Hi, NOTE TO SELF: DO NOT BUY SPARES OR REPAIR STOVES. I bought a couple of No.96 size part-stoves for spares or repair. The seller had interchanged the lipsticks and spirit-cups, but everyone loves a challenge: Today I tackled the Pr.96, W Coded, so made in 1953 This stove had probably suffered from a fireball, resulting in disassembly. When the solder melted it fell to bits! Someone had carried out crude repairs using plumbers solder, spread with a bread knife. I had to break it down into its component parts, before I could re-build it. Here are some photos: I removed as much of the excess solder as possible, replaced all seals and washers, re-tinned mating surfaces and then re-build the stove: It seemed that every orifice of this stove had leaked. Eventually, after pressure testing, and immersion in a bucket of water, I was satisfied that I had cured all the leaks. I added a sound lipstick and burner assemble, fuelled the stove, and got it fired up: Best Regards, Kerophile.
Here are another couple of flame shots taken after the stove passed the "Tea Test": Best Regards, Kerophile.
It is a nice feeling to get a derelict back together again. My Turm is repaying the brief (several hours plus) TLC and I've a few stoves , not quite as bad as your 96, that need my valuable time. The 38 was a good training course for simple soldering, something I'll use in the future. I know I've been away from the forum for a while, but are there any help files for dismantling beyond the simple soldered attachments, ie the bottom of a 96 etc tank? Simes ps, it's a real bugger to de tin the brass isn't it.
Hi Simes, You can tidy up the solder joint on a tank base but of course you cannot remove and replace a base without esentially destroying the stove. The tank top-to-base is mechanicallly rolled on manufacture and the solder joint forms the hermetic seal and adds to the strength of the joint. Here are some links to practical soldering: Replacing stove legs and feet: https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/re-soldering-stove-legs.4525/#post-36354 https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/11425 Pump tube removal and replacement: https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/pump-tube-soldering.4071/#post-30605 https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/6371 https://classiccampstoves.com/posts/193583 https://classiccampstoves.com/posts/107272 Masking off areas in soldering: https://classiccampstoves.com/posts/97366 Removing excess solder after a soldering job: https://classiccampstoves.com/posts/118288 Get a soldering hearth: https://classiccampstoves.com/posts/237663 Best Regards, Kerophile.
Thanks for the links George. The pump tube replacement ones will definitely come in handy, I had read about the toothpaste trick on here a while ago, and wish I had known about before I very nearly tinned a complete fount top. I suspect doing other jobs I'll have to make use of the leg replacement ones as well. I've used both a damp sponge and a wire wool ball to take molten solder off which I've found really just leaves a tinned surface. With the Turm my next job will be to gradually rub down the tinning. I have quite a bit of fine wet/dry paper for car paint work which will comes in handy. The soldering hearth solution is quite neat, At the moment I'm using a small piece of asbestos sheet which was the heat pad from an old ironing board. Something to bear in mind on my next recycling trip Regards Simes
Hmmm.. I must revisit a thread I read once...I thought propane wasnt hot enough... ...so much to learn... Dave
Hi. I'm amazed about how you keep all the parts soldered while heating one in particular. Great work of soldering skills and thanks for the class. Best regards. Héctor.
Hi Hector. A liitle practice and some common sense is all that is needed. 1. You must have a good torch, with a narrow flame, that allows you to focus on the area you want to heat. 2. You need to raise the temperature of the area you want to solder, in a controlled way by applying heat, testing if the solder has melted, and if not applying a little more heat, until you get a result. 3. Home repairs were often done with Plumbers solder which does not all melt at a fixed temperature, but instead goes through a pasty stage, at which time the solder can be wire-brushed off a surface, or a part detached from the stove. 4. Adjoining areas can be protected from some of the heat by wiring wet tissues or rags to the areas you want to protect. Wet tissues can also be inserted into pump tubes. You can also apply aluminium foil to feet to shield from direct torch flames. 5. Make sure that all surfaces to be soldered are well prepared, fluxed, and tinned before attempting soldering attachments. 6. If you use solder-cored electricians solder for repairs, this has two advantages: It melts at a fixed temperature rather than going through a pasty stage. Secondly it melts and then freezes at a slightly lower temperature than plumbers solder. 7. Practice on an old stove tank, or with scraps of brass sheet to improve your skills, before attempting soldering work on a prized stove. Best Regards, Kerophile.
Use Killed spirits (hydrochloric acid with as much zinc as possible dissolve in it) as flux to tin the brass, but wash it off well when the work is finished! Jim.
