Hi all, I'm in the process of rebuilding a couple svea 123's. The first is a true 123 that I got from my dad. The second is a 123R that I recently got. I'll post about my adventures in rebuilding these stoves later, but here I want to focus on the handles for the top cup (called the saucepan support in the documentation I have). Both were missing the L-shaped piece of metal that is a handle for the cup that covers the top of the stove. I don't really use the saucepan for cooking, but I wanted to have the stove sets complete. Here are the two designs I came up with. I'm not much of a fabricator, but both have their virtue, and seem to work sufficiently. I'm posting them here in case someone else can build on the ideas. Please pardon my very amatur photography 1) The first one is really just the same as the svea handle, in that it is just a L-shaped piece of metal that fits into the slot on the side of the cup. I bought a angle bracket at the local hardware store, cut it down, and bent it just a bit so that it would fit the curve of the cup. It isn't pretty and probably a bit heavier than the stock aluminum support, but it is very strong and only cost me about $1. 2) The second one is more interesting. I found that I had some insulation supports lying around from a recent remodel I did. With a bit of bending and cutting I came up with a support that is sufficiently strong (holds a full cup of water with no deflection), probably lighter than the original aluminum support and cost one tenth of one cent. It has to be compressed together to go into the slot on the cup and that tension holds the handle in better than the L-shape. I'll be making another of the wire handles. I'm more satisfied with it than I am the first model for it's weight savings, strength and more positive attachment to the cup. Hope this is helpful to someone out there. Comments/suggestions welcome.
@acr One thing I really would like on the 123 handles is a locking function. Little chance of loosing the handle, and it keeps the stove together. The handle is not the original, but someone, sometime made a handle like those on the Campus 3 (as can be seen here). With the wire I would think you could make a sideways locking function? Just press the wires together to unlock???
@snwcmpr , I made these handles short enough to be stored inside the windscreen as you mentioned. But after seeing @janders images, I could easily add a bit of length and a bend to the handle to make it lock the whole thing together. The tension of the wire is plenty to lock the handle in place. I'll go play around and see how they come out. Thanks for the ideas,
My cups seem to always be snug. I have not needed to lock them. Lucky? Or, do I not have enough 123s? Ken in NC
I like the wire handle idea. As nice as it is to have a "stock set" I like even more a clever fix that improves on the original. Cool ! Ivan
Agreed, a stock set would be ideal, but the first goal is to make them both reliable "working" stoves for my family's travels. For now the wire will do the trick.
@janders , I came up with something resembling the idea you shared. It does a good job of keeping the kit closed, even when I pull on the saucepan. It is quite flush to the kit so it wouldn't snag in my pack. It is also sufficient as a handle. I left the bend wide enough that it requires a bit of compression to be inserted into the saucepan, and keeps itself it in place. It is strong enough to support the cup full of water. It doesn't feel as nice in the hand though, as the small bends that hold the kit together are uncomfortable and the two sides of the handle not being connected at the end make it prone to wobbling right and left. I think I'll stick with the smaller wire version above, but this is definitely an interesting option.
