I bought a nice original Swedish military Optimus 111. When I received it in the mail, it had been damaged. The hatch that holds the tank and the burner in place had fallen off. I read that this part is spot welded in place originally. Is it possible to use super strong epoxy and glue it back on instead of welding or soldering? Other ways to fix it and keep it as original as possible?
Weld / solder is probably best . There is a Locktite 9430 HYSOL high temp adhesive that would do the job as well . WR
I do not have the skills, equipment or facilities to do a soldering or welding job. If a professional is going to do the job, I have to pay more than the stove is worth. Payment is on average $ 110 per hour with no extra charge. In order for it to be nice, it must be sandblasted before it can be welded. It must also be sanded after welding or soldering. It must also be painted. I checked the price of another stove just for painting, and it costs between $ 240 and $ 300. Mine must be soldered or welded as well. It will probably be nice when it is finished, but it is no longer untouched original. If epoxy can do the job and it holds it is a cheaper solution. I can also make it look more original. Anyone tried similar with epoxy? Is it possible to get rid of epoxy if it does not work?
Hi, that’s very sad, because the case looks in very good conditions. I don’t think as well that welding is the best option if is something you can’t do by yourself and as you say you would need to repaint and at that point would be cheaper to buy an used case as replacement, but then would be just a 111 and not this special edition. Using a double component epoxy glue is not an option as well, I don’t think you have the kind of joint that makes glue a possible solution. I would buy a couple of something like these: I would make some little holes to the case to rivet these internally and they would be hidden by the tank and be strong enough to work forever. My 2 cents, Nicola
At the risk of sounding silly. I have spot welded using just an old car battery and two copper rods. Also used carbon rods at a pinch. worked for me.
I do not think heat is such a big issue. I have seen that people paint their boxes with car paint, and it is not made for high temperatures. Nevertheless, it works well if the paint has hardened. Therefore, I think epoxy or jb weld will not be affected so much by temperature. I'm more unsure if it will cope with the load over time. I have used epoxy to repair a drying rack. The metal rods had come loose. With a little epoxy and touch up paint, the drying rack has worked just fine. Epoxy therefore feels quite strong. There will be a couple of kilos of wet clothes on such a rod, so maybe epoxy also tackles the hatch on the stove.
Does the stove is working? Before to do anything else , you should try it and see if it is worth to go farther. Will you need seals, leather etc to get it started? Good luck
It looks to me like there is no metal left on the case to encircle the hinge rod. If it were simply the tank support plate, that could be JB welded(or epoxy) back to the front flap; this isn't that simple.
I have many Optimus 111s, so finding another box is not a problem. The thing is, this box is special. It is a custom made Optimus 111 for the Swedish military. It is original military green from the factory. Many of the other Optimus 111s used in the military have a regular green color, or they are painted military green afterwards by the soldiers. This box has some small bumps on top of the box. It has a spot-welded sign in front with three crowns, which shows that this is a Swedish military stove. It also has a spot welded sign inside the box, instead of a sticker that is most common. There is also a safety link on the fuel cap, as it is on the regulator wheel. This is not my stove, just a simular one. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.230352323763947.61090.224113417721171&type=3
@abman47 I too wondered about that, but investigating further by looking at one of my own and the repair video quoted in this thread, the case does not encircle the rod, it is simply spot welded to it. Thus the hinge works by being a rod fixed to the case body and the ends of the rod are encircled by the flap - the flap then rotates around the rod ends. @OptimusprimeNorway What harm can be done by a "low tech" adhesive repair? If it works then you have saved yourself the cost of a welded or brazed repair and saved the stove case in close to original condition. If it doesn't work you know better for next time and you need to clean it off and try something different. Blasting the case as in the video would remove the epoxy residue if needs be. So long as the flap pivots are not seized, where they would then be trying to twist the centre of the rod against its fixed joint, I reckon you should be OK. If you laid a strip of fabric impregnated with epoxy glue inside the case and then set the rod down into it you could have a strong and inconspicuous repair. I once had a problem with the threads on my car engine oil sump plug, which had more or less stripped. I didn't have a replacement sump, nor the means to ream it out to the next size and fit an oversized plug. I cleaned the plug, then wrapped wonderweb hemming tape soaked it 2 part epoxy glue mixed with talcum powder to add some bulk around the thread, screwed it all in and left it. Replaced the oil and ran the car for several thousand miles until it just started leaking again, whereupon I replaced the sump! In that example, the epoxy was good enough to withstand oil, temperature changes and the pressure of the weight of oil on it without breaking down for a good long while. I am not advocating bodgit repairs, but sometimes you have to think outside the box and work with what you have got.
I have to see what I do. If anyone has more advice for fixing it I will be happy. Thanks for all the advice so far. I have to wait a few days until I get a response from the postal service if I am entitled to any compensation. I will therefore not do anything with the stove before that to have proof. Norway Post pays compensation up to NOK 1,000 ($ 120, € 97) for packages up to 2 kilos if they are damaged during transport, and up to NOK 10,000 for 4 kilos. But one must prove that it has happened due to recklessness from the postal service - not because the package has been poorly packed. So I do not know what they will answer. I think the package was packed well. I can also ask for help from the seller, but I try the postal service first. I have informed the seller about the damage. By law, I have the right to return the item if it is not as promised, or to receive compensation from the seller. The seller can also choose if he wants to repair the item for the buyer (As long as it is not too expensive). I do not think I want to return it since it is so difficult to find this type of stove. I have been looking at ebay and Norwegian buying and selling sites for a long time before this appeared. Regular Optimus 111 shows up almost daily. I have actually seen Optimus 85 and Optimus 111 Arctic Cobra for sale more often. Maybe it is more common in other countries, but not here in Norway.
As any welding attempt will require serious cleaning, I'd give the epoxy a try and see what happens. You can clean the epoxy off again later if you decide to try welding after all. If you know someone who TIG welds and has somewhat fancy equipment(HF start, torch switch or foot pedal), a quick tack would be very similar to a spot weld.
Ok, a little update on the case. On Thursday, I received an email from the Post Office. They said I was entitled to compensation. I was given two choices. Either to get money to repair it, or to get all the money back. If I wanted full compensation, I would have to give up the stove to the post office. They would then recycle it. Since I wanted this in my collection, it was not an option for me. We finally agreed that I get 70% back of what I paid in compensation and I can keep it myself, since it costs more to repair it. This weekend I did some research on what I can do to fix it as nicely as possible. I found that there is actually very little load on the flip from which the hatch came loose. Gravity holds it in place by itself. I therefore think some epoxy should work fine. The only function of spot welding is to prevent the rod from slipping. I made a small video clip to show before I glued it. As you can see, the hatch stays in place without help. When I glued it, I first wiped away grease and dirt with alcohol. I put the hatch in place to see where I was going to glue. I masked with tape over and under. Removed the hatch. Mixed the epoxy and smeared on the metal flip. I then put the hatch in place and let it harden. The gluing is almost invisible. I'm curious if it holds, but I have good faith. I have to let it harden for at least 24 hours. Added a picture of the end result. This photo is enlarged. Video: Streamable Video
That is a very neat repair which should last well. I note in your before video that the hinge rod is rotating as you open and close the flap - well it would do as there is nothing to stop it. Now that the rod is fixed in the centre portion, the tubes formed by the ends of the flap have to rotate around the captive rod and if the hinges are dry, this might place undue turning forces on the repair. Might I suggest a little light oil be dribbled around the rod ends so as to minimise hinge friction when the flap is opened and closed?
I think that's a good idea. I just have to make sure the epoxy is properly cured first. I took a little test now since the epoxy has dried and has hardened a bit, and everything works fine. I had to see that the hatch was not stuck. However, I wait to put the tank and burner in place until at least 24 hours have passed. I see the picture disappeared with me. Here is the link. Screenshot-20210117-125722-com-android-gallery3d
