Anybody seen a furnace like this?

[Robert]

Is this for Kerosine?  It looks like you pressurize it with a bicycle pump also.  How does it work?

[Robert]

Any help would be muchly appreciated.

[Graybeard]

Yes I believe I have seen one pretty close to identical. Been way too many years ago for my memory to be 100% sure but I'd say the one my old friend Billy Doss (now deceased) had was pretty close. I never operated it but sure sat around up in the pool house on cold winter nights BS'ing with my feet propted up near by for warmth.

All I can tell you is we added kerosene and lit the thing. It made a really hot fire and did a fair job of keeping us warm in that 12'x24' pool house not designed to be closed in very well. Well as long as we stayed close to it the thing did nicely. I do recall we melted lead on it a few times in nicer weather also. I don't really recall us ever having to pump his tho. Not real sure it was a pressurized unit but won't say for sure it wasn't and I just didn't see him pump it.

I have no clue what happened to it after his death so I can't go check it out at this late date. Sorry but that's really all I know. His had a top that fit over it to use as a heater. Sort of a vented affair same diameter as tank more or less that fit down over it and kept the flames kinda at bay and also helped radiate more heat. I don't see on yours any way that cover would fit so yours might be somewhat different or maybe has been modified.

[Robert]

Great story, sounds like you guys had some great times.  Thank you for the memories.

[calvon]

Looks like a plumber's furnace to me. Probably runs on the same white gas we used to buy for the Coleman lantern.

[Cat Whisperer]

Robert -

It is a plumber's furnace.  Depending on the model it would burn kerosene or it would burn white gas.  

I have the one that burns gas.  It has a RED band around the very bottom.  The kerosene model would have the BLUE band.

The pump on the side is for pressurizing it, as you mentioned.  

Mine also has the original pot and windbrake.

It will pay to disassemble the pump and the burner for a thorough cleaning.  Rust and crud tend to clog them both up.

I'll post pictures soon.

You'll find that you get better heat transfer by using a flat bottom pot, but there is a serious issue of getting it to ballance well.  The original pot was good for pouring a joint or two for cast iron pipe, not much more.

[Cat Whisperer]

Robert -

Can't post the pix, Hunt101 is still holding off on up-loads.

I can email the pix to anyone who wants them.  Just ask:  covbldrs
@ nrvi.net    (put it together, obviously.)

[Lead pot]

It's a lead pot furnace, We had two at our shop plus a few blow torches that used white and regular gasoline,never seen one that ran on kerosene. Put that old thing in Ebay you might get enough for it to get a new rifle.

Kurt

[kapnkid]

It is a plumber's furnace.  Get a big iron pot and use it to clean up your scrap lead. I melt a bunch of wheel weights at one time and to get a uniform mix, skimming off the steel clamps and miscellaneous floating crud.  It will melt big batches more quickly than an electric one.  Mine is made for white gas, but I've used unleaded, kerosene, and even Stoddard solvent in it. When using kerosene or solvent you might have to warm up the generator part that sits in the flame, before you get a good vapor output. The generator takes the liquid fuel which comes in under pressure from the tank, and boils it to a vapor, and shoots it through a tiny hole, making a jet which pulls in air to keep the flame blue. A small propane torch can warm up the generator when using the 'wrong' fuel :wink:
If it is a gasoline generator, it will have a little metal or cast iron tray below the  burner. You are supposed to pump up the tank and carefully dribble a little gasoline from the jet onto this tray. If you open up the valve all the way, it will go into the air and onto you. You the shut OFF the gasoline and carefully light the tray. These were made in the old days, when stupidity was supposed to hurt, so be careful. After the tray burns for a while, the generator will warm up enough to boil some off the gasoline coming out of the small hole, and you can slowly open the valve and throttle up. If it spits gas and the flame is still white and sooty, it's not hot enough, or the pressure in the tank is low. When it's hot and the pressure is high enough, the flame will be pure blue and have a nice roar to it. Keep the leather in the pump oiled. Chances are it's dried out and useless, but oil it anyway. The other common problem is crud getting into the orifice in the burner. I use a piece of wire from an old steel cable to poke it. It is a very small hole, so don't make it too big. Using kerosene or solvent is just a matter of getting it hot when you light it, it burns the same. If the tank is rusty on the inside you are SOL  :cry:  as the flakes of rust will continually block the generator and orifice. You would have to take the whole thing apart to clean it up. Good luck.

[Robert]

I tried to sell it on E-bay and didn't get a single offer...I didn't even have a reserve price.  I guess I will have to keep it and try it out.  The old pots and ladles it came with are pretty cool.  I used one of the ladles the other day to dip out of for a small batch on my old Coleman single burner camp stove.  I also got a whole lot of lead ingots came with it that were made in the big dipper.  Seem to be W/W.

[Cat Whisperer]

The pictures show the plumber's furnace with and without the lead pot and the shield that goes around the lead pot.

If you use a larger flat bottom iron pot (as I do) do something about keeping it stable.  The three supports of the furnace do very well for the small pot shown.  Anything that does not sit down INSIDE the three feet WILL be tipsy.

This one has the original pump.  ( I think yours has an adaptor for a bicycle pump )

At the bottom of the burner is a pipe that sticks out.  It is flattened at the outside end (so you can turn it, directing the flame.

Start with a few pumps.  Let a little gas out, turn off the gas and light the gas that's all over the pressure generator tubing.  As it burns for a while, when it's hot, slowly turn on the fuel.  Too fast and the flame goes out.  Then the burning fuel will keep the pressure up and you don't have to pump any more.

As before, it helps if everything inside is clean.  That's the place to start - take it apart and clean everything.

Good luck, be safe.  (you ARE playing with gas)

[Robert]

That IS exactly the same beast.  Thanks for the tips.  I will try it out.  I have two really nice round-bottom witches pots for it and nice ladles.  I cannot see any color band left at the bottom.  Do you think I should try the coleman fuel first?  I am assuming that is what you mean by white gas.

[Cat Whisperer]

White gas is an older product - was unleaded - used for coleman-type of stoves.  My recollection is from the 1950's but was probably available before then.  Regular unleaded is close, might have some traces of chemicals you don't want to breath.

Again, I use a large set of vice-grips to hang onto the pot when things get hot.  Don't take chances.  Having a gallon of 700+ degree lead alloy splashing around is something thate we all would read about in the national news.

Also, I set up two 4x8x16 (1/2 cement blocks) for a windbreak.

Good luck - let us know how it works.