I just got this Coleman 395 Hotplate from a fellow collector. He gave me a deal I could not pass up on it. I have wanted a “cabin” stove for quite a while so this was pretty special. My research shows its the later 1946-50 model based on the stickers. It was in decent shape but needed some work…….ok it turned into a lot of work and a lot of chasing issues. I got it home and blew some nice mouse nests and wasps out of the burner assembly. I filled a trash can with citric acid and let it soak overnight to get the rust. It worked well but showed the poor condition of the paint, badly flaking. The burner assembly was in pieces and a few screws were sheared off in the burners. I used my drills and tap to clean up the threads and replaced the screws that needed it. I cleaned, painted and re-assembled the burner. I went to try a leak test and found the valve nut on the top of the fount was cracked through and leaking. Weird spot for a crack, it must have been dropped or bent sometime in its life. I was able to clean the joint and draw solder through it to fill the crack. I found some paint that was a close match to hide the solder and fix some other paint issues on the tank, saving the original decal. I decided the case needed a re-paint to prevent rusting as I want to use this camping occasionally and as I had already done so much cleaning work. I used my pressure washer to strip any loose paint off and then sanded the case, feathering out what little paint remained. I used almond color semi-gloss on the case and high-temp semi-gloss black on the top and the grates. One of the grates was cracked so I used some MAPP and a braising rod to fix that. I let the thread sealer on the valve set for 24 hours and went to run it, no luck. It needed a full generator cleaning. After that it took a while to prime then worked! The main burner really roars! The secondary burners are quite a bit lower but with the size of the burners puts out some heat even on low. That secondary burner assembly will be great for a griddle! It was a lot of work but well worth it. I look forward to putting a display together in my den for it and maybe try it in a few camps! I feel like it will be great for some outdoor cooking this summer!
I had a friend give me a 395 that at first looked helpless but the tank was not bad at all. The case however was so bad that I decided to have it sand blasted. A full repaint and now it serves me well at my patio cook station all summer. A griddle on the aux. burners while coffee pot on the main and then the big kettle for boiling cleanup water provides pancake breakfast or bacon and eggs and hash browns. Always a great way to start the day. You will enjoy that 395 I'm sure.
A wonderful restoration on a real classic. Your stove looks as good as it burns. I've never come across a cabin stove before but I'll be on the lookout after seeing yours. Congratulations and thanks for the excellent post and photos. Ben
