Svea 123 Restoration
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
- I recently purchased a heavily used SVEA 123 stove off eBay for about $30. In this video I show you how I restored it to new condition. The stove was initially charred black with soot and tarnish. Using some basic tools, a mild acid bath, and some simichrome polishing paste, (and a six-pack of beer) I gradually brought it back to a vibrant shine. This stove will cost you over $100 brand new, but if you're willing to put in some elbow grease you can own one of these awesome stoves for a fraction of that cost in nearly new condition.
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Fantastic video
I have of these, an OLD SCHOOL model and your video is what I watched to restore mine
Cool! I bought my 123 in the early/mid seventies. My camping buddy was always borrowing it so he could give it a good 'spit 'n polish.' Thanks, Bruno.
Yeah, I bought an 8R and an 111B from ebay and they work just fine. My little SEVA 123 has never failed. I know that there are lighter weight stoves, but I've never seen a real reason to change. Fewer moving parts, etc...
it was a great result!! better than manufacturers id say!!
Beautiful old Svea 123! Have you ever used Bar Keeper's Friend cookware cleanser/polish to clean brass? I use it all the time on stainless and copper cookware. I use a dampened old toothbrush and a small amount of the powder and it gets in the tight places.
Glad to hear you got a new favorite stove out of your restoration!
For cleaning you can use solvo autosolve or Brasso, gently rub on, then wait till it goes white powdery then clean off with a clean cloth
+CharlieTango 1 Thanks for sharing that. Cheers.
+ColoradoCamper ive checked availability and prices the european prices are pretty much on a par with usa ones there are a few well used dirty ones on the mkt for about $30 most are in $75-$100 plus 120 mark
obtaining a decent cond one for less than a 100 is not so easy!! i shall keep my radar on!!
I wouldn't use a cleaner that contains ammonia. It does not play well with brass. Instead use a polish with no ammonia such as MAAS metal polish. It make take a little longer to get the grime off but you can be sure you are not weakening the metal over time.
Thank you for the kind words!
Nice work...thanks for taking the extra time to show us how to refurbish our Svea 123 stove.
I think I would have used a brass bristle brush instead of steel.
Ok.
I did the same thing you did,great little stove,happy camping to you.
for polishing metals the final buff job ... if you put some regular white flour on your rag it will remove the polish compound and buff out the metal with less streaking.
My pleasure, thanks for watching.
Hi, I was wondering if you had ever heard of Brasso? There is no steel brush needed or acid and hardly any “elbow grease “ try it out I bet you’ll like it. Thanks.
Thanks. They don't make stoves like they used to, so it's great to use a stove older than I am and that will likely outlast me.
@AGNOSSI I actually started out with the fancy new-age stoves and switched to the SVEA 123 for its simplicity. Those Novas and Whisterlites are awesome until something goes wrong in the field, which is not uncommon. The SVEA 123 only has 1-2 moving parts and I've heard of guys running them for 30 years with no issues. My dad bought his in the 1970's and it still lights every time. True, it's not the lightest stove, but it's still competitive since it has has the built-in fuel tank.
did you rework any of the internals? like replacing any of the valve packing?
This was not a restoration, it was a cleaning. And a rather ham fisted cleaning at that.
I see parts on eBay fairly often. You could also try contacting Optimus since the 123R is still in production. They might be able to send you parts or tell you where you can find them.
Please tell me how to unscrew the etching valve?
Instead of an eye dropper, use a small piece of paper towel rolled up, about 2 inches. Dip that into the white gas and let it soak up the gas. Put the cap on.Then wrap it around the base of the generator. Try to keep it open at the cap so you don't fry the cap's washer. Then you won't have gas running down the sides. In the winter you may have to do it twice, so use gas from your refill tank. Also in the winter you may have to shield the stove from the cold ground to keep pressure.
I've come up with an idea that's very similar to that. Here is a video about it if you're interested:
th-cam.com/video/NyzFO06ZLQI/w-d-xo.html
Great video - thanks for sharing. I was wondering if rags soaked in Star San would work for cleaning the tarnish off of larger objects? It seems likely, but you're the first person I've seen to use star san for removing tarnish. Great job!
If you had your spindle valve pointing at the number 1 on the tank it would line up perfect with the large hole for your key to go in, trust me.
What restore?
I thought you were going to do a total break down.
I wonder if the slight misalignment of you're spindle is a result of someone changing the wick and tightening the burner in too much.
I suspect something to that effect happened. It's the most likely cause of the misalignment.
This is the best and most accurate comment this video has received.
Sierra Nevada is great, they know what they're doing. So I'm sure you just guaranteed yourself a successful restoration.
I have never tried that. The only thing I could see that would stop that from working is if the acid reacted with the rag in some way to neutralize the acid. Another thing you could try is putting Star San in a spray bottle, mist the surface you wish to clean, wait a few minutes and then buff it off.
This is the first thing I've ever used Star San for besides brewing beer.
Dam fine work dude , that's a cool stove ! I'm a fan of all alcohol stoves and this WILL be my next one . Great vid !!!
What about the wicking material inside the tank? Have you ever replaced that?
I have had this problem, as I used the Svea extensively. It started to flame up before use. I thought it was the wick, but also something else. I would like to keep the stove.
I just restored a similar looking "piece of shit" :) I love this stove, my new favorite!
Do you have a recommendation of where to buy the rubber gasket for inside the gas cap for the original 123 ?
Yes, you can find them on ebay. Search for Optimus 123 fuel cap gasket. You should be able to get a 5-pack of Viton rubber ones for a few bucks.
Great video! Thanks so much!
One thing I would recommend would be a solvent for the oxide. These stoves are a little fragile.
Daniel Bell the oxide is one thing, but the charred on soot is a different matter. I could only get it off with some scrubbing, though I didn’t try too many chemicals. Maybe there is an easier way.
Regardless, “fragile” is about the last word I would use to describe a SVEA 123. I think they are the most reliable, rugged, durable stove you can find today.
recently bought a Husqvarna axe made by Bruks in Sweden. It is an amazing medium weight axe. Mora from Sweden makes the carving knives I use to make spoons and bowls. I wont mention the furniture company since I only buy well used solid wood pieces and restore them.
thanck you very much
Hello, Gary here....can you tell me where I can obtain the graphite seal for my svea123 stove...
thanks,
Gary
Gary, I am not sure where to buy one.
My only advice would be to search around spiritburner.com which has a forum on classic camp stoves and tons of info on the SVEA 123. Best of luck.
I did do a search and found some...
thanks,
Gary
That's not a restoration. That is a simple cleanup on the outside.
+R Carlton Whatever you say. Regardless, it was by no means "simple."
The fuel cap uses a rubber O-ring that I replaced. The throttle valve has some graphite packing inside which I left alone because I didn't have a replacement.
As far as CLR goes, I'm not sure if it would help. If CLR is safe to use on brass (I don't know if it is) it would be worth a try.
@BornRandy62 I know a lot of people like their Mora knives. I'm thinking about buying a Fallkniven myself.
My experience with IKEA furniture is that it will work for a few years, but that's about it. Works great to furnish a college dorm. As you can tell from my views on the SVEA and Trangia, I like products that last, so I too prefer solid wood furniture. I'll do some restoration jobs but I also enjoy building it myself if it's not too complicated.
@SurviveToLife Cheers!
I use ammonia to clean all my brass parts and never use steel wool. The ammonia works to clean the fuel as well. I even soak kerosene lamp parts in it to get the 30 year old fuel out.
what is the name of your soaking solution? Kinda had a loud clank in the recording just as you said the name. Also do you have a video showing how to repack the graphite? thank you. really enjoyed this info.
It's called "Star san," a food grade sanitizer that happens to be mildly acidic. And no I have never seen a video about how to repack the graphite. My best guess would be to search around at spiritburner.com for some help.
where can I purchase parts for the svea 123R
@BornRandy62 The only Swedish items I own are my SVEA 123 stoves and my Trangia stove and they are all 100% bombproof. I have no doubt that they will last me a lifetime. I too have been looking at some other Swedish products because I've been nothing but impressed so far.
Unfortunately the new SVEA 123R stoves are made in Taiwan, so you have to score one used if you want it to be made in Sweden.
@ColoradoCamper Right On!
CC., i got one!!!! just bought it on ebay! it was a buy it now $39.99 and free shipping. it's a 123R. it's missing the aluminum cup & handle and the the key & chain. it's nice looking. it will need some clean-up, but not much. all straight (not bent up). looks in nice condition. i don't want the little aluminum cup anyway. i'll find something to put the stove in to carry it in... i don't know what yet, but i do have a pathfinder 24oz. SS cup and i do have an ozark trail 18oz SS cup. do you know if the stove will fit in either of those cups? i really wanted the older plain 123 (not the 123R). i hope the 123R will low simmer enough for skillet cooking of bac n eggs??? .... what do you think? thanks CC, martina
Sounds like a good deal you got. The chain and key shouldn't be hard to find. I am not familiar with those cups so I can't say if the Svea will nest inside them or not. I do think the 123R will simmer very well for cooking bacon and eggs. In my experience the 123R simmers pretty well. The 123 is only slightly better, really I doubt I would notice the difference when cooking. Enjoy the new stove!
thanks for reply CC.! i had ebay email me all of the newly listed svea stoves and it was just listed when i bought it! the 123's were being priced crazy lately on ebay. i'm gonna clean it up to look new. i have some "Brasso" brass cleaner and i think all it needs is just a few polishing rubs with Brasso and a rag? man, i have really been wanting one badly, too! it looks so nice and clean in the ebay pictures!!!!!! so cool! so glad i have one coming!!!!! thank you CC and TWYL, martina
still kicking that can around the yard. I am using a propane burner right now but it is kind of tippy and unstable when you add weight to the top of it. I am finding more and more swedish products catching my attention and am diggin it since it is like my ancestors shouting at me.
looks nice man! really nice! thanks!
Thank you, it was a bit of work, but I'm very happy with how it turned out.
BEAUTIFUL
Thank you for watching!
So i snagged the bare bones to this stove at goodwill on a hunch. didn't know about these little guys, and it was 4 bucks so i figured why not. excited to know its worth something and has good name.
unfortunately, its missing a lot of pieces making it currently useless, but i don't know enough about these types of stoves to even begin looking for parts...
I've got the base/fuel container, key and chain, what I'm assuming is the filling port and lid on the side, the stem on top, but no actual 'burner' cup i assume also no cage piece like yours has? I'm also thinking maybe its closed, as I'm not seeing a wick or even a place for one...
haha, sounding like a newb here, believe it or not I've done lots of ultralight camping, but always went with wood or solid fuel...
anyways, where on earth can i find a diagram/parts list and order the bits for this guy? found a repair kit on amazon but its apparently for the newer version and doesn't have most of the parts I'm missing..
I would suggest a google image search for "svea 123 parts" and that will get you diagram of the parts. If you have the newer 123R version, you might be able to order parts from Optimus. If you have the older 123 version (identical to the one in this video) then your best bet is probably ebay to find parts.
I have two Svea's. Both burn well. they have new wicks and gaskets. I have the original base kit the stove sits in. Plus extra fuel caps and diffuser plates. How much can they be worth?
I would check eBay and see what similar ones are going for.
What kind of acid?
It's a product called Star San. Reading up on it, apparently it is food grade phosphoric acid.
nay probz ive sent it arounds as stove porn here in the uk
got my bushcrafty mates all drooling now oned doing up a primus 34 mid fettles now i liked the way you did this using an acid bath saves a lot of elbow greases
along the way
ive often thought of getn rid of the wife in a much stronger mixes of acid bath come to think of the mother in law aswell!
thanks for giving me the initial idea?!!
I don't know where to get more packing material. There is a great forum that might be of help though. It's called Classic Camp Stoves at spiritburner (dot) com. Search around there and I bet you can find a source for the packing. I hope you have some luck!
@mkuki2000 Thanks!
Ya i got a svea 123 from a goodwill and it leakead around the vlalve alot so i checked it out and found the valve packing was almost completely desintigrated. So like an idiot i cleaned all of the old packing out, and now i do not know where to find more packing or what i can use instead of the original packing. Do you know of anything that works or if anyone make a repair kit for the 123 instead of the 123r?
i restore old stoves myself them svea 123 i got 6 or 7 some in a complete pot kit set up got a shop full see my video i show most my stoves in the shop at [ rjburg ]
I HAVE LIKE THIS ONE. I WANT TO SELL MY FUEL STROVE.SINCE 1803 , PRIMUS NO:001 . MADE IN SWEDEN .
god job......
I replaced the o-ring for the fuel cap and that's it. I wasn't confident in my ability to replace the valve packing, and since the stove works fine as is, I'm inclined to leave it be. I inspected the wick to ensure it wasn't charred, but it was fine so I didn't have to replace it either.
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:)
молодец
Спасибо
My pleasure, thanks for watching.