I've never paid too much for a stove,

but I have bought a few too early. About ten years early on this one at least but it popped up with a buy it now price and I'm currently a bit obsessed with Goldberg Brothers stoves. This will make the third one I've dragged in. Badged as a "Staco" sure-fire stove Shaefer Tent and Awning Company it is indisputably a Goldberg Bros. product. It is nearly identical, as far as I can tell to the Wizard stove in this thread. Wizard stove
The giveaways are the cast grates bearing the Goldberg Bros. GB logo, the sure fire name and the general construction. One sign of a Goldberg Bros stove is the folded sheet metal manifold. Another feature of Goldberg Bros. stoves is the slim design. Closed this stove is only 3 3/4" high.

Goldberg Bros. were located in Denver CO. as was Shaefer Tent., Burch was in Pueblo CO. so not much of a stretch to see that like Coleman, AGM and Prentiss Wabers, Goldberg Bros. realized letting others put their name on Goldberg products was a way to sell more stoves. I'm using the seller's photos below since it will be another three weeks before I get my arm out of this stupid sling and can even think about fettling anything. The wind screen is completely separate but does stow under the lid when the stove is closed. Hope to do a much fuller write up of Goldberg Bros and their products in the near future.

 

My compliments nevertheless Reese on your resourcefulness and commitment to CCS participation meanwhile by sharing those pics and your excellent commentary.

Good to have another perspective on that Wizard stove too, which had me stumped when that surfaced.

A grand project to ease you back into fettling in due course. I wish you a sure and speedy recovery friend.

John

 

Neat, will be nice to get more info on operating it and the black piece between the case and tank.
Duane

 

From the patents I have been able to find it looks like this stove and the Wizard date somewhere in the range of 1921-1924. I realize using patents as a dating mechanism is somewhat tenuous. In the US the time between applying for a patent and the patent being granted is usually 2-3 years. I've seen some as long as 7 years. I try to use clues like "patent applied for" or "patented" or an actual patent number to help. Most companies would put a product into production as soon as they applied for a patent, so "applied for" versus "patented" can help if you know the application and award dates. Fortunately, both are on US patents if you can find the document.

@presscall Thanks for the kind words John.

 

@hikerduane The piece at the end is another hallmark of Goldberg Bros. stoves. It is an added piece of case to protect the generator when the tank is stowed. This picture shows it better. All of these pictures are with the legs only partially deployed. The wire legs fold completely under so the the sharp U bend is the foot of the leg. With legs in proper position that extra piece of case is swung underneath the stove out of the way. With the case closed it is up tight against the side of the case and held there by the edge of the lid which extends a bit past the case body.

 

Thank you. Is the knob at the front dangling there and out of position or does it swivel maybe?
Duane

 

@hikerduane Secondary burner control. It's at midrange now, pivots left to line up with the rod, then 90 degrees right to stow. I think it's a push-pull but the valve is seized. Soaking in penetrating oil now.

 

There is only one Goldberg Bros. stove in the reference gallery and you've got three of them. I suppose I shouldn't complain since I haven't put my Goldberg in the reference gallery either. We really should get on that. I'd love to see your stoves.

Ben

 

@z1ulike Ben, as soon as I'm fully functional I intend to get the last two fettled, get some good pictures and write an article for the Coleman Light. Would you send me some pictures of your stove? I'm really trying to research the GB stoves. The company is still in business but the family has been out of it since 1977. No one at the company knows much about the stoves, though they have been very positive sharing what they did know. I'm hoping to contact a family member that could shed some light on the early days.

 

@cottage hill bill Here you go...



Ben

 

@z1ulike Ben, Thanks. One of mine is the same. The lead seal on the fuel fill cap was shot and the matching taper on the fill cap had a rough spot. After about two weeks of fighting with it I finally resorted to cutting a viton gasket. Not original but it let me get the stove working. Cleaning all those slots on the burners is a real joy too. Found a single edge razor blade works. Thankfully the gland nut on the pivot for the fuel tank doesn't leak, don't know how I'd fix that. Very interesting flame pattern from from those burners. At full open mine creates a definite swirling pattern.

 

Well, two and half months post surgery and I've finally gotten enough use of my arm to fettle this stove. The fuel valve was frozen solid and I was really sweating freeing it up. I had visions of torquing the pricker rod in two. Lots of penetrating oil and several heat and quench cycles and I managed to free the generator tip, rod and coil. More heat and quench and a wire bottle brush with long handle attached to a drill got most of the carbon out of the generator. Luckily the lead seal in the fill plug is in good shape and the check valve works.

As can be seen here there is a lot of the original tinning left on the tank. That means when new the fuel tank would have been mirror bright silver. I bet it looked striking against the black stove body.
It seems Goldberg Bros. never quite settled on the method of controlling the secondary burner. All three of mine are different. This one uses a vertical plug in the center of the burner.

Here it is closed with the control rod in the stowed position. The knob folds out in-line with the rod to protrude outside the case. Frozen when I got it, because of the spring I thought it was a push-pull arrangement, as is one of the other stoves. But no, the rod turns on its long axis.

Here its open with the rod in operating position.

This is underneath the burner. The brass rod is curved and the knob just twists the rod so that the cup is pushed up and down. Different.

The top of the main burner is dished to make a preheat cup. Notice the burner is just a sheet metal stamping punched full of holes. Goldberg Bros. started as and were primarily a sheet metal fabrication shop. Even the manifold is stamped and formed sheet metal.

Here is the main at full roar.

Both burners on-line. I certainly wouldn't feel underserved by this stove.


Luckily the wrench was still with the stove. The hex fits the fuel cap and the open end the gas tip and fuel valve gland nut. A small Coleman graphite packing was a perfect fit for the valve and a 220 lantern leather for the pump. Couldn't resist polishing the pump. I find myself drawn more and more to these early stoves just to see the many different ways the makers came up with to all do the same thing.

 

Howdy, @cottage hill bill !

This is one heck of a stove, my friend!! This brand is new to me, for the most part, but what a wonderful acquisition you've made! Your work on getting this Old Timer back up and running, is more than admirable, and the results speak for themselves, my friend!! Thank you, so very much, for sharing this with us, and well done on getting back some of your fettling chops, as you continue to heal!! Warms my heart! Take care, and God Bless!

The Very Impressed,
Doc

 

An achievement indeed Reese. Beautiful job, accomlished during recuperation - contributing to your recuperation I’ve no doubt.

Very well done.

The burner cap form and consequent flame remind me of those on my Primus 77.





John

 

Nice stove and good for you getting it going again. Love that flame pattern! I know I've paid way toooooo much. lol Had to go back and add to this post. Maybe I have on some but have gotten good deals on others. I'm going to call myself even. There I feel better!
Alex

 

Dang nice.

 

Excellent!

Cheers

Tony

 

Wow!
Just, wow!

 

Nice write up and work, neat stove.
Duane

 

I enjoy seeing the variety of ways basic tasks are solved by the various vintage stove models.

....Arch