jar in the stove, as opposed to a glass jar with metallic lid, I guess the pre-heating alcohol will evaporate faster and need replenishing now and then. Cheers, /Odd
Good Morning, Odd, Excellent end to a fine and interesting journey, my friend!! Well done on all fronts, and great job on your very special 111B!! I am also very happy with our trade, and thank you for contacting me about it in the first place! I love my Trangia 25 DuoSSal pots, and am so very glad that you are happy with the 111B burner I sent in trade! Again, very well done, and your photos are top notch! Here's to many years of faithful service for your, now, lovely and perfect 111B!! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Mark
Thanks Mark, I'm glad both of us are satisfied. This was truly a mutual win-win deal. On a follow-up note; In the unlikely case someone will be following this route and adapting a British No2 stove pan/pot set for storing (for instance) an Opti 111 in: Do bring out the Dremel and get rid of the holder ears for the original pot handle! They're outright dangerous and sharply pointed outwards. (see arrow) In this short time/milage -span they've already made their mark on just about everything down in the spare wheel well of my Passat. Well, now they're gone - and I re-bent the handle so, what's left of it, fits inside the pot. Drilled two holes in opposing upper corners where the handle now fits into when used... But in reality it's the Primus handle that is used:
