For your inspection today is my second non-Coleman suitcase stove, an AGM WCS3. "The best camp stove money can buy." Pure marketing, of course. Overview of case. The photo does justice to the outside, what it doesn't show about the inside is that many areas were sticky and greasy with someone's bacon sarnie leftovers. Rear label once windscreen wings were folded out of the way. Slash across is mostly icky grease, not rust. Pump/filler cap removed, overview. The grey/gray section is actually painted or plated brass, not aluminum. Pump rod screws down. I didn't see a seal anywhere but I think this is a very rudimentary version of Coleman's locking pump. Pump leather was intact but bone dry. Pump leather oiled and reinserted, the pump worked beautifully and pressurized the tank just fine. Soapy water sprayed on the works, with pump handle screwed down it seems to hold pressure just fine. What about without the pump handle screwed down? That won't do! Time to have a look at the NRV. Tight grip with a rubber work glove on the pump tube and an adjustable spanner on the NRV nut got it loose. Here's a view of the NRV seat: To be continued, next post.
NRV assembly: As much of a close-up as my phone will do on the NRV pip itself. Note the cross-wire in the spring, it fits into the slot visible on the side of the NRV pip holder. Reverse side of the pip holder: Pressed the pip holder against the nitrile sheet I had to create a ring, giving me a rough shape to cut out: Previous pip came out with the consistency of cheese, remnants can be seen in the lower right of the photo. Replacement pip in place: Reassembly in this order: Result? No bubbles, no rising pump rod. Success. Overview of the burners with cap and flame rings removed: Peek inside the auxiliary burner, showing the valve controlling that burner. Here it is, in the open position:
Here it is, in the closed position: Model stamp, and grunge: Interesting feet, they pull straight down and click into slots in the side of these sleeves. Here visible in the extended position and locked into place: A quick squeeze of the two vertical pieces allows the foot to be pushed into the body of the stove: Upon pumping for test firing, the fuel cap/pump tube started leaking fiercely despite sealing just fine previously. The O-ring was rock hard. D'oh, I know better, should have checked that. Here it is, replaced with an O-ring from an assortment I had on hand. Holding pressure amid soapy water just fine, it's now go-time: Success! Auxiliary burner: Whatever shall I do with a running stove? Got that one figured out. (Yes, I put the lid back on the perc basket before closing it up.) Stove still needs a good cleaning, but otherwise it's good to go. Glad to finally get some stoving in. Thanks to everyone for reading along.
I've always wondered which is "the best camp stove money can buy." Now I know it's an AGM WCS3. And a very well presented one I might add. Thanks for going to the effort. Ben
Terry Marsh's site lists an AGM model LCS-42, which looks to be a copy of this stove in a different color, and dates that model to the late 50's. Edit: The cardboard box styling and sticker make me want to put this stove later than that, into the 60's or even 70's, but I have no documentation for that and am likely wrong.
@ROBBO55 Thank you! During the first test of this stove, it had the occasional orange tinge to the flame, so while I was busy in the shop doing various things(I was...ahem.....tidying up...) yesterday evening, I fired it up and gave it a "bloody good gallop" as James Herriot might have said. Burn the last few remnants of the old stale fuel out of the system. Today I refueled it with a substantial amount of fresh white gas, and took the opportunity of having a running stove to try "canned dog", a delicacy I've seen reported here on the forum. Once the stove was up on stride, it burned without the occasional orange tinge of before. Not bad. Should have used the other burner for potatoes.