Hi all New to the site and now the proud owner of my first stove. A lovely little Optimus. I am keen to learn more about the 'stove scene' and perhaps, in time buy one or two more stoves to start a small collection. How does the site work and how do I get credit or access to other parts of the site? I have subscribed and am keen to learn more from all the fellow members. Thank you all for reading my introduction. Warm regards Louis - Lancashire - England
Hi Bilyboy An Optimus 96. It has just arrived in the mail and I am going to check it all out and give it a 'trial burn' over the weekend. My interest in 'all things stove' was tweeked on a recent camping trip when my brother and I got talking about our adventures in the Scouts 40 years ago. We had numerous stoves then and I got to wondering where they might be now. This led to a search of the internet and the purchase of the Optimus.
I'm sorry, but getting another one or two stoves for a small collection is how it starts. Soon it'll be, just one or two of each type. Good luck and welcome aboard.
@Louis Robert Hunt Welcome neighbour (I'm from Lancashire too). To have become a Subscriber straight off suggests you're here to stay! Good for you and I'm very glad to hear it. Give me a shout if you need a hand with anything. John
Forgot to chime in about that. As a Subscriber you get access to everything, essentially. A really valuable resource is the Stove Reference Library - catalogues, instructions, patents, all sorts of stuff if you really want to binge on stove lore and history.
Thank you all for the kind words and warm welcome. I will endeavour to look, learn, listen and contribute when the opportunity presents itself. Thank you. Lou
Welcome @Louis Robert Hunt You will find there are many of us Anonymus Keroholics that can help you get through the tough times that lies ahead. Do not dispair - there may still be a way out - DO NOT OPEN THAT BOX YOU ARE EXPECTING. I''ll offer to safetly defuse the content in full compliance with the OCFD (obsessive compulsive fettling disorder) Help-center guidelines. Should you however decide to go through with this, we will all be here to support you. Just PM me and we'll take it from there. Best of luck Haavar
@Louis Robert Hunt Welcome! I will get to the "12 Steps" later, but first: A. This site is well set up for finding things you might be interested in. Take some time to browse through it to see how its architecture works. B. The "search" function on the site is very good. It's even better when you understand how the site is set up. C. The Reference sections and the Fettling section contain mountains of information about your stoves(s) and how to fix them. D. Ask questions. We all started somewhere and there are plenty of people willing to help. E. Have fun! Now the 12 Steps. 1. Admit that you find the stove you have bought weirdly fascinating. 2. Admit that you have an irrational urge to buy another one. 3. And another one... 4. And maybe a few more because you are learning about all different kinds of things and firing an old stove is strangely soothing in a chaotic world. 5. Admit that there is no way back to the time before you bought your first stove. 6. - 11. Buy more stoves. 12. Mmmm... pressure lanterns are very interesting. Remember, too, there's a doctor here, @Doc Mark. He will makes sure there is no recovery from the affliction to which you are about to succumb. Good luck. Tony
Another warning: You will also acquire unique knowledge, skills and abilities that are for the most part useless but a source of comfort and joy. And you can find someone, somewhere in the world, who is awake at what ever random hour to share or commiserate with.
Good Evening, Louis, A hearty welcome to CCS, Sir, and thanks for joining up with this Ship of Pyros!!! The Optimus 96 is a wonderful little stove, and lots of fun to own and use. Make sure you do a safety check, before you first fire it up. If you need to know how to do that, just spend a little time in the Fettling Forum, and after a tad of reading, and after asking questions here if you need clarification on something, you'll be Fettling away very soon, and enjoying the lovely blue flame that we all seek and love!!! And, yes, Tony was right. If you need intervention, I can most certainly treat you for the Dreaded Stove Pox..... but, I feel the need to warn you, IF you persist, you will soon be beyond any medical help, pretty much like the rest of us!!!!!! Welcome, again, and cheers! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
@Louis Robert Hunt True words from our resident bone carver! I have to report a warning! The stove pox comes creeping without a warning! I decided a time ago that this accumulation of stoves has to end and started the process of divesting our house and outbuildings of the plethora of stoves (except the necessary minimum of a couple of really needed ones). Inexplicably, during the time it took me to decide what stoves to discard, five more stoves has turned up in the mail and one of my in laws dropped of two boxes of camping gear with at least five more stoves..... So the net result of 3 months of cold turkey is a net inflow of 11 stoves, I forgot to mention that I just had to buy a gassie since we were flying to our vacation in Lithuania .... Oh, a warm welcome to this enabling forum! /Lars, also a doc but another kind.
And more - after the resurrection of your third-ish Brass Saint, then there is this: Every step you take Every jet you make Every stove you break Every step you take She'll be watching you OMG - those lies...
