Coleman Stove for Melting Wheel Weights

[David R]

I used a coleman stove for years. When I lived in a trailer park, I would pour boolets sitting in a kitchen chair with the side doors of my van open and the stove insid the van. Neighbor hood kids would come along and ask me what I was doing, I told em I was making sinkers. They said "thats a lot of sinkers".

The stove worked great except the grate did get red hot and bend with a full pot of lead (20 lb). It got kind of harry for a minute there, but none spilled. It bends s l o w l y.

The fumes from the flame were terrible.

I now have a garage, a propane canning stove and Electric RCBS bottom pour 20 pounder. I also got rid of the old dodge van a long time ago

[Locoweed]

I cut lengths of 1/4" diam stainless rod to reinforce the grill and bridge the belly of the stove and provide more weight bearing capacity. Watching the original grill rods get hot and warp was scary. I've always heard that the gasoline stoves have a higher BTU rating -- in other words they put out more heat than propane stoves. Don't tuck your pant-legs into your boots.

[felix]

Gasoline has only 10-12 percent more heat than propane, and 100 percent more heat than methane (natural gas). ... felix

[StarMetal]

Felix

That's probably the reason the good Lord designed our bodies to leave methane farts.

Joe

[carpetman]

Felix--I had a van that would run on gasoline or on propane. On propane there was a marked decrease in performance and mileage. Gas mileage differences between various octane ratings is based on BTU'S produced. Many believe the higher octanes burn hotter thusly better mileage. Not so,the higher octane is from anti knock additives that dont burn and produce no BTU"S thus less gas mileage. Based on my experience with the one propane car,I dont think propane comes close to being within 10-12% of gasoline. Gas mileage wise it was closer to 50%.

[Wayne Smith]

Waksupi, purdy much right on. I just changed doctors, and the new one agreed a lead test was in order. Thirty years and still normal. The lead in the blood, that is. Anything else is open to conjecture. Ventilation is mostly to keep you from gaggin' on the burned dog pee.... sundog

I don't know if this is true or not, but I've read that the lead only stays in the blood for a week or so, then is deposited in the bones.

So who's gonna get our bones when we die?

[StarMetal]

Carpetman Ray

I'm impressed...you're right about the octane. It is an anti-knock thing. I can't get through alot of folks heads that high octane gas isn't the best to run in a car that is designed for a lower octane. You're wasting your money. I remember when we visited the experimenting lab at the Sunoco Oil refiner I worked at. They had an octane tester engine there. It was a giant one cylinder aircooled engine that looked like half a Harley V-Twin. They would run a fuel through it and be able to adjust the compression ratio as it run by turning the compression ration lower and lower until the engine started knocking or pinging, this arriving at the octane level of that fuel. I don't know if they have a more scientific method today or not.

Joe

[azrednek]

What ruins allot of Coleman stoves and plugs the generator is old fuel. You don't want to leave the tank empty or you invite rust. Before you use it, make sure there is no pressure in the tank by slowly removing the cap. Tighten the filler cap and shake the manure out of it to loosen any crud and safely dump the old fuel. Don't use unleaded gasoline that is more than a few weeks old, Coleman fuel will last for a couple of months. Before you use it the first time remove the tank, pump in some pressure and put the tank under water and check for air bubbles. If the cap leaks, buy a new one where ever Coleman equipment is sold. The replacement caps are only a couple of bucks and will last for years. If you have an older two-piece cap get rid of it, Coleman no longer sells the gasket and the fuel will disolve most o-rings. After you dunk it, remove the pump by turning it to the left, remove the water and oil the cup. If the cup is the older leather type you might be able to salvage it by soaking it in oil (real oil not WD-40), if not get a new cup if you can find one, if not you will have to buy the entire pump assembly for about 5-6 bucks. The leather replacement cups are only available from Coleman in Canada, occasionally a US dealer may stock them. If there are no leaks and you use new clean fuel the stove will likley out last you. Do not under any circumstances use a stove with a leaky filler cap, try and seal it tight with pliers or use rubber o-rings or you will invite a flare up.

I made allot of money buying and selling Coleman goods on Ebay. The Japanese are big time Coleman collectors and have very deep pockets. If you come across an unusual old mint condition Coleman item look for a similiar model on Ebay, it may be worth some bucks. I've got as much as $765 for a lantern and seen some go for as much as 2,000. Unfortunalty there is now a glut of old Coleman goods on Ebay and you can hardly give them away. Five years ago there may have only been 25-50 Coleman lanterns and stoves total on Ebay and the Japanese collectors were happy to pay a hundred or more. Now there are a minimum of 500-800 and the prices have crashed.

[Dipperman]

I would like to say THANK YOU!! to everyone who responded to my question. I really appreciate your input. I will proceed with caution.

Thanks again,
Dipperman

[Wayne Smith]

Reading about old fuel and clean fuel reminded me that you need to get and use on of their very good filter funnels. It will clean the gunk out of the fuel before it gets into the tank. Filters out leaves and sticks, too!

[kenjuudo]

Reading about old fuel and clean fuel reminded me that you need to get and use on of their very good filter funnels. It will clean the gunk out of the fuel before it gets into the tank. Filters out leaves and sticks, too!

They are right handy to strain beeswax too!

jim

[carpetman]

Back in the 60's I bought a used Honda Trail 90 bike. It wasnt running so good,so I took it to the shop. When they finished with it,I picked it up,and was driving it home. About the only time I rode it on the street. It still wasn't running so good and it quit. I checked and it was out of gas. Pushed it to the station and filled it up. When I took off was I ever surprised. That thing came alive and almost threw me. Stale gas had been the culprit.

[old gunner]

I use a homemade propane burner, something similar to the commercial "turkey cookers" only mine puts out more heat. For a pot I use an old deep cast iron skillet, holds almost 40 pounds. After cleaning the WWs, I pour into a mold that will cast nine three pound ingots. I can dispose of a five gallon can of WWs in a fairly short time. I do take the time to sort the WWs over some, I look for bright shiny ones (zink?) this works for Me a whole lot better than My old Coleman stove.
Bill