Dating a Preway 503-P?

Discussion in 'Stove Forum' started by Doc Mark, Aug 1, 2018.

  1. Doc Mark

    Doc Mark SotM Winner Subscriber

    Offline
    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2004
    Messages:
    19,157
    Location:
    So. California Mountains
    Greetings, All,

    Just back from our latest work trip, and after our gig, we took one day to just relax, and enjoy being together whilst doing hitting some antique shops in the area where were worked (CA Wine Country).

    As luck would have it, I found some stoves, two of which I bought! One was a Preway 503-P, three-burner biggie, for which some previous owner had made a custom wooden carry box/table, complete with legs. There was no price on it, and so I had to inquire as to what tariff was being charged. The owner was called, the the Lady told the store, "Put it on Special Sale, and get it out of my booth! I'll take $35 for it"! My response was predictable: SOLD!! I'm guessing this stove is from the late 1930's - mid-to-late 1940's. Any thoughts, or information you all can share to shine some light on the date of this Old Timer?

    The second stove was yet another Hank Roberts OEM version of their Yo-Yo stove, this one made for Browning. As it had the original instructions inside the lid, and as it passed air, and did not seem abused, I bought it for $20 to add to my collection of those neat little pocket stoves.

    No time to mess with either stove, however, but I hope to get able to see how they run sometime in Mid-September. We'll see how that turns out. Photos later, too..... 'cause, without the photos, "it did not happen"!!!!

    Oh, what the heck! Here are two quick snaps, that I made in the store before buying this stove:

    IMG_1642.jpg

    IMG_1689.jpg

    In the first photo, you can just see part of the box/table that came with this Preway stove. I haven't assembled it, yet, the legs fit into the box, along with the stove, and it's actually quite nice. Rustic, of course, but nice, for a home-done box! Thanks for any help or info you can share, and God Bless!

    Every Good Wish,
    Doc (who keeps "finding stoves", when he has time to look for them!!) :thumbup:;):lol:
     
  2. Majicwrench

    Majicwrench Subscriber

    Offline
    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2012
    Messages:
    2,295
    Oh that is nice.
     
  3. BradB

    BradB United States Subscriber

    Offline
    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2013
    Messages:
    1,800
    Location:
    Central North Carolina USA
    Oh man! That Preway 3 burner is on my wish list. I am enjoying very much my Prentiss Wabers No 8 and my Preway 4521-A. Good find, Doc.

    Brad
     
  4. Simes

    Simes R.I.P.

    Offline
    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2004
    Messages:
    4,539
    Location:
    I'm on the way....
    The stove 'Gods' just keep on giving.

    I must get out and about more.....
     
  5. snwcmpr

    snwcmpr SotM Winner Subscriber

    Offline
    Joined:
    Nov 16, 2011
    Messages:
    20,084
    Location:
    North Carolina
    Bring flowers and chocolate.
     
  6. Simes

    Simes R.I.P.

    Offline
    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2004
    Messages:
    4,539
    Location:
    I'm on the way....
    I'm slow tonight Ken.....:clap:
     
  7. Tony Press

    Tony Press Australia Subscriber

    Offline
    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2013
    Messages:
    9,294
    Location:
    Stinkpot Bay, Howden, Tasmania, Australia
    After being lost somewhere in the Universe for a few hundred lightyears, the Doctor hops out of the TARDIS in a random location in California. The Earth year is 2018.

    Immediately he stumbles across the missing components he’s been searching for through countless Millenia...

    Welcome back, @Doc Mark

    Tony
     
  8. presscall

    presscall United Kingdom SotM Winner SotY Winner Subscriber

    Offline
    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2009
    Messages:
    13,056
    Location:
    Lancashire, United Kingdom
    Latest incarnation as a woman I believe.

    830BD7CE-FD36-47AE-96F0-EEEFC534D296.jpeg
     
  9. Tony Press

    Tony Press Australia Subscriber

    Offline
    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2013
    Messages:
    9,294
    Location:
    Stinkpot Bay, Howden, Tasmania, Australia
  10. snwcmpr

    snwcmpr SotM Winner Subscriber

    Offline
    Joined:
    Nov 16, 2011
    Messages:
    20,084
    Location:
    North Carolina
    [​IMG]
    Allow me to adjust my statement.
    This Doc needs to bring beer, not flowers and chocolate. :)
     
  11. Marc

    Marc Subscriber

    Offline
    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2015
    Messages:
    6,508
    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    Great find, Doc! Well done!

    I love the size of that fuel tank. That's a stove meant to cook for an army without refueling.
     
  12. Doc Mark

    Doc Mark SotM Winner Subscriber

    Offline
    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2004
    Messages:
    19,157
    Location:
    So. California Mountains
    Morning, All,

    Bringing the thread back to the stove, and letting the Old Widow Phoebe Tinkerpot go on her way...., last night I removed the circlip which functions as a retaining device for the pump rod, and checked out the leather pump bucket. It appeared very little used, and really, almost brand new!! A quick oil job with some Hoppe's gun oil, and VOILA, the old 503 was passing air to the main burner just as it should!! Yay!!

    The extra knob on the generator housing, which adds more air to the fuel/air mix when first firing the stove, is stuck fast, so a bit of work to be done there; and, the spring action gates for two remote burner rods also seem stuck fast. No time to muck about what that, right now. But, at least, I now know what needs be done, on the face of it, to get this Old Timer back up and running again! I love the size, and the cast iron burners, and very much look forward to putting this Old Fellow back to work, as originally designed!!

    Still trying to find a solid date for this 503, and sent a note to Joe Pagan last night. Sadly, both email addresses I have for him, are no longer functioning. So, I sent Terry Marsh a note, asking if he knew anything about Joe, and hoping that he was OK. He got back to me that he, too, had experienced at least one of Joe's email addresses being defunct, and was trying to reach him by other means. I also asked him about the stove, and he will cast about and see what info comes to hand.

    In the end, I'm very happy to have found this Preway 503P, even though that brand is not represented much in my collection of stoves. I think it will be a unique and great runner, when all the dust settles!! Take care, and God Bless!

    Every Good Wish,
    Doc
     
  13. snwcmpr

    snwcmpr SotM Winner Subscriber

    Offline
    Joined:
    Nov 16, 2011
    Messages:
    20,084
    Location:
    North Carolina
  14. Doc Mark

    Doc Mark SotM Winner Subscriber

    Offline
    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2004
    Messages:
    19,157
    Location:
    So. California Mountains
    Morning, @snwcmpr , Ken,

    Excellent! Thanks, very much!! @coleman413c , Joe, are you out there? Are you OK? Please send me a note, via PM, or email, and let me know your knew email addresses. Thanks, and I hope to hear from you soon, and to learn that all is OK on your end!! Take care, and God Bless!

    Doc
     
  15. coleman413c

    Offline
    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2009
    Messages:
    77
    Location:
    McPherson, Kansas
    Hiya Doc:

    Yes, I am alive and well(sort of!). Haven't done much of anything in the past few months. Still check out the forum now and then as a lurker.

    Anyway, sorry to hear that you haven't been able to get a hold of me. Terry has my current email address but not my current phone.

    My email addy is: jj.pagan.653@gmail.com. Closed the old one due to my being spammed to death. Did that late last year. Drop me a line when convenient. May take awhile to respond back. Work a lot of hours and get home late, more often than not.

    Checked my catalogues. The 500 series are listed in the '38 catalogue but not a model 503. It shows a 508, 509 and a 512. The '37 catalogue shows the 400 series as does the '36 catalogue. My '40 catalogue does show the 500 series including a 518 which had a wire grate, not cast iron along with the 600s. Don't know about the '39 catalogue. Don't have that one but it would be a safe assumption that the 500 series are in it.

    Joe Pagan
     
  16. Doc Mark

    Doc Mark SotM Winner Subscriber

    Offline
    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2004
    Messages:
    19,157
    Location:
    So. California Mountains
    Howdy, @coleman413c ,

    Joe, it's great to here from you!! I was beginning to get worried that something untoward had happened to you, or your family, and I'm very relieved to learn that all is well!! Thank you very much for letting me, and hey, all of us here at CCS, know that you are OK!!!!

    As to my PW 503P, I'm tickled to have found it...... though, actually it was Sweet Bride who found it and pointed me in the right direction to see it!! The stove is in pretty good shape, and the fact that a past owner made a custom wooden box for it, which becomes a table, is the icing on the cake!!

    When time permits, which should be in early September, I will clean it up, check the seals, and see how it runs. I'll also photograph it, and post the photos in the Stove Reference Gallery, and also over on Terry Marsh's excellent site, if it's OK with him.

    Regarding the date of this stove, I am confident that more info will come to the fore, one day, and that you and Terry are probably very close when you surmise that it may date to 1939. Hopefully, time WILL tell the tale, so we can all learn the truth. Thanks, again for letting us know that you are OK, and for sending your new contact information. Noted, with pleasure. Take care, and God Bless!!

    Every Good Wish,
    Doc
     
  17. Jeopardy

    Jeopardy Subscriber

    Offline
    Joined:
    May 26, 2012
    Messages:
    1,855
    Nice stove Mark but I have to admit that when I read the title of this thread I was f&*&^% very tired after a week long scout camp and I thought you had finally flipped. I was wondering what Sweet Bride had done to be ditched in favour of a three burner gasoline stove. That would have made me re-diagnose your stove pox as terminal (it probably is in your case anyway). Then I read on and saw the picture that Ken posted and thought maybe Sweet Bride had got jealous and wondered if I was tired after all.
    Your last update has affirmed to me that all is OK in the world. Sweet Bride is still looking out for your interests. Looking forward to September when you have time to clean it up and reveal it in its full glory.

    All the best
    John
     
  18. Doc Mark

    Doc Mark SotM Winner Subscriber

    Offline
    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2004
    Messages:
    19,157
    Location:
    So. California Mountains
    @Jeopardy , Good Morning, John,

    You, Sir, are a very funny man!! Both Sweet Bride, and I, got a huge laugh out of your comments, and that's a great way to start any day!! As we just celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary, a few days ago, I don't think that SB will be dumping me anytime in the near future, UNLESS I don't clean up and move all the stoves that are scattered, willy-nilly around our home, including those in the living room!!!! YIKES!!! Maybe "the end" is coming sooner than I had thought!!!
    I know: I'll distract her by finding yet another stove, and doing something special with it!! Yeah, that is just the ticket...... But, if that fails, and she does give me the boot, do you have room to put me (and my stoves!!) up for a few years, whilst I sort things out??!!??!!

    Thanks, again, for a good laugh, and as always, God Bless!

    Every Good Wish,
    Doc
     
  19. coleman413c

    Offline
    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2009
    Messages:
    77
    Location:
    McPherson, Kansas
    Doc Mark: After looking more closely at your stove, it is virtually a clone to the 4500 series of 3-brnr stoves made by PW starting in 1945, after the war. It is starting to look like PW was changing the design of the stoves just before they went into wartime production in early '42. I'm conjecturing here but maybe your stove is a '41 model. It would make more sense being as your stove design is almost identical to those of the post war stoves yet retaining the model 500s designation of the late 30s to the start of WW2.

    Again, just pure conjecture on my part, nothing to support that theory, yet!

    Joe Pagan(coleman413c)