1960's Optimus 96 restoration

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 wilkie14c 09 Dec 2021

When I was a lad, I'd often go off for days at a time with mates fishing, camping and generally messing about. I was allowed to take my grandads camp stove as it was so much faster than a Trangia and often open fires were not an option. I'd forgotten all about it but came across it once again when sorting my dads shed out 5 years ago. I promtly put it in my shed and forgot about it once more! 
This week, while servicing my 533 and Whisperilte (see the Aspen 4 thread) I remembered the little brass stove and dug it out. As can be seen it looks in pretty poor shape, I made the mistake of emptying the fuel out that was 35+ years old - the smell was incredible and it looked like hangover pi$$.

Doing a little research I was amazed to find these stoves have been around since the 1930's (No96 model) and mine dates from the 60's. The stoves are still used around the world today in their 10's of thousands. Just been looking at similar clone stoves made in India for £40. I had no idea Paraffin was still so widely used. You might hear them called kerosene stoves, same thing really but I think paraffin and kerosene are slightly different fuels but used in the same way in these type of stoves.

I was also rather pleased to find that all the parts are still available and they are cheap! I've ordered a set of seals, new non-return valve and pump washer. A new set of 3 pan legs - you can see the leg on the left in the picture is made from a tent peg, I can't remember making that! Also ordered a spanner, to live in the tin and nip up the burner part when assembling, and ordered a non-return valve tool to change the old one as this tool is needed. Price for that lot? £25! 

You needed to carry a small container of meths for these stoves, a small amount of meths was poured into the little alcohol bowl and lit, this then pre-heated the stoves vaporiser tube and when the meths had burnt away, a couple of pumps made air pressure inside the tank push the paraffin up the hot tube, vaporising and coming out as a gas, and burnt in a way we see any other stove burning gas.

I'm going to restore this little stove, a 'working' restoration, that is, fully functional and clean but by no means, 'as new' condition, and will keep the thread updated as to progress so far. At the moment, the tank is full of alcohol and it's going to sit for a few days before the dreaded polishing has to be done!

Any older UKC'ers own a paraffin stove? Would any dads out there allow their 14 year old lad to disappear for a weekend with his mates carrying matches, paraffin and alcohol? Any old paraffin stories to share?


 Siward 09 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

I still use my old paraffin stove and use paraffin in my more recent optimus nova. Much better than gas for winter camping, cheaper too and no half empty canisters to dispose of.

Never bothered using any priming meths or similar I just expel a bit of paraffin and use a bit of cardboard as a wick and light that. After a few seconds the comforting purring sound begins  

 SFM 09 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

I have an Optimus Svea(so not really a paraffin stove). Not an original one but a new one as I kept missing them on e-bay when they came up. It's great, so simple and brings back happy memories of using "Primus" paraffin stoves in scouts.

I've seen a couple turn into utter fireballs and had to be booted away from tents before any serious harm was inflicted. One got so hot the solder on the leg melted and had to be reattached at a later date. Each occurrence was attributed to user error rather than mechanical failure so there is a skill to it. I do remember losing hair to flaring on at least one occasion.

We always used a meths paste as the primer but have seen it done with grass and twigs, although far less successfully.

 Dr.S at work 09 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

We used to use them camping in France - nothing like the roar of a well pumped Primus waking up the campsite in the morning!
 

flares always good fun.

 Pedro50 09 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

My Optimus 8R petrol stove, I was given it in 1972, restored it and used it for about 5 years. It could do with a polish now. A tankful of petrol only lasted about 30 minutes at full throttle, it was hopeless for simmering especially when unleaded petrol appeared, but a thing of great beauty.

I leant it to an acquaintance for an Alaskan expedition, it was awesome at melting snow.

Post edited at 18:00

 wercat 09 Dec 2021
In reply to Dr.S at work:

some older folk have been known to mistake the throbbing roar for the approach of a V1 ....

the trick is to make it cut out suddenly and watch them running for cover

Post edited at 18:50
 Roberttaylor 09 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

These are still used by the British Antarctic Survey as the stove of choice for field camps. 

BAS did some research back in the day, when they realised that CO poisoning was a very real risk when using these stoves inside a pyramid tent (I mean, that was known about in the 1940s...this was more recent, think 'what can we do to mitigate this'). They came to the conclusion that, by lifting the base of the pan about an inch higher, the amount of CO produced (I think, due to incomplete combustion, but I'm no scientist) was dramatically reduced.

So, if you're mechanically inclined, consider extending the parts that raise the pot above the burner by an inch or so, if you're likely to use it indoors. 

The research paper I read (the one with the 'pot rings' conclusion) I think had one of the authors as Paul Ramsden. I could have that wrong. 

BAS has loads of these stoves, anyway, and racks of spares. One of the jobs over the austral winter is repairing and testing them all. They are fun to work work; complex enough to be interesting, simple enough not to be frustrating. A real design classic. 

 Graeme G 10 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

Where did you get the spares? My old dads has been sitting in the garage for years. With my fully intending to restore it, but not having around to it.

Theres various how to guides on YouTube. 
You’ve definitely inspired me to get the job done. The roar of an old primmy is wonderful, with the added glow in the darkness of a winter bothy morning from the top plate.

 Williecleuch 10 Dec 2021
In reply to Graeme G:

I used Ebay, specifically Juliands, where I purchased a full repair kit for a Primus stove for £6.95. The kit comprised of washers, cork washers, jets and prickers. Pretty satisfying hearing it roar back into life.

 oldbloke 10 Dec 2021
In reply to Pedro50:

You've reminded me I lost mine, probably in last house move.  Slightly later model than yours.  Ran on paraffin rather than petrol though (so a tank lasted a weekend) and the noise at full chat was enough to scare off most wildlife.  But also boil water in what felt like seconds.  Brilliant car-camping stove.

 Tom Valentine 10 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

Used mine on the Pennine Way in 1979. I think a full tank and a small Sigg fuel bottle lasted me eight nights.

It was a paraffin model and like oldbloke's , the noise was enough to wake up idle stopabed campers and draw complaints from them.

Post edited at 10:56
OP wilkie14c 10 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

Delighted that the thread has rescued a few other old stoves 😁

as said, parts for mine from ebay, all the same seller - Juliands 

For clarity, this Optimus #96 is paraffin fuelled NOT petrol. A mistake you wouldn’t want to make! 

Picking up a polishing mop and compounds set from Toolstation, cheap enough to buy just for this job and i’ve an old drill to spin it in 👍

 Tom Valentine 10 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

The first mistake of rookie Primus users is to be impatient and start pumping before the vapourising tube gets up to the right temperature: this just throws raw liquid paraffin onto the spreader plate which then ignites if there is any flame left in the heater ring and you have big yellow flames and lots of black smoke in your tent.

I've also got a couple of my dad's old blowlamps which work the same way and I had a Tilley lamp but can't find it now

Another tip for the small collapsible ones is to dismantle while still hot, since the primer ring and the vapourising tube tend to seize up together if left to cool.

Post edited at 12:26
In reply to wilkie14c:

I say clean off the dirt, make functional, but don't polish. Patina is everything.

In reply to wilkie14c:

When my brother and I were young we built a tandem out of two old bike frames welded together. To strip the paint off them we attempted to use an old paraffin blow lamp which used the same technology as your stove. I think the blow lamp used to belong to our grandad. Just to add a bit of spice we stupidly decided to do the work inside our Dad’s garage, where he kept a wooden sailing dinghy. I’m not sure if meths was even involved in our start-up procedure but after a lot of furious pumping we eventually managed to produce an arc of flames which went right across the garage, igniting everything in its path. My brother had the presence of mind to run into the kitchen, empty the bin on the floor, and fill it with water. We managed to extinguish the fires and pretty much cover our tracks. There were a few scorch marks and melted plastic objects which needed concealing, but the dinghy was fine. Our parents knew something had gone on but never twigged that it was yet another fire-related incident. 

In reply to wilkie14c:

I have several old Optimus paraffin stoves. They were always the best. We much preferred them to petrol or gas stoves. They were also the standard equipment of the Greenland Geological Survey in the 1970's.

Why have these stoves gone out of fashion?

1
OP wilkie14c 10 Dec 2021
In reply to captain paranoia:

It’s gonna be polished i’m afraid, the wife has designs on it becoming a house plant stand 😐

2
In reply to wilkie14c:

> It’s gonna be polished i’m afraid, the wife has designs on it becoming a house plant stand 😐

She’ll appreciate its utility when end of days comes and the gas is cut off. Good idea to make preparations disguised as pretty household objects. Maybe a crossbow coat stand next?

 nniff 10 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

I used an Optimus Svea for many years - it ran for hundreds of hours.  It met its end when it got over-heated and basically 'ran away' - finally, the concave base inverted with a loud pop and fired it into the air (it was on a wooden picnic table at the time).  The pressure relief valve should have released, but didn't - no idea how you test those things.   I should have poured water over it suppose, but I wasn't brave enough to approach it.

I also bought one of the big paraffin Optimus stoves in Kenya.  The porters carried them around on a piece of string.  It certainly wasn't Optimus and probably came from India.  I was always scared of it, probably with good reason.  

Now reduced to a very dull and boring but effective Primus Omnifuel, but I'm always tempted by another Svea for sentimental reasons - to be run on full strength petrol

In reply to wilkie14c:

> the wife has designs on it becoming a house plant stand

Tragic. What's the point of renovating it to functioning, if you're going to use it as a pot plant stand?

BTW, the preferred 'Money for Nothing' upcycling is a lamp...

Post edited at 14:30
OP wilkie14c 10 Dec 2021
In reply to captain paranoia:

> Tragic. What's the point of renovating it to functioning, if you're going to use it as a pot plant stand?

I just have to see it running again and can’t bear to just stick it away to be forgot about once more, feel a connection to it since digging it out, memories coming back and all that. I carried it up kinder once for a wild camp (it was just called camping then) never even considered the weight of it but that same trip, my mate took up 4 cans of carling he’d nicked off his dad 😂 

With the rising gas prices, we may end up doing christmas dinner on my far to big collection of stoves.

Post edited at 14:47
 uphillnow 10 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

I was introduced to primus stoves whilst still at school (by 1959) and continued to use them for many years. Whilst extremely reliable when used by someone familiar with them they could literally fall apart if badly abused - if a flare up wasn't dealt with quickly.

In Centre use the "storeman" had to devote a significant time to maintaining a stock of primus stoves. I did a spell working for an O B school in 1964 and later worked in a school where we had these.  I do remember my early attempts at repairing leaks at joints.  It was necessary to solder these but in the process so easy to melt the adjacent jointing. Took a while to sort out how to do this. 

 timjones 10 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

> Any older UKC'ers own a paraffin stove? Would any dads out there allow their 14 year old lad to disappear for a weekend with his mates carrying matches, paraffin and alcohol? Any old paraffin stories to share?

 

I've got a nice little Primus 210 that dates from the 1930s and it still works well. It appears reamrkably similar to your stove.

I would be more than happy for our 15 year old daughter to disappear for a weekend with stove and fuel if she wished to do so.

 Iamgregp 10 Dec 2021
In reply to captain paranoia:

Yeah I was gonna say the same.  Once that patina is gone it can never be put back.

Save you a pig of a job too.

 Graeme G 10 Dec 2021
In reply to Williecleuch:

Brilliant, thanks. I’m feeling inspired. Hopefully my old man’s primmy will bust back into life this winter.

OP wilkie14c 10 Dec 2021
In reply to Iamgregp:

I can argue that the patina can be put back on, it’s just gonna take another 25 years 😁

Im looking for a way to preserve the tin patina though, still has original printing on the lid and it’d be shame to loose that 

 Iamgregp 10 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

But by that time it'll need 50 years worth ;0)

There some sealants on the market for sealing in patina, and stopping the rust from spreading, or turning in to rot.  Never used it myself but seen it done on old cars with surface rust.

OP wilkie14c 10 Dec 2021
In reply to uphillnow:

If my NRV won’t come out, i’ll be looking at de-soldering the pump tube to drill out the old NRV then will have to retap 😬

Im an industrial fellow and love a challange

 Maggot 10 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

> I can argue that the patina can be put back on, it’s just gonna take another 25 years 😁

> Im looking for a way to preserve the tin patina though, still has original printing on the lid and it’d be shame to loose that 

Furniture polish is your friend here.

OP wilkie14c 10 Dec 2021
In reply to Iamgregp:

i’m thinking perhaps spray can of car laquer to cut off air contact an seal within, research req…

 CantClimbTom 10 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

Wow that pic of the stove brings back memories, my first alpine trip I borrowed one exactly like that, I had terrible trouble finding paraffin in Chamonix essence C? Kerdane? Nobody could translate it.

I also learned on the first route that to have a stable flame above about 3,500m you needed a special nozzle (which of course I didn't have!!) Brilliant back in the valley, best stove ever, but NOT on climbing trips!

If you can get the correct seal/washer for the pump, no reason why they shouldn't be going strong today.  Yeah I'd be happy to teach my kids how to use it.

 FactorXXX 10 Dec 2021
In reply to Dr.S at work:

> We used to use them camping in France - nothing like the roar of a well pumped Primus waking up the campsite in the morning!

This 'alarm clock' will wake up the campsite at Glastonbury:
youtube.com/watch?v=kBaVaS0jsbM&

 Dr.S at work 11 Dec 2021
In reply to FactorXXX:

> This 'alarm clock' will wake up the campsite at Glastonbury:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBaVaS0jsbM

That does seem to confirm that the Cooks course is the most difficult in the Army!

 toddles 11 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

I have a little stove in my shed that looks very similar to that one.

It's something I have kept because it brings back memories and seems indestructible.

It's in a red tin, Primus I think. It has the same wind shield, little metal bottle for the meths and prickers for the nozzle when it gets blocked.

I got it from Millets in 1968 and used it for camping trips and pop festivals when I was a teenager, including the Isle of Wight festival in 1970.

I fired it up a few years ago and it worked fine.

OP wilkie14c 11 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

I did not want to use any harsh abrasives to take the tarnish off as I didn’t want a mirror finish or want the extra work taking out the scratches left by paper abrasive. I found the cheap polishing mop set from toolstation and T-cut cut through it with patience and again with a fresh mop afterwards with brasso. The stove retains some of the heavier tarnish and it sports a few dings so it’s age is preserved somewhat. need to pick up some brass brushes for the drill to clean up the burner components next.


 wercat 11 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

Duraglit and elbow grease

 JimSh 11 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

Nice job.

I gave mine a quick polish a few years back and replaced seals etc. but it didn't look as good as yours.

Other restorers might find this site useful.

https://base-camp.co.uk/Optimus.html

In reply to wilkie14c:

Okay, that does look rather good...

In reply to wilkie14c:

> For clarity, this Optimus #96 is paraffin fuelled NOT petrol. A mistake you wouldn’t want to make! 

Well, I'm v glad you corrected that (a v strange mistake for you to make, frankly) because it looked immediately like the wonderful old folding Optimus paraffin stove that my brother and I used for many years (and I think I may still have in a cupboard somewhere). The stove was so good and powerful that when I was in Chamonix in 1972 people were coming from all over Snell's field to get me to boil up their water for them. 

The petrol stoves were completely different in design, very compact, and very dangerous tbh. A colleague of ours in Norway in 1969 - Mike Sharp - had one, and it was a terrifying beast that would boil a pan of water in c. 20 seconds ! )

Post edited at 00:02
 David Alcock 12 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

I had a cantankerous Coleman as a kid in the 80s. Lovely noise, and always an incipient fire grenade. 

 Rick Graham 13 Dec 2021
In reply to David Alcock:

After reading this thread, I have just tried out my only remaining petrol stove, a Coleman 533. Various optimus msr and burmos paraffin/ petrol have been given away or disappeared over the years. 

Despite having sat on a garage or cellar shelf, quarter full with unleaded petrol  for over a decade, the 533 fired up straight away , no priming or pumping required, just turn on and light

OP wilkie14c 18 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

New parts have arrived, left to right:

Old filler seal, lead washer for vapour tube (what’s left of it anyway) pump leather seal and non return valve. New parts on the right. 

The NRV tool can be seen, this worked very well. The old NRV is probably the original one so around 60 years old. The tool located well and loosened it with firm pressure. 
All fitted and stove is holding pressure, have some work to do on the burner head now.


OP wilkie14c 26 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

No drama expected or experienced changing the seals. I liked the patina on the priming windshield so just rubbed some oil into it. 

Im old enough to remember a hardware shop on every estate and buying paraffin was simple, we even took our own glass bottle and they’d fill it from the big tank out back. Not anymore sadly, had to brave B&Q to get some. 
2 thirds full and a meths priming had this roaring away first time, for around 30 years.

The paraffin was £8 for 4L so a little more than petrol but certainly usable as a stove, it won’t replace my whisperlite but a fun little project and just a nice thing to play with.


 barbeg 27 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

Where did you get your NRV and NRV replacement tool ?

Need to replace mine....

Many thanks 

Barbeg 

OP wilkie14c 27 Dec 2021
In reply to barbeg:

ebay seller juliands

 barbeg 27 Dec 2021
In reply to wilkie14c:

Many thanks

Barbeg 


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