Burmos brass stove

[Peter_t]

i found this at a market this morning. im guessing it runs on paraffin. made by burmos, burmingham, england but apart from that i don't know much about it?

it measures about 9" tall by 8.5" across

there is no valve going to the burner to control temperature but there is a valve to get the pressure out next to the filling cap. im guessing you just pump it more to go hotter and let pressure out for cooler??

the pump sometimes works if it feels like it lol

i haven’t got any great use for it, i just got it because it was interesting and maybe to fix as a bit of a project

what do u guys reckon? worth £4?

cheers
pete

 

[Toadflax]

Looks basicaly like a primus - as you say, heat is controlled by regulating the pressure in the tank. rik_uk3 on here might have a bit to say about it. You could also have a look on the Classic Camp Stoves forum: http://www.spiritburner.com/

You may need to get some new washers - this place may be able to help: http://www.base-camp.co.uk/ Given them time if you make an enquiry, they are good, but can take a little while to respond.

There's also a chap on eBay who makes new leather washers for these sort of stoves. Can't remember the name but he's in Turkey - but again very good service.



Geoff

 

[johnboy]

Hi,

Nice stove.. looks like a classic 2 pint silent burner..

They are actually pretty straightforward to get running. Yours looks like it's in good condition and is pretty much complete.

As Toadflax says Bascecamp have all the bits you'll need to get it going..

I suspect it'll need the following..

New Pump leather, New jet, New ( or refurbished Non return valve) and a new seal on the filler cap. That should get it up and running again..

Sefa is the Turkish bloke on ebay and he's a real nice guy.

When they are going they chuck out as much heat as a modern liquid fuel stove and are good fun to use...

Here are some shots of a Burmos I have..

And cooking freshly collected mussels on the beach..

Have fun doing it up...

HTH

John

 

[Nonsuch]

I remember many 60s family pic-nics with the Burmos stove boiling the kettle for tea. They are good British stoves and worth getting running again

NS

 

[rancid badger]

This is the Optimus No.1, I bought a few weeks back, from spanielman:

This has a "Roarer Burner" fitted, quite noisy and more or less a blow lamp really!

It was fairly shiney when I got it but after a bit if advice from Rik, I gave it a bit more polish while waiting for my new cup washers from Sefa in Turkey.

Incredibly simple to operate; fill the spirit cup with meths, light it and allow to burn completely. Then close the air release valve, and give the pump about 6-8 strokes (when full of fuel), this should produce vapour from the jet, which you simply light with a match or similar item.

Soaking the pump leather in oil for an hour or so, might be enough to get you going.

have fun anyway

atb

R.B.

 

[Sherwood]

Nice find !
I picked up an Optimus no.45 from the carboot at the weekend, same price £4, couldnt get my money out quick enough!!
It had a similar problem with the pump, only worked when it felt like it. Took the leather plunger out and soaked it in veg oil overnight, then gently stretched it, and now it works the majority of the time, I even managed to get it working, although it seemed to take forever to boil a litre of water....but it was just great to hear and see it in action

Looking at the Optimus no.1 pics that R.B put up, mine must have a semi blocked jet, as the flame never went above the metal circle with the cross design (?) and certainly didnt glow red !!

cheers, Mike

 

[Peter_t]

thanks guys

im suprised that spairs are avalable

how 'silent' is this silent burner?

i was just wondering if there may be any advantages to paraffin over petrol (iv got a coleman 442 petrol stove).
does paraffin last longer?

also stupid question, are paraffin and kerosene the same thing?


pete

 

[ged]

im suprised that spairs are avalable

It's 'enthusiasts' like, well, us that you have to thank for that.

how 'silent' is this silent burner?

Not very. But quite a bit less noisy than the 'roarer' burner which I have to say I prefer.

i was just wondering if there may be any advantages to paraffin over petrol (iv got a coleman 442 petrol stove).
does paraffin last longer?

Paraffin is less flammable, so some people consider it safer. I use petrol stoves a lot, and in my view paraffin is still very dangerous if you spill it on something like a cloth, as it will ignite very easily when wicked by a fabric. That's how a candle works, for example. Paraffin smells, at least to me, about as horrible as petrol and the smell of both lingers if you spill it. Paraffin is marginally easier to pour than petrol. Paraffin is a little easier to keep in a bottle. Paraffin does not attract road fuel duty and this is a big win on the price but you use so little of it that the bigness of the win is somewhat moderated. Paraffin stores about ten percent more energy per kilogramme than petrol. The temperature of the flame does not depend on this, but on the design of the burner. I reckon on about 4 grammes of petrol or paraffin per minute for a three kilowatt burner.

also stupid question, are paraffin and kerosene the same thing?

Yes. There isn't really any hard and fast definition of what paraffin and kerosene contain. They're just mixtures of hydrocarbons ('fractions' distilled from crude oil). Paraffin and kerosene are a bit heavier than petrol.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerosene

 

[Peter_t]

thanks ged

pete

 

[Peter_t]

just ordered some pump cups from sefa

apart from polishing it and removing rust what else should i do?
the pump and tank are full of gunk, should i flush this out?
how can i clean the jet?

cheers
pete

 

[R.Lewis]

Not sure but my Carburettor cleaner would clean the jet? Works well on gummed up bike carbs when stood for many years, but parrafin is slightly different.. I have a really nice compact primus that takes down to fit in a tin box, I'm feeling inspired to sort it now..

 

[ged]

apart from polishing it and removing rust what else should i do?

Go lightly. Better to think about it a while rather than rush in and maybe do something irreversible.

the pump and tank are full of gunk, should i flush this out?

Gunk might not be a problem, but particles definitely will be. If you fill it with paraffin and leave it for a few weeks before pouring it out again you might have dealt with any gunk. Pour it back into a clear plastic bottle so you can see how much rubbish you're getting out. Keep doing that until there's no more or at least very little rubbish. You can use the same paraffin over and over if you let it settle and just pour the top, cleaner layer back in but finish off with a few tanks of fresh clean fuel. I'd recommend that you don't use anything aggressive to clean it as you might damage the seals.

how can i clean the jet?

These stoves always came with a wire on a handle called a 'pricker' to dislodge carbon deposits which would build up inside the jet. Simplest just to get one of those and poke it down the hole. If it's badly blocked you should be able to take it out with a small spanner to clean it. Make sure the spanner fits properly. When the jet is out and clean you should be able to see daylight through it. Don't be tempted to use a drill or anything like that. It's small, and so are some of the other parts, so work on a big sheet of paper or polythene or something so you don't lose the little pieces when you drop them.

When you run the stove, to avoid carbon forming in the jet the important thing is not to let the flame burn yellow at the jet. Use meths to get it the burner good and hot before pumping it up to run. When you put it out, let the pressure down and then blow hard to extinguish the flame. If you do it right, the tank is clean, you use clean fuel and scrupulously clean containers, funnels etc. then you'll hardly ever need a pricker.

Did I mention that everything needs to be clean?