Apologies for a long abscence. It wasn't of my own making. I am back though and I have read this thread with interest because I have a parafin fuelled 111 (or is it a 111B ? ) it is most definitely parrafin version and it has a built in cleaning needle too. I leant it to a friend who was going camping. It was going beautifully (you already know where this is going don't you? ) Anyway, he has set fire to his tent while trying to get the stove to light..... The stove is still in one piece, but is rather blackened. It survived with no more than that though. I think I need to give it a good refurb, treat it to a set of new seals and possibly, but I am by no means certain of this, polish the brass bits. I have hunted but I can't find it. Someone a few years back posted about repainting the carrying box with Hammerite. Do you strip the old coating off with Nitromors before priming and repainting? Or is there another, better way of removing the old finish? I shall start with the cosmetics of the case first because I know the stove is still sound. It doesn't even leak when pressurised, but if I am going to do it, I might as well do all of it. Any pointers greatfully received. KR
@King Rat Using a stove inside a tent? Mmmm... If your paint is not flaked off in patches, you might get away with sanding it back, coating with primer, resanding, then painting. Otherwise, paint stripper is required, or a long electrolysis bath. I've used Hammerite on the 111 case - it's fine. Cheers Tony
Thanks Tony - he says it wasn't even IN the tent, just in the porch.....what he did I don't know, but there was talk of flame throwers and sheets of flame. As I said, when I went through lighting with him here in the garden, we actually lit it so he could see what was involved. Then I turned it off, had a coffee to let it cool. I depressurised the tank and let him go about lighting it from scratch. He got it going no trouble. Something tells me he was trying to do something other than just light it. Anyway, I will get it back up and running hopefully. It is too good a stove to not do.
@King Rat I hope the tent burner got away unscathed, and is in good spirit. The 111B has a roarer burner with two tubes, if the burner has four tubes it will be most happy getting kero. If it is a silent, the burner has four tubes and will take both. About burning tents: Lighting a stove in a controlled environment and out hiking might not be the same. A 111 – and most paraffin stoves - has a fearsome way of telling if it is not happy: a great yellow fireball. I have been using 111s for 30+ years and I still make a fireball now and then; no big deal if one is prepared. If the stove burner is a tiny bit too cold from the pre heat and/or one open the regulator a tiny bit too fast, your tent might be in danger unless it is of cotton canvas. One need to know what can go wrong and what precautions to take. And if fireball closing the regulator should be the first action. Of course, if the tent is on fire one might forget this and the stove will continue to feed the fire. All the best, e
The electrolysis method for de-rusting is very effective at loosening the paint on the 111 case. It is possible that the alkaline conditions caused by the washing soda used as the electrolite is partially reponsible for that. However, it is a bit more hassle setting it up and you need a good old-fashion charger, so if there is little or no rust, it may not be worth the effort.
