Browsing the sister site CPL I read with horror THIS account of a potentially devastating, fiery, incident involving an Optimus 111B. Had Colin checked the NRV’s sealing ability by pressurising his regulating burner stove before bringing a naked flame anywhere near it there’d have been no drama (peering down the pump tube certainly, but the pump cup sloshing through a column of fuel as the tank pressurised would be a giveaway). I’m uncomfortable too operating any stove or lantern indoors, a risk easily avoided, but not everyone feels that way I appreciate. John
Scary story… Would be interesting to see what happened to the NRV… I guess it was a not too long ago fettled 111b… Wrong pip material? So slowly deteriorated by gasoline? A home punched pip that maybe had some minimal deformation that could have caused the failure? Gunk inside the NRV that limited the spring functionality? Nicola
A fast dunk test before to light a gasoline stove (if not used for long time) I think it’s a safety step we should follow, at least indoor…
A reminder regular maintenance including inspection and testing is especially important where petrol/naptha is concerned. I don't use petrol stoves or lamps indoors, but am happy to and regularly use paraffin fueled equipment in domestic house, onboard boat and in large vehicle. Regular and thorough maintenance, something to extinguish any mishap, and a contingency plan if this doesn't work. It might seem over the top but I've conditioned myself to always have a 'stop and think' moment before doing anything involving fire, sparks or heat. Not just the obvious cases like removing anything flammable before welding or grinding, even if just for a few seconds, but ensuring lithium batteries on charge are in a safe place, and moving petrol cans out the way even when using a cordless drill as motor brushes will spark. For the extra time and effort it all takes, it's a sound insurance policy.
Scary stuff. Glad Colin is OK, if a bit worse for wear. I had a gasoline torch fire up just fine, then had the NRV fail and start streaming white gasoline out the pump tube. Shut it down with no further fireworks, but it could have been unpleasant. Very thankful I was in my shop, working on a steel table, concrete floor, ceiling ~20ft up, lots of fire extinguishers, etc around. Time to add some fire blankets to the fire-fighting arsenal.
From now on I will pressurize all my stoves before priming them. I always felt a bit more nervous using my 111B over my 111's now this story just confirmed my concerns over this stove. I do remember one time pumping up one of my Enders military stoves before I poured some alcohol in the priming cup and gasoline just started to pour out through the pump tube. Thank god I did this before I put a flame near it otherwise I would have a fireball three feet from my tent.
Good Evening, All, WOW!! SO glad that Colin was not horribly injured, or even worse!! Yes, Coleman fueled Optimus stoves have to be checked, and then rechecked, every time you use them! So far, I've always been able to detect an NRV, or fuel cap gasket problem, BEFORE getting to the conflagration stage! Thank God for that! As for having gotten a pip made from lesser materials, I've just about given up on some of the stuff that passes for Nitrile these days, and try to go with Viton for such needs. I recently got out my first Primus Pocket Outfit, from 1920, and thought I'd fire it up, only to find that both fuel cap gasket, and the NRV pip, were as hard as concrete! After replacing the old stuff with new Viton material I thought all would be well. However, I neglected to check the lead seal between the burner and the fuel tank, which leaked like a sieve! So, now I need to dig out some lead sheeting, and make a new seal before firing up the stove again! Here's an action shot of what happened when that lead seal began to leak! Thank God I was outside!! The big chunk of beam that I'm using to test the stove escaped any burning, or damage. Had I been in the house, I guarantee, the damage would have been horrible! And, all this with a kerosene stove!! So, let us know be lulled into thinking that kerosene stoves are ALWAYS safer than Coleman fueled stoves. They are BOTH in need of a sharp eye, and constant checking, to make sure they ARE, indeed, safe to use, inside, and outside! Again, thank God that Colin escaped more horrible damage and injury!! - Doc
Doc, look on the bright side. That was a real photo opportunity. Beautiful flame shot! I’m glad it wasn’t more serious.
Evening, Ivan, Thanks, very much! I was planning to enter this one in the SOTM contest this month. No time to finish my fettle. But, when I do finally entire it, I'll post three flame shots, just to show how dangerous even kerosene stoves can be, if not kept in excellent condition!! I love this flame shot, just for it's beauty, but I most certainly look forward to the usual "Blue Flame" out of this little 96, when the fetting and testing is done. Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
@presscall good morning John a very good idea posting the link, as a warning and reminder to us all especially to any new members and collectors that have just started out collecting using and fettling/restoring. Pressure testing of a stove, is one of the first things i receive a new addition and after fettling, one to check for obvious leaks/pressure loss and mostly important which i and lots of others i assume have learnt on here, the dreaded stress cracking which is the most dangerous fault a stove could have especially on white gas /naphtha petrol gasoline stoves. I even have a couple of jets/nipples that i have blanked off with solder, so i can pressure test non regulated stoves, i sometimes do a basic test first by pressurising a stove first with a good copious amount of air in the tank and leave it for several hours, and then either open up the regulator or pressure release key and see if there is any air left in the tank, if there's not, i fill the stove again and remove the pump rod and immerse in water and watch for air bubbles indicating pressure loss from all parts of the stove, which is a system all of us use, its just another reminder for any newbies that are into using and collecting. Well done John for posting this cautionary warning
@presscall. Hi John Here are a few i made a while back, they are from old jets with a enlarged orifice, i just cleaned up the solder so it can be seen better. I keep them in this little plastic container with a screwed lid, i use to keep them in a tin with all the jet pickers but you have to fiddle around and have lost several .Kept in this container its much harder to loose and all ways kept in the fettling tool box
I’ve got a couple of those, too. Much simpler than trying to pump and dunk test with your finger over the jet in the nipple. Cheers Tony
‘Keeper’ caps are handy to serve in that capacity for removable burner stoves - provided they make an efficient seal. Certainly I’d not be soldering ‘lipstick’ vapourisers closed.
It's almost as if the designers of the Monitor 'high speed' model had this in mind, with the detachable travel cap...
The closest I've come to stove disaster was also a failed NRV on a 111b. I wasn't injured but it took two fire blankets and a fire extinguisher to save my BBQ area. I've stuck with my kerosene 111s and run my 111Ts on kerosene since. Really quite terrifying seeing one go up like that.
