I obtained this 102 some months ago and was pleased it looked good and had all the bits. Got it out yesterday and gave it a wash prior to putting on a brew. First disappointment when drying was noticing a hole in the bottom of the fuel can! Honest I didn't even use a brush just a cloth to rub the metal. I have used glass fibre to repair holes in Stove tins would this be a good way to go or is there a better solution out there? Filled the stove and got a flame. Then next disappointment was when I filled the kettle - water was just dripping out of several places on the bottom of the kettle. Can anything be done? Or is this just one to look at, or sold for spares.
Hi, West Midlands, England. Do you know what causes the metal to leak like this. Is it the thickness or quality of the metal? I have several Trangia pots of similar age and haven't experienced this. Regards
Meths absorbs water, which in turn hastens the corrosion of tin plated steel. A large proportion of the meths tins provided with travelling paraffin stoves have suffered like this. The same process can eat through aluminium too- the effect looks exactly like the corrosion on your kettle, although it's likely that was caused by moisture/condensation in storage. These sets were made from thin gauge material to keep them light.
Thanks, I fully understand the corrosion on the fuel tank. But surprised that it could happen with aluminium- you live and learn. Regards
It's an odd one, but quite common. I have an aluminium meths container from a similar set which has holed in the same way.
Hi, I just didn't think water could have that effect on aluminium. Having 5 leaks in a 6 inch disc of aluminium was leaking me to think the metal was of poor manufacturing quality. Regards
I might be wrong about the water- it won't corrode aluminium on it's own, but there could have been odd electrolysis stuff going on between ally kettle and tin-plated steel case, with condensation accelerating corrosion in places.
@magpiestovie I has similar pitting on an aluminium cake tin that I used as a second fry pan with my trangia. The damage was done under the strap buckle. Iron oxide and aluminium powder is the basis for thermite welding and a reaction that violent at high temperatures can happen at much more slowly at lower tempertures so you probably only need a small amount of water to create rust in the first place. Regards John
AI’s answer: Holes in aluminum can occur due to pitting corrosion, which is caused by exposure to chloride or sulfate salts, especially in environments with high acidity or salinity. ————————————————— Both chloride and sulfate salts are found in water and can vary in strength. Pharael.
Contact interface between steel and aluminium is bad news - it doesn't take much salt contamination at all to set up destructive electrolitic corrosion in damp conditions - ask any Land Rover owner
Absolutely- been there, done that! Bad luck for it to affect a kettle from the outside in- it all depends how it was stored over the years... The meths container should be fixable with solder or a soldered patch over the larger areas of damage. An epoxy fuel tank sealant would be a good but expensive way to seal and stop further corrosion inside. The kettle could in theory be soldered with lead free solder and the right flux, but aluminium is tricky stuff to solder at the best of times, and the materials are expensive...
I had a hole appear in a billy can. Stored in a dry loft , in a box, unused for a while. I mended it with the 2 part epoxy resin. Chemical metal stuff. Still going strong now.
Epoxy resin is the right way to go. J B Weld sell epoxy resin repair for metal (ExtremeHeat) that can withstand temperatures up to 1300C. It is water resistant as well. I have used this myself and it works very well. Pharael.
Ik had the same happen to me with an aluminium kettle. I tested a stove with it, forgot to clear the water out. A couple of months later the kettle was in half at the water level line. Since then I make sure to clean any aluminium appliance that I have, before storing it. @magpiestovie I hope that you can restore your kettle, mine was unrecoverable.
My own Sirram Wasp kettle developed a leak somewhere in the region of the edge to side joint, such that water would drip slowly from it, either when being heated or standing cold. The hole wasn't visible, just the effect. I carried on using it and the little bit of limescale we develop inside the kettle seems to have sealed it for the time being. Still using it, drip free, apart from the operator!
