I am putting this post on as a very tentative suggestion. I am not certain where it should be but Ross will move it where he wants it. The idea is that you can use the angle between the top of the leg and the slope below the first bend to identify the leg maker. The makers tended to stick to the same angle with any model and even used the same angle on multiple models. The basis of the idea is to use a very simple template showing the angles used by different makers The template can be printed off the photo or reconstructed using the angles given You will see that there are three angles shown. In 1914 Optimus acquired Lux and in the several years following used that angle on 00 stoves. They may have used it on other stoves as well. Primus used that angle on 210s and probably used the angle on other stoves. Optimus used that angle up to 1914 on 00s and resumed using it on 00s when they stopped using the Lux angle . They may also have continued to use it at the same time as the Lux bend was being used. The same angle was also used on 45s and 48s At the top of the template there is a line. If the paper is folded at right angles on the line a leg can be slid along it until the lower part of the bend coincides with an angle. This should identify which maker made the leg and whether it is correct for the stove. This angle coupled with the height of the leg should clearly identify whether it is correct for the stove. The angles seem to stay constant when the makers used the same diameter rod to make the legs. These angles apply to legs made out of 6 mm diameter rod. I do not think that they work on 1/2 pint stoves Is it worth developing the idea or does it seem too complicated? Regards Bryan
Ahha, I just found out why the pan support I got from Base Camp doesn't fit the legs I have on my Optimus 45, they are for a Primus ...Thanks for the great information. Oh well....
Hi Rick, I would have thought that the pan-holder should still fit, whether the legs are a "Primus" or "Optimus" pattern. The leg section should be the same for both patterns. How about a photo so that hopefully another CCS member can make a useful suggestion re fitting. Best Regards, Kerophile.
Bryan, thanks for quantifying this subject in such an easily understandable and visual way. I have to confess this makes the potleg discussion a lot easier for this old dog to understand. (I got pretty lost there for a tad!) The downside is that I see myself with a paper printout in my hand checking potlegs for who knows how long! Seriously, thanks so much for this work. Cheers, Gary
Hi Rick Legs tend be 6 mm diameter for 1 pint and 2 pint stoves so a different make should not stop it fitting your stove. Primus 51 & 54, Optimus 45 & 48 and Svea 105 & 106 legs are all interchangeable as all are 145 mm high. However I had a 45 which had feet fitted which had undersized holes in them to take a standard leg. The leg that is in the photo is off that stove. It may be difficult to see but the bottom of the leg has been turned down to fit in the undersized holes. If that is the problem you can have that set of legs as they are no use to me as they would wobble in a standard foot. However I have had a different problem which can make the legs too short. Some burners are a greater height than the standard burner and if one of those is fitted to the stove your standard legs become too short. Does the stove burner have OPTIMUS, OPTIMUS SWEDEN or MADE IN SWEDEN on the top of it? All of those markings were used by Optimus and if those markings are on the burner it should be the correct height. Let me know what the problem is and I may be able to help. "Genuine" Primus legs stopped being produced in 1962 so if you have got a set of Primus legs they must be unused old stock. After 1962 Primus 210 legs had an Optimus bend on them because Optimus made both makes. Svea 121 legs made after 1969 also had Optimus bends on them because by then Optimus were making all three makes Gary at present the chart only has the leg angles from Optimus, Primus and the Lux angle that was used by Optimus after they bought the Lux name and works. I know that those legs were made by the makers named. There are other makes which need adding. I do have a Svea 105 & 106 but I am not convinced that those have original legs It is probable that other makes also used some of the same angles so at present the angle of the bend is an indication of the probable maker rather than positive proof. However Optimus uses the steepest angle of the Swedish makers although I think that Monitor used an even steeper angle which looks odd if you are used to Swedish legs I have sold most of my early stoves so cannot check the angles of the other maker's legs but when I get sorted out I will visit Ross and get the angles off his stove legs On top of the angle you need the overall height of the leg, together with the diameter of the bend to definitely say that a specific maker made the leg. Optimus on their early legs made the bend around a 6 mm diameter pin. You can check this by pushing another leg into the angle of the bend. There should not be any air gaps between the two legs. Later on they kept the same angle but bent it around an 8 mm diameter pin but I have no idea when the change occurred. However to put the leg situation into perspective genuine legs only matter if you are a purest who wants an "original" stove. The original is in inverted commas because there is no way that you can be certain that all parts are original unless the stove has been in a box and has not been used. All that can be claimed for a used stove is that the parts are correct for that age stove as any of the parts could be correct replacements. If you simply want a usable stove the bends do not matter. All of my home made replacement legs have Optimus bends on them because I am not a purest. I think that it is important to bring a stove back to working order even if it means non standard parts. Regards Bryan
Thanks Kerophile & Bryan, I will try to post pics later today. Bryan thank you for the offer on the legs, I think the height is correct and the way they fit into the stove ( I think) is correct. I am toying with the idea that maybe the distance on the horizontal portion of the leg is too long.
Hi Rick The width of the top should be 50 mm or 2" if you prefer. However different makers positioned the vertical in different positions. Some made the vertical central but others set it nearer or further away from the burner. If it just the top that is the problem you can shorten that width without affecting the performance of the legs to any great extent Regards Bryan
Looks like I will get out the hack saw, mine measures 2.5" or about 63.5mm. Measure twice cut once... Thanks for all of your help and the great information.
Thank you, thank you; Ok, I got the legs cut (worked well) and it looks like someone had made a new leg at one time. Two of the legs match and one is about 1/4" shorter with the bend just a little off, otherwise a simple fix. I just didn't want to go creating more problems....
Hi Ross I have a feeling that the angles probably only apply to removable legs on 1 pint and 2 pint stoves and that the domestic stove legs probably have a different angle The problem with anything like this is that you can only comment on what you have seen and if that is consistent it is easy to jump to the wrong conclusion However the angles at this stage seem to be a reasonable start for a system of identifying the leg maker Regards Bryan
My Condolences as I did not know that Bryan had passed away. I wish the Best for his family and had no Idea. My deepest condolences for his Family With Regret and Sorrow ECHO1
