Great idea. Are you talking about the porcelain cement ? Because I use the white porcelain cement as a sealer on the cylinder head bolts on Flathead engines. It seals, is not too sticky, takes heat, and pressure very well.
The stiffening agent they use on the fiberglass is the stuff that you have to worry about from the research I have done. Especially on the Owens Corning continuous strand glass matt. I have not had any problems yet knock on wood.
Thank you Kerophile for this post. I was going to use a piece of asbestos I have. I am going to give this a try on my Svea 123. What do you think about using stainless steel wire to wrap the ends ? I use stainless wire to hold heat wrapping on motorcycle exhaust pipes ? I know that when I learned to heat wrap you got the wrapping wet so it stretches and tightens up after it drys. Also wet to keep the fibers down. I know that you never wash your hands in hot water after handling just cold so your pores don't open and allow the fibers to go in deeper. I know asbestos seems to burn instead of just itch like fiberglass. You have a great day and a fun weekend.
Hi @SSW, I used stainless steel wire (abbreviated to SS wire in the Post) to bind the ends of the glass fibre rope sections, before cutting them and melting the cut ends with a gas torch. The wicks work very well. There can be no reason for using asbestos products when good alternatives for heat resistant materials are now available. The human cost of asbestosis and related diseases is still increasing and literally millions of people World-wide will eventually die from this avoidable cause. Best Regards, Kerophile
Yeah I agree Asbestos is not healthy. The alternatives like Kevlar and other materials are a much safer to work with. But it is still smart to protect yourself when using them. They are also easy to find in hardware, automotive, and industrial supply stores. I have asbestos because I came across a bit and it was free. I only use it if I have to. When I use it I take all of the precautions and do my best to use it so it will not be harmful to myself and others. That is great that the stainless works good. I am going to give that a try with a piece of Kevlar wick and stainless safety wire. Thanks for your advice again and take care.
My fibreglass wicks are still going strong! Binding the either side of the intended cut helps reduce stray fibres. Sintering the ends also minimises fraying. Fibre glass fibres can be an irritant so minimising exposure is the best option! I'd like to know how carbon fibre performs in this application? https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/helping-my-optimus-prime.32651/#post-334035
I have plenty of glass rope for sealing the wood burning stove. I use that. You can get scrap lengths from a shop that services wood burning stoves.
i have finished the ends by splicing or more accurately weaving the strands together over the end . very neat but fiddly , not worth the effort apart from looks . kerry
Here in the USA the carbon felt is available and cheap on Amazon. I made wicks for my 123's, 8R, and 99. All working very well. Can't yet comment on the longevity of my wire I used to hold the wicks in place.
I have become a true believer in carbon felt as a wicking material in a preheat cup. I have not found the material to be "fibery" in terms of having fibers getting into skin. It cuts easily with scissors, weighs almost nothing, and it's available in different thicknesses. It can be stacked if necessary (small, deep preheating cups), can be rolled, folded, etc. I have replaced the "stock" pads in my stoves that originally had fiberglass with carbon felt (Optimus Nova, Primus Omnifuel, 99). My next stove to "convert" will be a Primus 71. I feel that in the 71, and similar stoves, it will help by keeping the fuel centralized around the burner tube/riser, and keep the fuel from running down the side of the stove. I really dislike the way that fiberglass preheating pads shrink, turn brown, and become fragile after several preheating cycles. The carbon felt has shown no ill effects from preheating cycles. Perhaps in time the carbon felt will need to be replaced, but I can't see that needing to happen nearly as soon as a fiberglass pad would need to be replaced. The carbon felt is very inexpensive, and (at least in the USA) can be found on ebay in different sized pads at various price points. I have bought from seller pierce1996. A $5.00 4" x 18" piece has been way more than plenty for the stoves I have "converted", and that's even with giving half of it to snwcmpr. Here's a video I made, comparing the flames and preheating burn times on Optimus 199 stoves. One has no wick of any kind in the prehating cup (factory original configuration), versus one that has a carbon felt wick in the preheating cup. In a nutshell, the one without the pad had wild flames, and burned out 1 minute sooner than the one with the pad.
G,,day . a couple of photos of the way i finish the end of fibreglass rope . and one of it stuck int a Tilley preheater cup . i use the glue for wood stove doors. kerry
I am going to buy some carbon felt pad here soon. Watching the flames in the pre heat bowls it's obvious that the carbon felt pad is a winner. It weighs as much as a US dollar bill which is exactly one gram. The safety added using this method is great. The even flames with the pad are a nice blue flame with the heat going exactly where it needs to be. I'm wondering if the carbon felt pad would save money in the long run by using less alcohol for the pre heat ? Thank you Hazet for the great video and the information. - Josh
Ceramic fiber hand twisted rope and 0,4 mm stainless steel wire. Pen to give an idea of size. Advertising on pen from a public research no profit program for a user friend open source free groundwater modeling software from Pisa University,
You're welcome. I don't know if it would save much money, but it might reduce the quantity preheating fuel used on a trip. The video was using a measured amount, mainly to compare burn times. When lighting the 199 in my temperature controlled, mostly windproof, unscientific laboratory (my workshop), I just give a couple squirts from a Coleman kerosene lantern alcohol bottle, and I would speculate that I use less than the 5ml shown in the video and the stove lights just fine. Colder or warmer temps could affect the amount of fuel needed of course. The benefit I really like is the "spillproof" quality. Now I'd guess that if you filled the cup (with wick in it) and set the stove on it's side the fuel could/would run out, but for short term stability I think it's great. As I mentioned in the video, and have experienced first hand, one bump or knock, or trying to relocate a stove to a better position after there is fuel in the cup, a spillage is often likely to occur. I don't see that happening with a wick in place.
Today I received a 12" square carbon fibre welding blanket from eBay: http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/152345615784 The material is approximately 5mm thick, and took 12 days to arrive from China. I cut a small circle out with scissors (it's soft and easy to cut), to make a priming pad for my 111T. 3ml of meths was enough to prime from room temperature - the fuel was kerosene. I found the priming flame to be very even, and the 3ml took longer than I expected to burn.
@MikeEvans I very much enjoyed you Video on the carbon felt as a pre heat cup liquid retention product. I am interested on getting the material from the Bay also. I have many stoves in need of some. Thank you much for the Video.
I am considering using the carbon fabric for my 96 and 99, thank you for the most helpful videos and explanations!
