So. I acquired what I thought was an older Force 10 propane marine stove. “Brand new” never been used, still had its packing materials. Three burner, chrome griddle across the back burner, oven. Why did I think it was propane? Because it has a propane fitting at the back. It sat for a few years and last summer I bit the bullet and got rid of the ancient diesel stove on my boat and moved in the Force 10. Then it sat over the winter and this summer I acquired all the propane fittings needed to make it work. And last evening, right before dinner, I optimistically hooked it up. Hmm, old stove, I noticed, no thermocoupler. We have a 42 year old Airstream tho so I am used to old propane appliances. But, hmm, what’s that funny tiny pricker thing that comes up through the burner when I turn the knob? Yup. An hour or so of googling and I realize it’s a kerosene stove. With a propane fitting? Or could the kerosene fitting and the propane fitting be one and the same fitting? I don’t know anything about kerosene marine stoves. Help? - Jodine Chase
Hi and welcome Yes this is a kerosene or alcohol stove. By the nobs, it seem to be Optimus burners. Does the stove come with a tank that you can pressurized. What is the model of that stove?
Hi Jodine, welcome! Could you post a close-up photo of one of the burners? I believe these stoves also came in an alcohol version, using slightly different burners. I also know quite a few people here would also like to see photos of the vessel...... Best regards, Wim
Heh, I’ll dig up a pic of the boat. She’s an older wooden Monk trawler, built in the late 70s from older plans. Here are closeups of the burners. - J
Welcome to CCS @Jodine Chase. Firstly apologies as I know nothing directly about your particular stove, bit there are other members who have sailing backgroinds who may have more info. The photos were very useful, to the extent that the burners would suggest possibly gravity meths/alcohol burners. Optimus in origin. This will probably prompt more questions, but so long as you get what looks like a great stove working properly then ask away. Edit I was far too slow.
That would be the cleaning needle. Full clockwise rotation of the control knob closes the fuel flow while full counterclockwise will push the cleaning needle through the jet pushing out any debris that may be in there. The pics clearly show kerosene burners. I know nothing of this model stove. Can it be you have an external fuel tank and that's the reason for the hose? As JP2 asks, is there a pump to pressurize this setup? Cheers Ray
On the third picture where you have connected the propane hose is a T coupling, where do pipes go? If one go to the fuel pressure gauge and the others to a distributor then maybe you just need a pressurized tank to make it works. Of course if a propane fitting was connected there, the stove may has been modified before ??????.
First off it is a kerosene stove. I have same model. It's called a galley gourmet. made by force-ten in Canada. in the late 70's. It came with a remote tank, about 2 gal. that was pressurized by a tire pump. The gauge on the front is a oven temperature gauge. The Fitting for the hose on the back is to accommodate the motion of gimbling. It needs a flexible hose.
Hi @Jodine Chase I cannot find an owners manual for a Force 10 kerosene fuelled stove, but here is a link to the manual for a Taylors kerosene fuelled cooker: https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/blakes-lavac-taylors-owners-manual.19254/ This cooker was also designed to be used with gimbals and looking at the installation kit shows a 36 inch length of flexible tubing for connecting the cooker to a remote fuel tank. These cookers should have such a remote fuel tank, which is typically pressurised with a small hand pump. The Taylors cooker is the Rolls Royce of marine cookers and is priced accordingly. Their manual is very good and and should provide excellent guidance to the installation and operation of your similar cooker. Best Regards, Kerophile,
You all are so helpful! The manual is very interesting. Yes. It is gimballed. I don’t need that, but it was a free stove, so... Ray, the hose is the propane hose I connected when I still thought was propane. The T fitting shunts fuel up to the top for the three stove burners and down to the bottom for the oven burner. Can one acquire a kerosene fuel tank of the sort that was designed for this stove? So is there a propane conversion possibility for this stove?
