Preheat Cup Wick Material

[Phredd]

I got 237 a while back that had some asbestos material in the preheat cup. I got rid of it and looked around to find a replacement. I tried some fiberglass sheet that I rolled into a tube, but was never satisfied since it did not stay in place very well. So i looked around and found some 5/16"stove gasket from MidWest Hearth. I bought the 'armored' version which has a very thin SS mesh around it (keeps it all well intact after you cut it). So I cut a piece just a little bit longer than needed and pushed it in. It's a snug fit and would not fall out when I turned the cup upside down. And more importantly, it works great. Here's a couple photos. The last one shows the preheat cup after I got the lantern lit (the black blob is my thumb blocking out the mantle).

Preheat cup wick 03.jpg

Preheat cup wick 02.jpg

Preheat cup wick 01.jpg

Preheat cup wick 04.jpg

[outlawmws]

Nice fix Phredd!

[JimL]

I like your replacement preheat cup wick. It looks really good.

Had I known you were tossing the asbestos, I would have requested it.

[Chucker]

Yeah buddy! I recently picked up some stove gasket material and the high temp paste to hold it in the cups.

[Hot_Diggity]

That's a very clean installation.

Other than replicating the material that was in the cup originally, what benefit does the wick material provide?

I do use a wick in kerosene fueled preheat cups like those on the 231, but I'm in such a temperate climate and low elevation that I need very little preheat on kerosene lamps or lanterns so I've never had a need for a wick on them. Curious to learn if I'm missing something.

[magikbus]

Other than replicating the material that was in the cup originally, what benefit does the wick material provide?

I find the wick holds more preheat liquid (I use marine Ethyl alcohol) so it burns longer, it also keeps it in place if you happen to bump the lantern/stove while it's still burning etc. It also doesn't let the alcohol "boil off quickly" at the end of the burn, it just fades away gently like I hope to do some day.

I use the same wood stove door gasket material that I wrap with some bare copper wire so it will stay in place. I'm also cheap/frugal so I just walked into a wood stove/fireplace store and asked them if they had any scrap ends I could have. They asked why and I told them. Knowing that I wasn't going into the wood stove business in competition with them, they were glad to let me have my pick of the box of their "ends". After all if it's even an inch short of the circumference of the door when cut it's wasted.
Stan

[Hot_Diggity]

Thanks for the lesson Stan. I may have to visit the local fireplace shop and give this a try.