Not the marine type in stainless steel with ‘fiddle’ rails often encountered. As I usually do, I stripped the stove to service (clean) and check components. Helps me understand the characteristics of a stove too. I’ve not seen a strainer of this type in an alcohol stove before - usually a wire brush - as in my marine Punker on the left - or asbestos string construction. 32 brass rods. I cut a new lead sealing washer and re-installed the strainer rods. The burner on this Punker is has different ‘pipework’ from the marine Punker. Marine type underside. Enamelled type. What that last shot reveals is the absence of the inverted cup that prevents the priming flames from igniting the vapourised fuel at the jet. My first attempt to construct one was using a small stainless steel funnel. It didn’t work, too much spillage of vapourised fuel out of the cup, which ignited and caused the fuel to burn at the jet - effectively an under-burn situation. A successful alternative was to construct one from a kerosene stove fuel filler cap (a spare), silbrazing a steel threaded tube into it that screwed into the threaded boss at the base of the burner. The threads weren’t an exact match in terms of form and pitch, but the components tightened up satisfactorily to hold the cup in place. No burning at the jet now. Some details. The usual dipper built onto the fuel filler cap to convey a priming charge of fuel from the tank to the priming cup ‘chute’, side mounted on this Punker (front mounted on the single burner marine type). The priming chute is hinged to move sideways - I can’t see the purpose of that. The Punker name on the stove top plate. ... and on the control knob. Also on each end cap of the fuel tank. Intructions decal is patchy. A strong and controllable flame. Simmer. A little more ... ... and a max that’s caused the burner dome to glow red, colouring the flame. John
Nice post. Another stove that I had no idea existed. Did it burn at the jet the way you received it? Thank you John
"Strainer Rods" are common on alcohol stoves. I'm not sure of their purpose but my guess is that they reduce pulsation at the burner. Ben
Brilliant work, well done John. Wonderful stove, and thank you for sharing it with us. Reaching on this one, but I wonder if this stove was meant to be nearby or fitted closely in between other stoves. Perhaps the priming chute pivots simply for access. Were there extension "wings" available to widen the surface as I've seen with other kitchen ranges, making access to the sides impractical? Pull chute towards one's self, fill, light, wait for alcohol in the beginning of the chute to stop burning, then push the chute into proper position for the pool to finish burning and priming the burner? From the marks on the enamel above the priming chute in the "forward" position, is it possible that the alcohol in the beginning of the chute was burned that way enough times that the enamel above it was damaged? WAG on my part, of course.
Yes it did Ken and the base opening of the spherical burner is threaded, so suggests a part was missing. Makes sense, I agree Marc. What I meant Ben was that I’d not seen the use of brass rods in that role. ‘Strainer’ and to aid vapourisation. Also prevents back-flow of vapourised fuel bubbles to the tank is what’s generally supposed. But Punker call it a strainer, so I used that term here.
John, When you showed us your one burner version of the Punker stove I was feeling I needed to look at mine. I found it and tried it out today. I have had it for over ten years and because it do not look good it was stoved away. I fired it up and it worked acceptable. Some yellow in the tips sometimes. Mine did not burn at the jet and it do not have any larger part at the mixing inlet only a smaller treaded part with a conical inlet to the burner. The rods are also in this one too. I believe that the priming arm is moveable so you can store the stove in a box or maybe only make it more easy to ship. Michael
@cmb56 Thanks for posting those details Michael. So, a conical burner inlet and not a bell shaped one. John
@presscall I have been able to strip the burner apart and here are some pictures of the parts. Michael
@cmb56 Thanks Michael for going to the trouble. Interesting, the component projects a fair way inside the burner ‘sphere’. I can see how that would act as a sort of one-way valve for the fuel/air stream and prevent the vapouriser heater jet flames from igniting the vapour at the jet. Without it, the fuel/air vapours spilling out of the burner sphere at the base at low velocity can be ignited. John
