I've inherited my father's stove. What can you tell me about it?

I was lucky enough to pick up this beautiful stove from my late father's possessions. I think he used it whilst travelling around Ireland by motorbike.

I'm a bit of an old gear addict (mostly climbing and mountaineering stuff) so I'd love to know more about this stove.

I'd also like to clean it up and get it working again. Any tips and advice would be great. What fuel do they use?

Thanks for your help,

Henry

(BTW, great forum.)

 

Hi @Henry Loveless You are a lucky man, as you have received a Hipolito No.0 paraffin pressure stove. Rather like this one:

Hipolito No.0. 1970/80s

Your stove outfit seems to be all there and with replacement washers and seals should be good for another half century or so.

Kit B Optimus/Primus etc 1 Pint for 00, 210 etc - The Fettlebox

Here are some operating instructions:

https://www.base-camp.co.uk/instructions%203.

Best Regards,
Kerophile.

 

@Henry Loveless

Given your interests, that is a wonderful keepsake.

Let us know how it works out. Lot's of folks here willing to share ideas if you have any problems.

 

Thanks for the replies, and for the amazing links.

I think I'm going to try and fire it up and see how it works. Then I can think about any repairs / cleaning necessary. I'd love to get the brass (?) polished up. What a work of art!

One question. It's described as a paraffin stove. The last time I bought paraffin was from a pump at a petrol station in Chile, where people use paraffin heaters to warm their houses.

Where does one find paraffin in Finland (or in the UK)? Is this a camping shop thing or a garage thing? Do alternative fuels like Coleman fuel also work?

Thanks,

Henry

 

Hi DO NOT USE PETROL! There is a risk of a serious fire/explosion. Also do not use alcohol, white spirits, turps, paint thinners, panel wipe or coleman fuel. You can use barbecue lighting fuel, lamp oil or at a pinch central heating oil although it may smoke. The last three are all paraffin/kerosine . The seals on your stove are likely nitrile rubber which are not petroleum resistant. If you replace them using Fettlebox seals they will be Viton which is fuel resistant and will not harden. You still can’t use Petrol as the stove is not designed for it. Paraffin can still be bought at some garages in the UK
Regards Firestarter.

 

Welcome to CCS @Henry Loveless
It's a lovely piece of family history.
It needs paraffin or kerosene. Coleman fuel (gasoline) is to volatile, the vapour making it a safety hazard when venting the pressure from the tank.

Crossed with Firestarter .

 

Hi @Henry Loveless sorry to be abrupt but I didn’t want you to be hurt . It’s a lovely stove and I’m a bit jealous. In case you didn’t know the reserve lid mounts on the end of the pump knob when not in use. I hope you have a lot of fun with it and look forward to some photos when you get it going.
Regards Firestarter

 

Lovely stove.
Paraffin and Methylated spirit can be bought in hardware shops, diy shops and garages.
B&Q etc.
Meths is usually cheaper in the Home Bargain type shops.

 

(We must have had the same father.) My dad was also a motorcyclist who gifted me exactly the same stove.
The pressed metal trivet is much sought after and you will find further secures the pot rests.
It is a great little stove which performs well beyond its appearance and size.

 

And in addition, the Hipolito graphics, on all of their stoves and tins, are especially fine.

The seahorse ties in with Hipo, but I've wondered about the origin of the four-leaf clover mark.

 

Some more Hipolito history:

Casa Hipólito Sa

Best Regards,
Kerophile.

 

(The little seahorse may have swum among the aquatic clover?)

Portugal: New “Endangered Flora Species” series launches with the four-leaf clover on silver Proof coin | Coin Update

 

Greetings, @Henry Loveless ,

Inheriting your Father's stove is a wonderful thing, and I'm sure you will give it a good and loving home! Whilst Hipolito is a fine brand, there is one thing for which you should check, before trying to fire up your stove. Some Hipolito stoves exhibit stress cracks around the sides and edges of their fonts. I have an Hipolito #2 that appears to be in stunning condition, UNTIL careful inspection of the font proved otherwise!

In this thread, and you can see my own Hipolito, and the nasty stress cracks that rendered it a Shelf Queen for the rest of it's life:

Stress Cracking

I hope your own Hipolito stove is solid, and can be used regularly! Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

 

Don't know what pressures build up inside a stove but I imagine it would be an explosive and catastrophic event if a stress fracture blew out.
Hipolito '0's appear to be made of reasonably thick brass and maybe their smaller size also results in greater wall strength.
I haven't had any problems in over 20 years apart from changing a misaligned jet and replacing the odd consumable item.
(Now used as the regular tea kettle and coffee percolator 'machine'.)

 

Thanks everyone for the info. and notes of caution. You guys really know your stoves.

It still amazes me that such care was taken with the details - the design of the tin, the folding feet, the lid mounting on the pump knob. These were a labour of love.

I can't see any stress fractures so I think I'm going to take it outside and fire it up. I have meths for pre-heating the burner tubes, and I have some barbecue lighter fuel marked as paraffin. Do you think this will be appropriate / safe?

 

Hello Henry, the barbecue fluid seems to inclure rape seed oil, so you should probably not use that. I always use "Crystal Valopetrooli" that can be bought from stores like Tokmanni or Puuilo in bigger canisters, but anything called "valopetrooli" or "erikoisvalopetrooli" should be fine.

 

Maybe you want to first empty the stove, then pressurize it while placing a finger over the jet and submerging it in a bucket of water to check for any leaks (or stress cracks)?

 

Thanks Mikko. That's exactly what I needed to know. I'll pop in to K-Rauta and pick some up later.

It's minus 16 outside. I guess these stoves still work in the cold, right?

 

Hi henry.
If you have a Biltema near by you can go there and buy their Valopetroli. Excellent stuff for your Hipolito. Valopetroli

 

Great tip, there's one quite near me in Vantaa.

Thanks.