Hello Gentlemen, I just bought an Optimus 48 and am awaiting it's arrival. I noticed that it's got a roarer burner instead of the silent burner. I've got a spare Optimus silent burner already, that I can swap out, but thought I'd get some thoughts first. I noticed the burner just says "Sweden", without the manufacturer's name. I'm assuming this burner was a replacement???
Hi 111T, I think he knows this! He says he has a silent burner to put on this marked Op.48 and he will than have a very desirable, genuine, Op.48. Much rarer that the ubiquitous Op.45s. Best Regards, Kerophile.
Hi Matt, As you know it is difficult to date Optimus stoves as they don't have year codes like most Primus stoves. The best guide is to follow small design changes in dated catalogues and instruction sheets. The Optimus 48 is sister to the Op.45 roarer so I guess they share a common design and nearly all parts. Here is something I wrote on an Op.45 thread a few months ago: "...with stoves things are never simple. Over its lifetime the air-release screw on the Optimus 45 would seem to have moved around a bit! 1. From the top of the tank,in the 1920 and 1929 catalogues. 2.To the top of the fuel filler cap in the 1939 catalogue. 3. To the side of the filler upstand in the 1954 catalogue. 4. To the top of the fuel filler cap in the 1959 and 1962 catalogues.Then, 3. Finally, back to the side of the filler upstand in the 1972 catalogue". This perhaps helps narrow down the possible birth-date of your rather nice Op.48. Best Regards, Kerophile.
That 48 is one of the last versions from the 70's & the burner is contemporary to it, I believe. The similarly dated 45 I have has that 'Made in Sweden' burner. It's handy to have the 2 types of burner for your 48 - makes it more versatile. Wind-resistant outdoors & quite indoors.
Thanks Ross, That explains alot. Great idea...I'll keep the roarer as a spare for windy days. It looks like the traveling cap is missing from the pump. I'll have to search for one. Ross, I just went back and checked my e-mail to Base Camp, and just like every other time I've tried, my e-mail is sent back with a failute notice. I'd just love to buy things from them....believe me, I need lot's of parts! I see their link in your signature. Are you affiliated with Base Camp? Any ideas how I can order something, short of a $50.00 long distance phone call? Any help from anybody would be appreciated!!!
I checked your email provider & they have issues with spam blocking - they are on & off blocked by my ISP on a regular basis - could be the same with Basecamp although there should be some clue in the bounce back. I'm not affiliated with Basecamp other than the site receiving sponsorship but I'd gladly pass on any emails. $50 for long distance!! The USA is one of the many countries I can ring for free with my quite modest phone/internet plan.
I have also tried to order items from Base Camp, and I never could get an email through. They 'bounce back', after a few hours... Not worth an international call tho, not to mention staying up late to do so.
Hi Matt, if you are having problems using your normal email address get yourself a secondry email address with Yahoo.com it is free and very easy to set up. I was having similar problems with sending and receiving emails to a friend in the US so he got himself a Yahoo email address and now all is fine. You might even be able to have mbechtel @yahoo.com
I received the Optimus 48. While I was waiting for it to arrive, I noticed something else popped up on Ebay. A lot of 2 Optimus 45's with problems. One had no burner, the other had a broken burner and no spirit cup. I knew the burner on the 48 I was expecting was for a 45, and I had a spirit cup in my box of parts, along with the Optimus silent burner. I bought the lot of 45's cheap! When the whole mess arrived, I went straight to work on the 48 and got it up and running in no time. The 45 was a different story. The NRV was bad and frozen in the pump tube. I tried my hand at removing it, fixed the NRV from the back side and re-soldered the tube back in place. I put the 45 roarer burner from the 48 on it, along with the spirit cup and viola! I got a 45 out of the deal! The 45 actually burns a little nicer. I just love the patina on the 45. I doubt I'm going to polish that one. Both stove do have the appropriate pot support rings. I forgot to put them on for the pictures.
Hi Matt, Congratulations on fettling two such fine Optimus stoves. They look great. If you want to replace the reserve caps, which fit on the end of the pump knob when not in use, I suggest you send a PM to the Exeter Yak, who is planning a production run of these parts later in the year. I think the Op.45 would benefit from a bit more pressure to get a more energetic flame and help "blow-through" a burner that has probaly been us-used for some time! Finally, I have to ask, has one of the legs on the Op.45 got a curved top? It looks like the leg fron a Phoebus 625 or Shinabro 680: https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/10322 Is there still another Op.45 awaiting fettling? Thanks for sharing the great photos of two classic stoves. Best Regards, Kerophile.
Hi George, Thanks for your kind words. The legs of the 45 actually have a slight upward curve at the end. The picture does make them look a bit like Phoebus 625 legs, but the curve turns upward, not to the side. I took them off and held them together for comparison and they are all the same. They fit nicely into a similiar negative space in the pan ring. The pan ring is original. I'm afraid I was only able to get the one 45 out of the parts. The second one was just a fount and covered with tiny dents. The fuel cap was missing it's relief screw and in it's place is a big blob of solder. I used it as a "dry run" for the pump removal to see just how that works, so now it also has a loose pump tube. I can salvage the NRV and the plunger for spare parts. Unfortunately, I dropped the tube when it was hot and dented the threads, so thats no good. All told I've got about $25.00 into the 45, so I'm happy. I'll take your advice and fire the 45 up again and really try to blow out the cob webs. I did contact Exeter Yak for 2 traveling caps and I'm on his list. Thanks again for the heat resistant washers! Neither stove would have been lit if it wasn't for those! (and several other stoves for that matter!) Ok, time to get some sleep, Take care Matt
one more thing.. The Op.45 must be quite old as it had a cork pip in the NRV. When I mentioned that the burner that was attached to it was broken, I was referring to one of the 4 little clips that hold the flame spreader in place. The burner didn't have the typical ring the flame spreader sits on. One of the clips was broken at the upward bend, but there is enough of it left that it would actually still support the spreader. I don't know if this is of any interest to anybody, but thought I'd mention it. This is what I got in that Op.45 lot:
