Good afternoon all! John here from Sussex in the UK! I feel I should introduce myself, I’m a long time paraffin lamp lover but since buying a Coleman Northstar a few years ago I’ve “gone American” and saw the joy of gasoline appliances! To think I was always scared of them! Anyway I was recently missing my Optimus hiker+ that I gave to my brother a couple of years ago so looking into the little beauty that is the Svea 123, saw there was one left in stock on Amazon and bought it - I’m in love! Although my other half laughed and thought it was a toy! I just had a quick question about the base - turning the stove over it looks like solder or flux around the bottom, that seems to come away if I rub. It this normal? It worried me as a possible weak point in the tank if not soldered correctly. Id be so grateful if anyone could reassure me! I’m off to the local mower shop this afternoon to get some Aspen 4 then the first fire up this evening!
Looks very normal for me! Don't rub it with too 'heavy tools'. There is enough solder inside of the wall-bottom joint. During manufacturing tank's wall sheet is rolled over bottom plate and the it is soldered. Soldered joint also acts as 'final' pressure relief. Joint will break before there is so much pressure that brass sheet on fount/tank breaks. If you feel that stove is not safe to use I am sure that there are many members that who would be happy to give caring home for that nice Svea.
@JohnMars New from Amazon you say? It may be the photo but it looks as though there are chips in the edge of the base plate? The scratches left by wire wool or an abrasive polish would trouble me too. I’ve a modern era Katadyn-produced (not manufactured in Sweden) Svea 123R and the base seam looks smoother. I’m puzzled by Afterburner’s suggestion that the base seam is intended to fail under exceptional pressure. Surely not, there’s a Safety Release Valve built into the filler cap to deal with that eventuality. Besides, hard solder (silbraze) was used in little self-pressurising stove joints from the early days, which aren’t going to let go under pressure.
If you are concerned .... Do a dunk test. You ca remove the burner bell. Freeze it. Open filler cap. Close Filler cap. (This equalizes air pressure) Dunk in hot water. Watch for bubbles (leaks) as stove warms up and pressure builds.
Sorry that I caused misunderstanding... I didn't meant that it is build to act as SRV. I was meaning that if SRV doesn't work bottom seam will fail ('final pressure relief') before stove explodes when pressure exceeds the limit what brass sheet can stand.
Wow what a great response and thanks for all the advice and help! pits actually looking fully sealed in daylight, but just a slightly less pretty job that your stoves. oh and looking, they are not chips just small areas of solder overflow. I guess it’s not as well finished but it’s new and mine and the little beauty is going to be used! It’s a stove for the rucksack on day walks to have some tea and hot food! So will certainly not be kept in show room condition. Anyway I do have a nasty feeling they are about to be discontinued as it was the last one on Amazon and seem to be hard to get in general! but maybe just a consequence of the world issues we all have and there will be a new stock in a few weeks.
Ah right. Before then it’d be screaming like a banshee and crying out to be doused in water! Well said. Glad it was just the photo. You’re sure to have a lot of use (and fun) out of it and well done on seeking out Aspen fuel. That’ll ensure the Svea stays healthy and doesn’t degrade as would be the case if pump petrol were used.
Then it will be leaking hot fuel all around the base of a tank that is pressurized by heat. I say again. Not true.
