Something is eating my trangia!

[Zodiak]

My Explorer Scout unit mainly uses our trangias withe gas convertor, but the other week we went to use the meths burners, which are kept in another box, only to find that they all have blue/white blothes of what looks like fungus growing on them!!

You can scrape it off but I wanted to know what this stuff was, what caused it, how do we get it off, and how do we stop it coming back please

Any sensible suggestions welcomed

 

[bikething]

could be verdigris eating the copper in the brass....were they stored damp / with meths in?

 

[bikething]

have a look at this page (picture heavy) especially the first one of the recycled copper strip

verdigris

HTH
Steve

 

[Zodiak]

have a look at this page (picture heavy) especially the first one of the recycled copper strip

Thanks, thats a pretty good start but not quite the same, there is more white in it but yes they could have been put away wet, out current QM is a bit slap dash.

 

[addyb]

If you hadn't have been using the gas converter, I'd say that the green on your stove is merely encrusted meths. (Assuming that you don't use industrial grade meths) But since you were using gas I'm at a loss for an explanation.....

 

[Zodiak]

If you hadn't have been using the gas converter, I'd say that the green on your stove is merely encrusted meths. (Assuming that you don't use industrial grade meths) But since you were using gas I'm at a loss for an explanation.....

Thanks but it is on the meths burners. We only use them when its really cold, so they could have been like it for months and I wouldn't have noticed.

Ok looking again it could be verdigris.

 

[bushtank]

My Explorer Scout unit mainly uses our trangias withe gas convertor, but the other week we went to use the meths burners, which are kept in another box, only to find that they all have blue/white blothes of what looks like fungus growing on them!!

You can scrape it off but I wanted to know what this stuff was, what caused it, how do we get it off, and how do we stop it coming back please

Any sensible suggestions welcomed

I use a brass suede brush to scrub off the green stuff and keep it dry and empty out meths before storing

 

[cyclist]

Thanks but it is on the meths burners. We only use them when its really cold, so they could have been like it for months and I wouldn't have noticed.

Ok looking again it could be verdigris.

it´s the copper in the brass reacting due to bad treatment by lazy ....

Don´t worry, just take some metal polish and never ever store it damp or with meth. in it.
Learned that lesson myself the same way, my Trangia still works perfect

 

[dommyracer]

The biggest problem with verdigris is that it's poisonous, relatively easy to get rid of though.

 

[stonyman]

Ooops, my meths burner has been looking like that for some time, I thought it was normal, must get the brass brush and autosol out again, I had a brass pressure stove that also looked like that.

Must stop being lazy.

 

[rik_uk3]

This happens a lot with brass stoves, I don't worry about it. Make sure to clean out the burner holes on the Trangia burner with a paper clip

 

[addyb]

This happens a lot with brass stoves, I don't worry about it. Make sure to clean out the burner holes on the Trangia burner with a paper clip

Very true. I keep a small paperclip inside my Trangia pot, along with a green scrubby pad to aid with the washing up after a meal.

 

[rik_uk3]

Optimus Nova Maintainence kit X 1 £14.99 from Base-camp
Trangia Maintainence Kit X 500 59p from Woolworths

 

[Martyn]

Optimus Nova Maintainence kit X 1 £14.99 from Base-camp
Trangia Maintainence Kit X 500 59p from Woolworths

True, but you can weld a broken halfshaft with an optimus nova.

 

[Zodiak]

I have solved the problem.

Somebody decided that he would give them a spring clean (all 14 trangias) in the dish washer, including the burners.. Because we store the meths burners seperatley he put them in a plastic box for storage, and left it in the back of his van for a month.

He has just started with a new bottle of brasso

Unfortunatley its probably inside too, does anybody know what would neutralise it please? Acid or Alkali?

 

[Scuba Pete]

If cupric acetate is inside its not really going to cause you any problems. It dissolves in water and alcohol. I would not want to use water, it will take forever to dry. I would just put meths in and burn it. You might get a nice coloured flame too.