Coleman stove tips/tricks

[mjwcaster]

Like many I use a coleman stove for casting/smelting.
I use the old fashioned 2 burner.

Here are some tricks/tips I have picked up over the past few years-

I use unleaded gas in mine, even the old red tank one (I have a newer gray dual fuel version also).

Probably only run 15-20 gallons of gas through the old red tank stove, it still works.
Would probably be better if was non-ethanol, but e-10 is about the best I can find locally.

But I noticed last year it was having issues, took forever for the flame to settle down after startup.
So I added a little B12 chemtools fuel injection cleaner to the 1 gallon gas can I keep for the stove. Ok so I added way to much cleaner.
First time I fired the stove up on the cleaner/fuel mix there was carbon/junk/burning embers shooting out of it for a while, I just kept turning the flame control up and down until it all burnt out.
The stove now starts up great, the flame settles down almost instantly.

I also noticed during my latest smelting sessions that the flame output didn't seem as high after running 30 minutes or so.
I always try to keep the tank pumped up to full pressure, but that didn't help this time.
Turning the flame control down and then back up threw a nice batch of sparks/carbon.
And the flame got much hotter and louder.

So I have now added this to my routine, when I pump the tank back up I also run the flame control up and down some.

Reinforcing the grill-
My biggest worry with the Coleman stove is the grate, it is just not made for the heat and weight of melting lead.
I have reinforced it some before, but was never satisfied.

So I took a T-post, cut 3 pieces off that fit across the stove long enough so there are ribs/notches holding on the outside of the stove so the pieces cannot easily fall off.
Heavy duty and I think the extra height actually helps spread the flame out on the cast iron dutch oven.
May not be as good for my smaller casting pot, we will see.

Heat shield for the gas tank. The gas tank can get really hot during a long smelting session so I just use a few sheets of aluminum foil to make a heat shield between the tank and the stove, tall enough to go from the bottom of the tank to an inch or so over the top.

I also use aluminum foil as a heat shield around the smelting pot at times. Normally helps on windy days.
But in a recent session I left the heat shield on and it wasn't windy. After the stove was on for a while I checked and noticed the surface the stove was sitting on was really warm, water was steaming off. I normally check the surface and have never seen this before, the aluminum foil was tight around the top of the pot but sticking out at the bottom, catching heat and redirecting it to the stand.

I cooled it down by pouring water on the stand, which will actually hold a little water.
I now add water to the stand/bench top when smelting. Helps keep it cool and cools down lead and slag droplets that fall while removing junk/jackets from the pot.

Yes I am aware of the dangers of lead/water, I am actually very paranoid about it.
But in this case I do not feel it adds much danger.
I am more worried about condensation on my tools/moulds, I have gotten a few snap/crackle/pops on cool humid days when I didn't preheat my tools or ingot moulds.

[Winger Ed.]

All that burning embers and junk coming out is how it cleans itself.
Back in the old days, when you rebuilt a carberator, you'd see deposits in the bottom.

That stove has basically, a carberator too. Instead of taking it apart to clean it,
the B-12 is doing that job 'on the run' so to speak.

The 'Coleman fuel' you buy at the grocery store is what used to be 'white gas'
It's no lead like we have now, but with no additives in it at all.

Even our cheapest, modern, no lead fuel, although it works fine in Coleman stuff still has a small
additives package in it that will make some goo deposits if ya leave it in there long enough.
The 'duel fuel' label came along when more and more people learned that they worked fine on gasoline.
The more expensive grades of fuel have a bigger additives package.
It smells more/worse that pure white gas, but that & a few (fixable)crud deposits is the only drawback.

For use on boats, those stoves are available to run on alcohol, so if they caught fire you could fight it with water.
But the main difference in them is the size of the needle & seat that passes for the jets in a regular carberator.
That's why they act a little goofy with a gas alcohol mix.

[AllanD]

You might want to seek "expert" assistance, ask here:

http://www.colemancollectorsforum.com/

[RogerDat]

Old British motorcycles had different notches for the fuel pin and tube that allowed air to get to the carburetor. This was to allow for running on gas or gas with different amounts of alcohol in it. This was for older pre-70's bikes so I always thought it was for some of the far flung parts of the British Empire or other countries that used more alcohol in the fuel.

I guess the Coleman stoves are no different. Jet and orifice determine what fuel will work well.

The needle that adjusts the flame on a lamp is a cleaner for the small opening. It pushes a needle in and out of an orifice. I have seen them on single burner Coleman Peak stove and consider them essential to avoid doing the flooded flame dance.

There are pastes in a tube like toothpaste sold as fire starter / stove starter that can be put on the burner next to the generator and lit to pre-heat the generator. Work well for cold weather or if you have a stove that likes to flood. Yes Peak 1 I'm talking about you.

[Bird]

To get the ethanol out of the gas, add water. E10 add 10% water and shake the mix up and let it settle for a day. Decant the gas off and leave the ethanol and water behind. E15, add 15% water.