My Coleman resto project, finished, 'cept decal

[PresTx82]

This is going to look nice when done. No one is going to believe what it looked like prior to your restoration.

[Micro469]

Starting to look good Doug.. You got a beadblaster??? Up here it would have cost me about $150.00 to get that done...... It'd be cheaper to send you the parts and have you send them back when done........

[doug hodder]

No John...I don't have a bead blaster. I have a funky Sears blaster...Mike A has the blasting cabinet and he has been more than accommodating in my use of it. Thanks Mike! I learn something new from him every time I go down to see him. His 40 Ford PU resto is absolutely outstanding!!! Doug


PS John...remember...shipping is a killer!

[dmb90260]

Here it is all bead blasted and stripped. I ended up using stripper on some of the sheet metal on the oven. It is so thin and even at a low angle, the bead blaster would tend to want to warp the metal. It appears that the original color was black. Now I need to do some sanding and a little body work on it on the few dents that it has. I'll have to use a high build primer and several coats over the pitted areas to smooth them over. I also found some patent numbers on it. Might be fun to do a search on them and see what comes up. Doug

The only thing like that I have seen was kind of red and old looking.

[doug hodder]

I tracked down the patent numbers on it. 1 was for the oven option. It was applied for in 1925 and finally granted in 1929. The second was for the instant light feature. It was applied for in the spring of 1929 and granted in the summer of the same year. This stove is a 1930, I believe it to be the first generation of instant light stoves. It could operate like a typical stove, a warming cabinet or an oven.

The theory behind the instant lights is that they suck fumes from the top of the tank to get it ignited. Once the generator is heated, it will vaporize the liquid fuel that it pulls up with the knob on the tank in the over 1/4 turn position. Prior to this invention, you had to pour some raw fuel in a little cup that was at the end of the generator. It had to be lit and burned so that it heated the generator prior to full burn, like on that old Handy Chef I did earlier. Hope I "splained" it OK....Doug

[doug hodder]

I got all the parts sanded and in primer today...shot some black. I didn't want to do black as it shows absolutely every divot and dent in the body, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it in that crappy brown/purple which was the other alternate color, those were the 2 available colors. Black shows every problem. This pic shows the reflection of the pitting on the bottom off the back wall. I can live with it...It has character!

I did the oven portion in high temp primer and paint (not shown), good for 500 degrees with a gloss, the real high temp ones don't gloss. I need to do another coat on the exterior on the box and the tank....The ceramic high temp paints don't spray worth a damn...just my opinion however, but I found that if you get down to like 3" between the can and the metal, it does lay down pretty good and the spits flow out, did swap a different nozzle onto the can however. These high temp paints aren't available in a quart can...had to do the Duplicolor thing. A regular stove doesn't require the high temp paints. The stove/oven combos will.

It won't be perfect, but will hopefully be a good user and a great display item. I look at it this way...I've preserved it for someone that has an unlimited amount of time and money to do better. When it is all said and done....I think it will be a beauty!

Something else I found....there are 2 levels for the baking grate. The upper one had one of the clips originally installed incorrectly. 1 leg for it was riveted on backwards. I tried to find an original type rivet, so I could drill it and replace it correctly, but only found funky pop rivets and the other option was too large. Didn't replace it...it's been good for 80 years...I figure it will be for the next 80...... Doug

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Doug,
I might be able to get you the correct rivet.
The type I can get are solid... You peen the head to set the rivet.

[BobR]

Looking good Doug...can't wait till you fire it up

[dmb90260]

It sure no longer looks like the red rusty box I sent you.
Great job.

I have a friend who does antiques. When she heard it was going to be be refurbished her comment was "what about the patina?" i explained that rust does not qualify as patins.

[dreadcptflint]

Wow, the change is amazing.

[Mark72]

Lookin' good Doug! I didn't realize that your stove has the same type burner assembly as my auto cook kit.

mark

[doug hodder]

Still need to assemble the whole thing, but need more time on the paint before I do that. Also...I sure wish I could get the decal guy to return my e-mails. It gets a shield decal and a gold Coleman sprayed on the tank. Doug

[doug hodder]

Know what is a bear???? put an oven back together and some of the sheet metal pieces have to move like 270 degrees when folding and not get any scratches on the hinges....yeah...like that is going to happen! Kind of a drag.....Doug

[Nitetimes]

Know what is a bear???? put an oven back together and some of the sheet metal pieces have to move like 270 degrees when folding and not get any scratches on the hinges....yeah...like that is going to happen! Kind of a drag.....Doug

You can handle it......you're just that good!

[doug hodder]

I got it all solved Rich....just don't fold it up..... Doug