Svea 123, another one joins the clan

My last post here was about 5 years ago...how time flies.

About a week ago I had an hour to kill, so I wandered into the local used outdoor equipment place and right there standing proudly was a Svea 123...an early Optimus one with smooth vaporizer, about 1968-1970 or so is my guess. It looked in fine shape so I scooped it up along with a “Kelty” stamped Sierra Club cup. Cup handle and picker gone, but otherwise intact. The bit of brass corrosion and rust on pot supports and key looked easily fixed.

Home I rinsed with fresh Coleman fuel, checked the cap (needs a washer and pip likely), then fired it up. I got a fairly anemic flame for the first couple of minutes, then it started the Svea thump, but still a bit on the weak side.



Kelty cup on, and made tea.



So a bit of fettling was needed. The next day I removed the burner and nipple and found a small chunk in the nipple, poked it out followed by a short blast of carb cleaner it was clear.


I gave the tank a generous blast of carb cleaner and filled with Coleman. Took it out to the deck and warm-hand primed it. Ignited it and got a decent burn, as I filled my Sigg pot with water I heard the stove take off like a Sikorsky. Blasting hot!


Boiled up a quart of water in rapid order.


The vaporizer needs a tweak as it is a couple degrees off-center, and I ought to look at the wick, but right now this one looks ready to go.


This is my 5th Svea...

 

Whooo Buddy! That is flying!!

 

@Schwert


! & welcome back.

My rule is that if the flame doesn’t leave soot on the bottom of the pot, it’s fine.

Cheers

Tony

 

Thanks guys, it is fun to be back. This stove was roaring. My 7 pint Sigg pot had flames licking up the sides full-on. I had to throttle it back even for this big kettle.

I need to look but this may be my first non-ringed vaporizer 123.

 

I consider that version the most undervalued of the 123 line.

 

I had the stove on our deck, my wife asked “what is that loud racket”, made me smile...told her “that is the sweet sound of Swedish Engineering.”

 

And the sudden quiet when it is turned off. Love it.

 

Snow covered ground, temperature instantly drops another 20 degrees as the sun slips behind the ridge. Fire up the Svea -- that sound is really comforting.

....Arch

 

Yes, that too.