This seems to be the very first Svea 56 in the reference gallery (if not anywhere on CCS?): It didn't look like that when I got it. The frame had a quite bit of surface rust. The tank was blotchy, as if some clear laquer had peeled off in patches, decades ago. But apart from the missing drip tray, the stove was complete. It uses the early Svea 1715 burner with internal cleaning needle and serpent-shaped handle. Up to about 44 parts can potentially be disassembled without (un-)soldering: The pump handle sat solid on the pump rod. So did the brass washer on the burner shaft. No need to disassemble these, so I left them as they were. I also left the burner lead washer in place, as it appeared fine. There are already a few threads on the Svea 1715 burner, e.g.: Disassembled Svea 1715 silent burner with serpent handle Another disassembled Svea 1715 It is shown in this 1934 dated Svea No 1715 ad. And of course, there is the comprehensive thread on the Svea 50/150 stove series, especially @shagratork 's contribution: On the trail of a SVEA series It seems the Svea 50 series was introduced not much earlier than 1934. It was announced as "new" in this 1934 dated catalog: https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/1934-svea-catalogue-no-933.11570/ Whereas the catalog itself only lists a No. 54, the included price list mentions a "No. 56, older No. 54". So I guess that 1934 might have been the first production year of the No. 56/57. This Svea 56 shows the early frame shape used in the 1930s. Also, the 1715 burner with serpent handle was offered in 1934, and possibly still a few years later (apparently for some time concurrently with the 1715B with Bakelite wheel, see https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/1930s-svea-catalogue-french.8741/ ). So this stove might date from 1934 to the mid 1930s, I'd say. It uses the same, uncommon filler cap with slotted vent screw and integrated SRV as @Wilhelm 's Svea 57 here: Svea 57 The same seems to be true for @optipri 's Svea 57 (with Bakelite wheel): Svea 50-serial I replaced the filler cap washer with a 18/8mm viton one (common for caps with integrated vent screw), and the SRV pip (5.5mm diameter, 2mm thick) with one from The Fettlebox' Svea Campus 3 set (by contrast, a Svea 123 SRV pip seems to be 3mm thick): NRV washer and pip were replaced as well. The pump has the same uncommon, crimped piston as @Thumper 's Svea 52: SVEA 52 Heeding @A A C 's warning Svea No.52 , I didn't disassemble the piston, but just carefully cut away some stray leather fibres, and oiled the leather repeatedly over several weeks. For the time being, the pump works fine. What supposed to be a graphite packing on the burner shaft looked a bit worn and suspicously fibrous: So I wasn't sure if there might have been some asbestos involved. I replaced it with a new graphite packing. What came out of the bottom of the burner's quicklighter definitely looked like asbestos, so that was taken out as well. I am still searching for a good replacement there (a glass fibre wick doesn't seem to work well; I'd be grateful if anyone can suggest a good alternative.) Marked burner parts: The burner tubes looked surprisingly clean from below. When poking around with a thin steel cable (bicycle brake cable), no carbon came out. So I went on to assemble it without de-coking... ... and test-fired it: The frame I derusted with citric acid and phosphatizing rust remover. Pictures of NOS 50-series stoves show a silver color. So I sprayed the frame with silver Dupli-Color Supertherm, rated up to 800°C. Up to now, it holds up to the heat very fine. I am not yet sure about corrosion resistance. When I had gotten the stove, I noticed that it wobbled on flat surfaces, as if the frame had gotten bent. So I tried to bent it back into alignment, only to discover that this prevented me from properly mounting the tank/burner assembly to the frame. Some headscratching later, I noticed that the entire frame had been spot welded askew: Even at quality manufacturers, someone can have a bad day. I solved the issue with FKM rubber pieces of varying thickness (20x25mm, 0.5-3.0mm thick), taped under the frame: This not only eliminates the wobble (and oil flowing to one side of the frying pan). It also adds enough friction that I can pump one-handedly without the stove moving, even on a glass-ceramic cooktop. Pasta time: Best regards, Christina
A brilliantly documented post. Looking at your profile and viewing your detailed illustrated work, a well-known expression comes to mind: Swiss precision.
Fantastic work, well referenced, makes for great reading. Whether it's a common 1950s British 2-pinter, or something rare and impressive such as this, a quality overhaul and write-up with attention to detail makes all the difference. Well done for the final cooking shots, that really makes it for me, showing the stove in use as it was designed for.
Thank you, @Knee and @Blackdog . In fact, the 56 has gained its regular spot on my kitchen cooktop since I fettled it in March (currently sharing space with a Svea 123 and a Trangia 27 for the smaller stuff). With its sturdy construction, it's perfectly suitable for heavier and larger pots and pans as well. Christina
@night_owl Great to hear it is in regular use. I have a couple of 'range' type stoves for kitchen use but much prefer the upright 3-legged sort. This Svea however looks very stable and sturdy, a very capable bit of kit indeed. You mentioned in your post you did not have success with a glass fibre wick in the lighting tube. You could try unravelling a length, and fitting the strands more loosely, which may help to hold more meths.
Hi @night_owl A first class pictured tutorial post, you have of a very nice and unusual range stove, the lettering on Svea and Radius stoves are really special. I think you have done the stove great justice in fettling this beauty, and removing the worn lacquer and polishing out the blotchy effect of the tank it really does look super, well done on a great score and restoration
Thank you for the detailed post on this uncommon stove. As I’ve said elsewhere on CCS, I like this style of utility stove. Best regards Tony
