Hello from Bromley, Kent! I'm a new member and have finally decided to get my SVEA 121 stove back into regular service. I've been in Scouting for a number of years and I am currently an Assistant Scout Leader. I love the outdoors and currently have 2 small and 3 large tents and 4 or 5 assorted camping (gas) stoves. Some years ago (c.2002), I was given 3 metal khaki green boxes. Two boxes (dated 1939) contained daytime signalling lamps (with morse code tapping keys dated 1940) which I restored to working order and gave to my Scout group, where they were used on an occasional basis as an out door activity. The third, similar box remained in my workshop and contained the stove. As it was 'my kind of thing' I got it fired up (sort of) and even managed to boil a kettle of water on it, but it soon became obvious that it was going to need some attention. As I wasn't sure exactly how it worked or what all the pieces were for, I packed it away and put safely at the back of a cupboard out of harms way. So we (Scout leaders) were sitting around a camp fire the other night and there was all this talk about rocket stoves, Trangia's, gas stoves and all the latest technology (all rather interesting) but I thought none of them were as nice as 'my old stove', with all it's shiny brass and engraving. Coincidently, I was looking for Trangia's on Ebay and I came across a listing for leather cup washers, suitable for various makes of paraffin stoves. Scratching around further still, I then came across pictures of the 121 and similar stoves which then led me to this site! I'm now hoping that I can get the parts and operating knowledge so that I can finally get my old stove into regular use. So pictured above is what I've got from the tin box. I don't know the proper names for all the parts, so you'll have to bear with me. There are obviously 6 pan supports and I'm guessing that my stove once had a brother. I have 2 'riser' tubes (?) one that is fitted at the base of the 'burner assembly' and the other one pictured to the right. They are similar, but not identical - the one on the right has a slightly larger internal bore through it. Pictured to the left of the burner assembly is of course the 'pump rod' with it's 'not too good' looking leather cup washer. I only have one rod and it also features in one of the other photo's next to the main tank. I also seem to have some sort of wind shield (various slots and holes), a thin tapered collar (which looks as if somebody crudely cut a small opening into, as can bee seen in the photo) and a spare (?) preheat collar. The main tank body has a filler cap that also incorporates a pressure release valve, and a cap to seal the main tank when the burner is removed (which screws onto a convenient location when the burner is in place). The pump rod with it's leather cup washer obviously goes into the opening around the side of the tank. The top is beautifully stamped with the make and model etc. and underneath are 3 hinged feet. One thing that is quite noticeable and slightly worrying is the amount of visible solder around some of the joints. So, that's my stove as it stands at the moment. New washers on order and some trawling through these pages should hopefully get me to where I want to be with it (by the camp fire brewing a coffee with a big smug look on my face!).
Welcome Aboard! It looks like you have a compete stove among the parts, including a reserve cap for traveling. Others should be along soon with more info. You found the mother-lode on Classic Camp Stoves information here. Paul
Welcome! It should not be a problem to get the "wear" parts for this Svea 121 . NRV pip, and all washers should be easy to get (Try here) The flame ring that someone has cut a part of ( ) can be hard to get as an original, but should be easy enough to get replaced with a unbranded version. I think item P4168 found here would fit. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm too far off...
(1) Either one of those riser tubes should work fine. The slight variation in internal diameter makes little difference. (2) You can purchase burner washers from Fettle Box. While you're there you can also buy a new Viton washer for the fill cap. (3) The NRV pip Janders mentioned is screwed into the bottom of the pump tube and requires a special tool to remove. If this were faulty you never would have gotten the stove running in the first place so you probably don't need to mess with it. (4) New pump leathers can also be purchased from Fettle Box. However, the one you have doesn't look that bad. You might try soaking it in oil (automotive, mineral, sewing machine, etc.) then trying it again. (5) The last thing you need is a jet pricker which you can purchase on eBay. Actually, send me your address in a personal message and I'll mail you a couple for free. Ben
Thanks for the information. I ordered a (hopefully correct) set of washers yesterday from Fettle Box and they should arrive in the next day or so. It's been some years since I fired the stove up, but I seem to remember having to frequently pump the pressure in order to keep the flame 'roaring'. The pump rod has the leather cup washer on it and when I look inside the tube it runs in, all I see is a small hole at the far end. I assume the NRV sits the otherside of the hole - inside the tank? I'm guessing that if it doesn't seal perfectly, then this could be why I had to keep stoking the pressure, unless there is a leak elsewhere. I guess its a case of fit new washers to tank, pressurise the empty tank and hold it underwater to see if any air bubbles escape. Of course, it could also be down to my inexperience with these kind of stoves and the lack of operating instructions (since found elsewhere on this site). Ben - thank you for your very kind and generous offer, but I have also ordered some prickers from eBay which should also arrive in the next day or so. I presume they are for clearing out the jet nipple from time to time, or should it be done before every use? I'm intending to dismantle, clean/polish each part and replace 'consumables' as I go. Hopefully all the washers etc. are currently in their correct positions so that its just a case of compare 'new' with 'old' and swap. In all the excitement, I've just realised that I'm missing some other components, namely paraffin and meths! Thanks once again, I'll put some pictures up as work progresses! Baz
You assume correctly. The non-return valve (NRV) screws into the bottom of the pump tube and extends inside the tank. Try replacing the seal under the fill cap first. If that doesn't work then dunk the tank and look for leaks. If air leaks from the pump tube then the non-return valve is probably the culprit. Ben
*** Update *** Having received the service kit, the first thing I did was put some motor oil in one of the little self sealing bags, along with a couple of the leather cup washers. I then removed the old washer from the end of the pump rod, or in actual fact, I gave it some minor assistance to help it crumble and fall apart around the centre hole. With new washers still in soak, I decided that I might as well fit the new NRV. As Ben mentioned above, it needs a special tool to remove it and as I had a new one to hand, I was able to understand how it goes together. So, I set about fashioning an extractor tool. The brass rod I had seemed to me to be ideal as there ought to be sufficient material left over after cutting out the middle to fit the valve head. Also, being brass, it should be less likely to cause damage to the inside of the pump tube. There was also a note with the new valve about filling the tank with boiling water for 10 mins in order to loosen the old valve, and so that is what I did over lunch. So, applying a firm but steady pressure, I could feel the valve slowly starting to shift when . . . OK, so the old valve was having none of this. It wasn't the valve moving, but rather my new tool breaking. One -nil to the valve. Fortunately, there appears to be no damage to the old valve or the inside of the tube. At this precise moment, my wife chose to remind me that we were leaving in 15 minutes: "Remember? We're going to the Chinese Lantern Festival at Chiswick House?" "Of course dear!" I replied, lying through my teeth! So endeth my first stove revival session!
So, leaving one leather cup washer in the oil bag, I fitted the other one today having been in soak for 24 hours. Looked again at the NRV but doesn't appear any worse for wear after yesterdays antics, so not surprisingly, I decided to go with the original one, at least for now. Not only that, I decided to have a go at firing the stove up, just to see where we stand with this project. All right, I admit it - a sort of excitement crept over me and I found myself assembling meths, paraffin and matches and sub-consciously, searching for a small plastic funnel. Not exactly a roaring blue flame, but it did reveal a few clues, not least the leak gathering in the meths ring. Back in the workshop, I was surprised to find that riser tube, spirit ring (?) and upper burner assembly to be less than finger tight. Probably as a result of having to down tools and visit London yesterday (so it must be my wife's fault then!). I also decided to have a quick (45 minute) look at swapping over the brass jet in the middle of the burner. Having gotten it apart, I blew through the burner pipework (specks of black soot floating around in front of me) and then fiddled the new jet into position. I did note beforehand that the pricker easily went into the old jet, but was a much closer fit on the new one. Fired it up again, twiddled, fiddled, added windshield & flame spreader, removed windshield and flame spreader, pumped, pumped again. . . OK, so still not looking too great. When I was pumping, I didn't feel as if I was actually achieving anything. I imagined that after a few pumps, I ought to start feeling some back pressure, and the flame ought to be a blue, roaring spectacle, but that simply didn't happen. So, dis-assembled, travel cap on and into a sink full of warm water, my theory being that the air inside would expand in the warmth and show any leaks. Bubbles from the travel cap, one or two from the pump (could be just from air in the tube though), but quite a few from the filler cap (but none from the little air bleed screw). The filler cap had a black washer inside with a central hole for the air bleed device. It fell apart upon removal and could be age hardened rubber, or even bakelite for that matter. There's not one in my service kit, nor is there a washer for the travel cap, so it looks as though I'm going e-shopping again! Might as well see if I can get hold of a a NRV tool and maybe even a jet removal tool. So that's it for now, dishearten but certainly not beaten!
Hi janders! I bought a new flame ring as you suggested - just waiting for the postman to deliver the goods! It's nice to have something to tinker or 'fettle' with. I've even had a quick look on eBay to see if there are any 'cheap' ones for sale that need playing with, but decided to get my one going first. I need to also consider sorting out the 'military' style tin that my one came in, as it's suffering from rust worm and the fabric is perishing.
Hi Go Scout and welcome to CCS. Nothing to do with this thread but I was a Scout and in 1965 my Scout Group had two weeks in the Bromley area of Kent. It is a nice part of England. The highlight of the camp was a visit into London to see the newly released Beatles' 'Help!' film. Great times.
@Go Scout Replace all your seals and washers, including the pip in your NRV; tighten all your connections. I think you will find that these actions are most efficacious. Cheers Tony
Hi Tony, That's my plan, just waiting on the postman! One of my fellow Scout leaders emailed me last night saying that he's got a couple of stoves in his garage that he rescued from a scout hut somewhere. He said I could have them as spares or to tinker with Don't know what they are yet, but I feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas Day to arrive!
*** UPDATE *** Happy Days! Parts arrived in the post this morning. Wife and daughter gone shopping = I'm free to tinker. With new travel cap and filler cap in place, pumped some air into the empty tank. Released air bleed valve to reveal the sound of hissing air escaping. Great, we have pressure then. Stove assembled, filled and lit. Meths nearly gone, slowly operate pump. Initial yellow flame that quickly turns to blue accompanied by a loud roaring sound. Couple more pumps and the roaring becomes louder and more aggressive. Get carried away and pump a bit more. Loads of yellow smoky flame, so release some air from bleed valve. Soon settles back down to a roaring blue flame. Take photo's. Work out how to use video on phone, so take short video. Stove still roaring away happily without me fiddling with it. Sit there staring at it for a while and notice that the burner now looks a lot cleaner, seems like the soot has been blasted away. Hmmm! Now what about that sorry looking tin . . . .
Great work. It reminds me of me a few short years ago. You seem to be missing the flame ring in the burner flame shot. You have one in a photo at the top, but it has been cut. I see you are handy, you could sil-braze it complete or order one. Good work, Ken in NC
Hi Ken, You are right of course. I did have it (- a new flame ring) on, but although the stove was happily roaring away, the flame was all but invisible as can be seen in the following photo: If you look carefully, a little bit of blue can just about be seen under the main flame spreader. The brand new ring has changed colour from the heat. I opted for the photo without the ring, simply because the pale blue flame could be seen more easily. The pan supports proved useful as tools for removing both wind shield and flame ring without burning my fingers! Here's the box that my stove lives in, similar to (but smaller than) the two boxes that the daylight signalling lamps were in (mentioned in my first post above): The carry handle and fabric lid covering have perished and the outside needs some rust removal and paint. Inside the box, the two plywood linings (left and right) have been loosened, ready to be taken out and I have since removed the paxolin(?) lining in the lid and the outer fabric covering. I looked at removing the hinge pin from the lid, but decided that I would do more harm than good. The inside seems in pretty good condition, just a bit of light surface rust to be looked at. My plan is to re-paint the whole tin in a similar green and replace the fabric with a new, similar fabric. I will re-use the inner ply linings, maybe swapping sides and the four outer metal corners. I will also re-use the paxolin lid liner and the strap retaining plates (not pictured). As I'm going to use this as a 'working' stove, I have no qualms about using non-original parts for the stove or it's box. Any original parts removed will be kept bagged up inside the stove box, with the exception of rust and paint scrapings! I will probably make up some sort of 'original looking' logo for the outside once all is complete, and have decided not to go down the polishing route for now because the stove will hopefully be in regular use. Apart from the carry strap retaining plates, everything else was held together by tiny copper rivets that have been carefully drilled out. Somewhere in the deepest, darkest corner of my workshop and yet to be re-discovered, is a brown paper bag with thousands of such rivets in. The bad news is, although I want to get to work on the box, I'm away this weekend and so it will have to wait. The good news is, I'm away this weekend at a Scout camp working party (site clearing) and am sure that my fellow Scout leaders and any assisting parents might appreciate the roar of a stove and the whistling of a kettle! Now, where did I put that meths bottle . . . .?
*** Question *** Looking at lots of other stoves, not just SVEA 121's, I see many have writing in multiple languages, including arabic(?) Mine is rather lacking in this respect, although to be honest, I think I prefer it without as I can't speak foreign languages anyway. Does this mean that mine is early, late, or just . . . . . plain? Any ideas???
Very nice informative thread. Good stove box,great stove! I am just down the road from you in Carshalton if you need any parts give me a try I have a few! Think I have a 121 kicking about somewhere as well? Cheers Nick
Hi, have a look at the Sv. 121 in this link: https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/svea-121-c-1967.10674/ This was one of the last series of "proper" Sievert Sv. 121s produced. Does your stove look like this and have the same markings. When you increased pressure too much after the prime cycle you overwhelmed the burner and got liquid paraffin exiting the jet and burning with copious fuel-rich,yellow flames. Once you establish a stable blue flame you should stop pumping, and allow the burner to get up to operating temperature ( a few minutes), before resuming pumping to achieve full power with a large blue roaring flame... If that is what you need. Best Regards, Kerophile.
