This post is going to be very long, but that's because the whole project took me a lot of time, and I wanted to describe each stage of my work in some detail. I thought it would be easier if I broke it down into parts. I’ve had this worn-out Primus 110 tank with broken burner a while now. I don’t look for stoves on international auction sites, and I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m even less likely to find compatible parts for it on local ones. I remembered that I also have a burner from an Aida heater (for which I’m unlikely to find the missing parts either), so I came up with the idea of trying to put something together from these parts. On the Primus, the burner tube was badly bent and twisted, so I decided to fix it. I cut off the damaged section and replaced it with a good piece of tubing. The repair was a success, and while working on it, I had the pleasure of making an interesting discovery:Design Details of the Primus No. 4047 Burner The silver solder bonded the parts together nicely and didn't get into the holes around the nozzle socket. While I was at it, I also made a wire skewer for cleaning the channels. The next task was to try to adapt the eccentric mechanism from the Aida burner to the Primus. In the Primus, the spindle mount was broken off and stuck in the hole. I managed to remove it using a screw extractor and heat . Next, I had to ream and tap the hole through which the cam must pass . While I was at it, I also had to grind down the hex nut from size 13 to 12 so that it could be tightened freely. I assembled the eccentric mechanism, made some adjustments to the thread, and adjusted the height of the needle, which I had previously had to file down slightly so it would fit the nozzle properly. Since the Aida burner is a little shorter and the needle height adjustment is limited, I made a longer rod. I screwed the burner in place and ran a test. Everything is OK; the needle passes smoothly through the nozzle. During the first pressure test, it turned out that the tank wasn’t holding pressure. My first thought was the NRV. I removed the valve, replaced it, and fixed the cork seal. Pressure was still leaking from the pump tube… Using a flashlight, I located a large crack in the tube. I desoldered it. I have a few tubes and could have replaced it with a spare, but this one is a bit longer, so I decided to just repair it. I soldered the crack and sanded it down just enough so it would fit through the hole in the tank. I soldered the pump tube back onto the reservoir and installed a new NRV gasket (from the cork). I realize that this kind of repair to the pump tube isn't 100% permanent, but for now, it's satisfactory. If necessary, you can always replace the tube with a shorter one. to be continued
To perform a leak test, I tried different types of gaskets for the eccentric mechanism. The test was successful with the lead gasket (I hope it doesn't melt during operation). The next step is to make the lighter. For this, I used a bullet casing and a piece of brass tubing. I cut a section of the casing containing the primer and soldered the shaped tubing to it using silver.I stuffed some fiberglass into the bottom part. Then, using spring steel, I made a handle and fitted it to the burner. I used heat to shape it properly. I really wanted the windshield to be as similar to the original as possible. Windshield. After a long search, I managed to find an artillery shell casing with a similar diameter. I asked @Pharael (thanks, Phil) to provide the dimensions for some of the windshields and the hole sizes, and based on that, I made templates, marked the spots, and drilled the holes. While working on this, I really appreciated the quality of the cobalt drill bits. Using needle files, I shaped the oval holes to the correct shape and then, using a piece of steel wire and hammer, I made the recess needed to hang the windshield on a spirit cup. The tank. I faced quite a dilemma here. Most of the parts I reconstructed were made of brass, and the tank—with its traces of nickel—didn’t fit in with the rest of the assembly, despite its character. Although the nickel layer (or rather, what was left of it) wasn’t thick, I realized that it would be impossible to remove it mechanically from the stamped parts. I decided to take the tank to a specialist, who, after protecting the welds, immersed it in an electrolytic bath for a few minutes. He then soaked it in a neutralizing solution. The brass, and all the embossed inscriptionsand, and the solder remained intact. To make the supports, I used the legs from an old spare-parts stove, and I borrowed the trivet from a classic 2-pint. to be continued
The original knob was missing, too, so I repurposed one from a drawer handle. Once everything is put together, the stove is ready. to be continued.
Since everything had gone well so far, I didn’t want to stop at just the stove, so I decided to recreate a few elements to complete the whole setup—namely, a parabolic reflector. I realized I wouldn’t be able to handle the reflector on my own, so I asked a friend to help me build it. Pharael provided me with the necessary dimensions, and my friend found a mold that was as close as possible and made it for me out of brass sheet metal. Finally, he annealed it thoroughly to set the shape. The next step is to make the heating dome. At a flea market, I found a brass ceiling rose for a chandelier that, although slightly smaller than the original dome, had a very similar shape. Using photos from our gallery as a guide, I drilled several dozen holes with a similar layout. Unlike the original, I used a ready-made system for attaching it to the rod with a set screw. To do this, I carved a special groove with a file. I made the dome rod and the reflector brackets from a 6mm-thick steel fireplace poker. I have to point out that these two brackets took a lot of effort. Heating the metal, hammering it with a large hammer, and shaping it—for someone without blacksmithing training—is a really big challenge. Once I had achieved the desired shapes, I drilled and tapped four holes for M3 screws. I also drilled four holes in the reflector and screwed it to the supports using brass screws. I made the protective cover out of strips of spring steel that were 8 mm wide and 0,5 mm thick. I drilled a hole in the center of each strip and shaped the ends so that they would fit over the rounded flange of the reflector. You can put everything together and get it running. To the trained eye, some parts will certainly differ significantly from the originals, but that’s unavoidable with this kind of improvisation. Thanks for reading. Best regards, Stanisław
@Knee - What you have achieved Stanislaw is both extraordinary and a master-class in fettling. I doff my cap to you. Really well done! Pharael. @Spiritburner @Christer Carlsson
