A new project...now complete 12/5

[Ratkity]

Beautiful transformation!!!

Hugs,
Ratkity

[Assassin]

nice------------like the stencil as well-------

[cuyeda]

Wow! A challenged project well done! You know yer settin yourself up like that. People are going to start sending you the burnt up rust buckets just to see you breathe new life into it!

[doug hodder]

That's just the thing Cliff....some stripper, sandpaper, wire brush, rattle cans of paint and a bit of knowledge and some time, anyone can do it, especially on the relatively newer stuff, 1940 up. None of this is rocket science...just patience and effort! If someone can build a trailer, they can do a stove...There is tons of help here and on the Coleman forum to assist anyone.

For me...I've got 2 really tasty stoves from the late 20's early 30's to do right now and they are going to be time sinks to do correctly. Doug

[starleen2]

That's just the thing Cliff....some stripper, sandpaper, wire brush, rattle cans of paint and a bit of knowledge and some time, anyone can do it, especially on the relatively newer stuff, 1940 up. None of this is rocket science...just patience and effort! If someone can build a trailer, they can do a stove...There is tons of help here and on the Coleman forum to assist anyone.

+1 great job BTW

[doug hodder]

Guess what???? After all that work and great paint on the tank...it has a small weep on the filler end on it. Drips about 1 drop every 15 sec. or so. Stripped the paint off that end, found the hole...took a hand loop to see it. Hit it with a torch to maybe gas weld it up...hole got bigger which indicates it's got bigger problems.

I gave up on the welding of it....made up a batch of JB Weld, mooshed a load of it through the hole and patched the outside. It's curing now...I'll fuel it up this weekend. I think the big lesson here is to put some fuel in any tank and pressure it up after cleaning prior to painting to see if you have a working tank or not.

Kevin does have a back up tank for me and it's on the way. Thanks Kev! Doug

[rbeemer]

Guess what???? After all that work and great paint on the tank...it has a small weep on the filler end on it. Drips about 1 drop every 15 sec. or so. Stripped the paint off that end, found the hole...took a hand loop to see it. Hit it with a torch to maybe gas weld it up...hole got bigger which indicates it's got bigger problems.

I gave up on the welding of it....made up a batch of JB Weld, mooshed a load of it through the hole and patched the outside. It's curing now...I'll fuel it up this weekend. It's curing now. I think the big lesson here is to put some fuel in any tank and pressure it up after cleaning prior to painting to see if you have a working tank or not.

Kevin does have a back up tank for me and it's on the way. Thanks Kev! Doug

Instead of gas could you pump it up with air and submerge it in water and look for bubbles?

[doug hodder]

Sure could...Doug

[eamarquardt]

Please let me know, in advance, if you fire up the stove using a tank that is rusted out.

I wanna be somewhere else.

Be careful.

Cheers,

Gus

[doug hodder]

Not to worry Gus...you didn't hear a big BOOM did ya? My repair must've worked. It burns fine and no leaks. I'll leave it pressured up with fuel in it overnight and see what happens. Doug

[eamarquardt]

When we met at Montana de Oro I liked you. I still like you!

Call me a pessimist. I'm still concerned. The tank was apparently corroded to the point of no return in one spot. You have repaired that one spot. The repair may or may not hold up over time. There may be other places where the tank has corroded nearly to the point of failure. Knowing this, using the tank seems dangerous to me.

The tank, when being used, is pressurized and filled with a volitile fuel. Just like a flamethrower in WWll. The Japs just hated our flamethrowers for good reason.

I suggest you make it a "museum" piece and retire it.

In my youth I worked at a SCUBA shop. One of my duties was filling SCUBA tanks that are regularly tested. One of my peers once was filling a tank with a valid test and noticed bubbles (the tanks are placed in water to keep them cool while filling them) in the water. He was lucky he wasn't blown up! Pressure vessels fail.

If I seem overly cautious, maybe it's because a coworker was burned to death at a factory that I once worked at. It wasn't a good experience for anyone involved.

My orginal request stands.

Cheers,

Gus

[doug hodder]

Thanks for your concern Gus, I do appreciate that!....Kevin has a back up for me and yes, the plan is to replace it. I've got a number of 413 tanks that will fit the stove, not the flat ends however. Most all of my nice old restored stoves only get used for demonstration purposes only and aren't "daily" burners, they are "museum pieces". I can make them all operate, but if there is a problem...many of the parts are difficult to obtain, especially if it's not Coleman. Besides...redoing all that paint if it were to get scorched is a pain in the rear...I've got lots of stuff that are the daily burners. Doug

[doug hodder]

In thinking about Gus's concerns...he's got a very valid point. A pressurized fuel tank is basically a bomb waiting to go off. Don't take any of this stuff lightly.

If it's leaking anywhere on the joints or the tank itself....it's sort of a fuse waiting to be lit. I've played with this stuff for a number of years, and honestly have learned a lot of lessons the hard way.

For anyone doing this sort of restoration or hobby, use your HEAD! I may doctor a tank...but it won't be a main user and truth be known...this is the first one I've ever attempted to do, I've replaced all the others. I would highly recommend NOT "patching" one, there are lots of other tanks out there that are good. Just replace it for safety's sake and your own piece of mind.

On a rebuild...start it outside, away from things, and if it does flare up whether it be lantern or stove...don't flip out and panic...just shut down the valve. If it's a leaker to begin with and there is fuel dripping out of a valve joint or tank prior to lighting...don't light it. Fuel and pressure them up and let them sit for a while to see if you have any fuel weeps anywhere prior to lighting.

Don't be a Darwin Awards contestant! Doug

[StPatron]

Awesome job, Doug!

I really like the look of the hammered copper paint.

[Kevin A]

Doug and Gus have provided some really good advice. I want to add my 2 cents. If you suspect a problem with a stove tank or a lantern, rusty interior, leaking fittings or other damage. It would be a good idea to pressurize it prior to adding fuel and submerge it in water. If it has any leaks, they will show up. It might be a good idea to do this with any newly acquired item that you don't know the history of.