1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 5. Propane
This is Part 5. of our 1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod, the subject of which is "Propane". Other parts are linked below. 1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 1. Acquisition & Evaluation 1968 Travel Queen Res...
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This will be the last Propane post for a little while. Tomorrow I'll be going back over to Chapter 7. Finishes & Finishing (the paint came a few days ago).
But the gas range bench check - Done. Well, except that one minor thing still to do. You'll see when I discuss stovetop burners.
So I looked over my propane "stuff" and decided to also test the new regulator (last bench check, I used one of the two old regulators I had on hand).
This is a Cavagna brand, a pretty quality company, originally out of Italy I think, for such products if I'm remembering my research correctly, way back ago. Sure enough, as I opened the tank valve, the four easy to see red tabs turned green! You can see it is for two tanks.
I added the right elbow (with a bit-o-dope, all the other fittings are flair or compression) and added the original copper line that came with the range.
See it connected here in the foreground? And I finally included a shot of that gas manifold. Note also, a glimpse of the red label at the oven manual shut-off valve.
Then with the tank valve on, I checked all connections with a soapy solution (a leak should create soap bubbles - maybe very slowly, maybe very small). They make special brands and sprays, but I just use a toothbrush and a concentrate mixture of dish soap and water.
The stove burners all worked great. Notice though on that left front burner, a wonky flame at the front right?
I tried moving the diffuser around a little on the burner, but it's a solid fit. So I took it off and found this corrosion on the mating surfaces.
Right where the flame is wonky. And in fact, upon close inspection it is quite apparent the flaming gas is coming out of space between the cast iron burner and the diffuser! I don't recall which burner held my original melted diffuser, but I'd be willing to bet it was THIS one!
So I intend to fix it. I might start with some of that metal epoxy and add material to fill the gap, sanding it down flush, and if that doesn't fix it, run that burner over to the bench grinder for some machine work.
Alright, on to the oven.
Here's the small flame associated with the "lo-temp" setting on the oven dial (140-170). In order to get to this, or further points, you have to open the manual valve under the stove top (by that red label). See the dark, thin, probe? That's the tip of the thermo-coupler (which tells the gas valve when to open and allow fuel to the burner). At this small flame stage, you have "fire" (stand-by oven operation without a lot of heat), but not enough for heating the thermo-coupler, and starting up the burner.
Then when you turn up the control dial ever so slightly, the bigger pilot flame comes on and heats the thermo-coupler. And if it's not enough (via thermostat settings) to turn fuel on to the burner, you still get more heat in the oven, than with the tiny flame. Maybe the bread starts to bake before you even get it to rise enough!
Then when warm enough, if the oven control is set for higher heat than what is read by the thermostat bulb, the burner comes on.
And when done using the oven, you can leave the manual valve under the stove top on, so it's ready for dinner tomorrow, or better yet, close the valve and relight the pilot when needed.
I ran tests from 200 up to 450 degrees at every 50 degree setting. The calibration was right on! It's always nice when you get something to work correctly after having it completely apart! It was a little effort, but I am very pleased.
Most of you reading this already know how oven pilot lights work, but I figured for someone who doesn't, or hasn't put much thought into it, this might help.
Most newer ovens do both small and large pilot flames right from the oven control automatically. Push in to light, etc. Pilots off, etc. But I think this one might be toward the beginnings of such arrangements in the "mobile ranges". Not sure, but the paperwork sure talks it up.
The Robertshaw Flame Master Oven Control with Lo-Temp setting is one of three "original to Lil' Queeny" documents shown below, but also found here in full scanned file size for your printing enjoyment.
Holiday Ranges Instr Manual, Flame Master Info Bulletin, Cooking Suggestions.
Flame Master Bulletin.
Here are the four pages of the Instruction Manual.
And I found this "Cooking Suggestions" booklet quite charming. Personally I think I'd like to try either the 6 or 8 lb leg of lamb, or around Thanksgiving time, perhaps a whole 20 lb turkey from page 9!
I'm not exactly sure how we're going to "stuff" that turkey into the approximate 3" (actually later measured at 5") of oven head space, but hey, we'll cross that bridge when we get there!
In the meantime, we might have to settle for the Meat Loaf, Baked Potatoes, Stuffed Tomatoes, Corn Bread and Deep Dish Plum Pie suggested on page 5, all held ready at "lo-temp" for an hour or more while we eat our salad first!
I don't know why, but I suddenly have an urge to watch Lucy and Desi in "The Long Long Trailer".
But the gas range bench check - Done. Well, except that one minor thing still to do. You'll see when I discuss stovetop burners.
So I looked over my propane "stuff" and decided to also test the new regulator (last bench check, I used one of the two old regulators I had on hand).
This is a Cavagna brand, a pretty quality company, originally out of Italy I think, for such products if I'm remembering my research correctly, way back ago. Sure enough, as I opened the tank valve, the four easy to see red tabs turned green! You can see it is for two tanks.
I added the right elbow (with a bit-o-dope, all the other fittings are flair or compression) and added the original copper line that came with the range.
See it connected here in the foreground? And I finally included a shot of that gas manifold. Note also, a glimpse of the red label at the oven manual shut-off valve.
Then with the tank valve on, I checked all connections with a soapy solution (a leak should create soap bubbles - maybe very slowly, maybe very small). They make special brands and sprays, but I just use a toothbrush and a concentrate mixture of dish soap and water.
The stove burners all worked great. Notice though on that left front burner, a wonky flame at the front right?
I tried moving the diffuser around a little on the burner, but it's a solid fit. So I took it off and found this corrosion on the mating surfaces.
Right where the flame is wonky. And in fact, upon close inspection it is quite apparent the flaming gas is coming out of space between the cast iron burner and the diffuser! I don't recall which burner held my original melted diffuser, but I'd be willing to bet it was THIS one!
So I intend to fix it. I might start with some of that metal epoxy and add material to fill the gap, sanding it down flush, and if that doesn't fix it, run that burner over to the bench grinder for some machine work.
Alright, on to the oven.
Here's the small flame associated with the "lo-temp" setting on the oven dial (140-170). In order to get to this, or further points, you have to open the manual valve under the stove top (by that red label). See the dark, thin, probe? That's the tip of the thermo-coupler (which tells the gas valve when to open and allow fuel to the burner). At this small flame stage, you have "fire" (stand-by oven operation without a lot of heat), but not enough for heating the thermo-coupler, and starting up the burner.
Then when you turn up the control dial ever so slightly, the bigger pilot flame comes on and heats the thermo-coupler. And if it's not enough (via thermostat settings) to turn fuel on to the burner, you still get more heat in the oven, than with the tiny flame. Maybe the bread starts to bake before you even get it to rise enough!
Then when warm enough, if the oven control is set for higher heat than what is read by the thermostat bulb, the burner comes on.
And when done using the oven, you can leave the manual valve under the stove top on, so it's ready for dinner tomorrow, or better yet, close the valve and relight the pilot when needed.
I ran tests from 200 up to 450 degrees at every 50 degree setting. The calibration was right on! It's always nice when you get something to work correctly after having it completely apart! It was a little effort, but I am very pleased.
Most of you reading this already know how oven pilot lights work, but I figured for someone who doesn't, or hasn't put much thought into it, this might help.
Most newer ovens do both small and large pilot flames right from the oven control automatically. Push in to light, etc. Pilots off, etc. But I think this one might be toward the beginnings of such arrangements in the "mobile ranges". Not sure, but the paperwork sure talks it up.
The Robertshaw Flame Master Oven Control with Lo-Temp setting is one of three "original to Lil' Queeny" documents shown below, but also found here in full scanned file size for your printing enjoyment.
Holiday Ranges Instr Manual, Flame Master Info Bulletin, Cooking Suggestions.
Flame Master Bulletin.
Here are the four pages of the Instruction Manual.
And I found this "Cooking Suggestions" booklet quite charming. Personally I think I'd like to try either the 6 or 8 lb leg of lamb, or around Thanksgiving time, perhaps a whole 20 lb turkey from page 9!
I'm not exactly sure how we're going to "stuff" that turkey into the approximate 3" (actually later measured at 5") of oven head space, but hey, we'll cross that bridge when we get there!
In the meantime, we might have to settle for the Meat Loaf, Baked Potatoes, Stuffed Tomatoes, Corn Bread and Deep Dish Plum Pie suggested on page 5, all held ready at "lo-temp" for an hour or more while we eat our salad first!
I don't know why, but I suddenly have an urge to watch Lucy and Desi in "The Long Long Trailer".
