Atom Voyages | Atom Stove MKII - kerosene pressure stove

The Atom Kerosene Stove

A full size cooker for the micro-galley

My Pearson Triton originally came equipped with a two-burner pressurized alcohol stove. Because the fuel was expensive or unavailable in the cruising areas I was bound for, I replaced it with a Primus-type single burner kerosene camping stove and a custom made gimbaled potholder of my own design. This basic stove design has been tested for decades by sailors and mountaineers and in the huts of native peoples throughout the less developed regions of the world.

In recent years I've imported these stoves and spare parts from a factory in India and have fabricated and installed updated versions on several sailboats. Some boats carry them as backups for their primary propane stove. These simple gimbaled cookers have an advantage over other small boat stoves because they handle full size pots including a 10-inch frying pan or pressure cooker and have a moveable counterweight for large pan handles. Baking is done either in a thick-bottomed skillet with cover, a pressure cooker, or in a baking pan inside a heavy aluminum pot covered in aluminum foil.

About once a year, after I receive several orders, I fabricate five to ten stove kits including the custom-made gimbaled potholder and mounting bracket. They are not cheap, but sell out quickly since there is nothing like them on the market. As of 2009 the complete stove kit with spare parts is $445. The stove alone is $55 for those who want to make their own gimbal. Manufacturing these stove kits consumes a lot of time and the profit is small so I'm not looking to sell one to someone who is not certain this is the best stove for them. Though it is simple to operate and maintain, it is not as simple as propane. Many of my stoves go to customers that I am assisting to fit out their boats for extended voyages. This is a specialized cooker for the specific use of a small group of people that can appreciate it's function and for various reasons find alternative stoves unacceptable. Do some research and check the other cookers available to be certain the Atom Stove is suitable for your needs before contacting us to place you on our waiting list.

Alternatively, you might find similar stoves, without the marine potholders and brackets, available at camping equipment suppliers. The reason we import and sell these is not because they are high profit, but we simply could not source these stoves from a US supplier with all brass parts and the needed spare parts to keep them functioning. What good is a marine stove with brass-plated steel parts, no spares and no support?

Feel free to copy our design and make your own gimbal system (check link at bottom of page) or have a metal fabricating shop make one for you. Although the design is simple and appears easy to fabricate, each stove kit takes about two days to complete in our well-equipped shop, and are then sent out for electro-polishing of the stainless steel components. So, they are not cheap to produce. The potholder is 3/16-inch (5mm) stainless steel round bar and the mounting bracket is 3/16-inch X 1 1/2-inch (5mm X 38mm) stainless flat bar. For Atom’s galley layout as pictured below, the stove uses only a single-leg mounting bracket, but a U-shaped mounting bracket is standard for most installations. Check our Q&A page for further stove details or contact us for additional information.

Atom Kerosene Stove Installation and Operating Instructions
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Click photos to enlarge

This new pressure kerosene stove is similar to the stove we used for 20 years. The gimbaled pot holder bracket has been improved by adding a lead counterweight and gimbal lock.	In this view the stove gimbal is locked for cooking in port by a T-bolt through the upright bracket that threads into a nut welded to the gimbal frame. A U-bracket is used on installations where there is no bulkhead or cabinetry to fit one end of the gimbal into.
The sink is under the cutting board, dishes and cups are in the two shelf lockers to the left of the stove.	Here the gimbal is unlocked and the 16 oz. lead counterweight is swung out to compensate for the weight of the frying pan handle.
Latest version (June 2008) has modified swing-in clamps that are even simpler to operate than the earlier sliding pan clamps. Atom's removable table for added galley counter space:	The 2008 version with swinging pan clamps secure this kettle in even the roughest sea.
In this position the removable table allows access to the locker under the sink containing pots and other utensils.	The removable table adds galley counter space when needed. It attaches to the bulkhead by slotted hinges that release when lifted.
The same table is easily moved to the opposite end of the bunk. It can also be used as a cockpit table.	Here the table is in its stowed position flat against the bulkhead with legs folded.
Other Atom Stove Installations: Atom Stove on a removable counter in an Alberg 35.	Atom Stove aboard a Tartan 27.
Below are three photos of the Atom Stove installed on an Alberg 30.	The stove here is fit into a locker which can be covered by the companionway drop boards when sailing.

In September 2008 we installed an Atom Stove as backup to the existing propane stove on a removable counter in this Southern Cross 31.
Here's an Atom Stove installed on a Hallberg-Rassy Monsun 31 in Switzerland in 2008.	The installation on this Monsun 31 allows the stove and stainless steel serving tray to be moved out to the cockpit for cooking on hot windless days.

ATOM KEROSENE STOVE

Installation and Operating Instructions

Installation

The Atom Kerosene Stove kit comprises the brass stove, stainless steel gimbaled potholder, mounting bracket, preheat wick and assorted spares. The stove gimbal assembly bolts to the galley countertop or stove locker using a stainless steel U-bracket. An Optional L-bracket and bulkhead mount plate or two slotted flat bulkhead mount plates are available for custom installation. Overall dimensions are 12 3/8-inch to top of U-bracket, 12 7/8-inch side to side at end of gimbal pins and 11 3/8-inch front to back, plus swinging room for gimbal. The burner of your new stove is discolored because stove was tested prior to shipping.

Stove location may already be fixed by the layout of your existing galley. If possible, it’s desirable to have the stove installed near the companionway with burner about 18 inches below a fiberglass, wood or Formica headliner. This is the best area for ventilation and quick access to the cockpit. Having the heat from the stove run up the cabin headliner and directly out the open hatch will be appreciated by the cook on hot days. Also, it will be less messy if soot from an occasional flare-up can rise out the hatch. If the stove is not near the companionway, consider installing a hatch or vent above the stove in the coach roof. In any case, vinyl or other fabric headliners above the stove should be avoided as they are difficult to clean and a fire hazard. A sheet of stainless can be attached to the overhead with stand-off clearance, if needed. A drip pan of stainless sheet metal can be installed on the countertop under stove, but Formica is flame resistant enough for brief spills of burning fuel. Orient the stove to gimbal side to side, not fore and aft. Pump slightly left of front center is standard position and should work for most installations. The funnel fills above the stove with a short hose leading to the tank filler so side access is not needed.
If using U-bracket: Install the U-shaped bracket with 5/16-inch stainless steel bolts thru-bolted to the countertop. If there is some framing or obstruction under the countertop, use heavy lag screws instead of thru-bolts. There will be some spring in the U-bracket sufficient for you to pull the bracket arms outboard until the gimbal pins snap into the 1/4-inch holes in the ends of the bracket. Cotter ring clips in the ends of the gimbal pins ensure a secure fit. Certain installations may require the U-bracket mount on the port or starboard cabin trunk side or a fore and aft cabinet face. This will work, but requires a different gimbal lock mechanism.
If using L-bracket: If one end of the stove is against a cabinet or other vertical surface you can use one upright L-bracket bolted to the countertop and one flat plate with a hole in the center for the gimbal pin to insert in, screwed to the vertical cabinet side or aft end of the coach roof. If there is no metal heat shield on the vertical cabinet side then to prevent scorching, a stand-off block of at least 1-inch hardwood should be placed under the flat mounting plate.
If using two slotted flat bulkhead mount plates: If the stove is set down into a narrow locker and you prefer not to use the U-bracket, then two drop-in slotted brackets screwed to the vertical cabinets can be used. In that case, you need to build out the width of the cabinet with hardwood blocks, to the correct width for the gimbal pins to insert into two slotted flat bulkhead mount plates. A pin or bolt to lock the gimbal should be fit to at least one of the blocks. Don't mount the support brackets so close together that they bind the gimbal action.

Operating Instructions

Open tank cap and fill with kerosene to just below top using screened funnel. Tank capacity is one liter (34 oz). You can also use Mineral Spirits from a hardware or paint store or Jet-A fuel from an airport. Never use gasoline or other camp stove fuels.
Tighten cap and loosen vent next to cap.
Clean burner nozzle tip occasionally with provided wire pick as needed.
Unlock gimbal for use at sea by removing the locking bolts in U-bracket.
Place cooking pot on stove with water in it or whatever you’re cooking so as not to burn an empty pot. At sea, adjust pan clamps to fit small pots by spiraling them inward.
Preheat stove by dipping preheat wick in a bottle of denatured alcohol. Squeeze wick’s handle and clip under the burner above preheat bowl. Light wick with a butane lighter. (Lacking a wick, the preheat bowl can be filled with alcohol and lit. You can also preheat with high-proof rum. Preheat with kerosene only outside due to excess smoke.)
Once preheat flame has nearly burnt itself out after about 90 seconds, close tank vent by turning vent knob fully clockwise and pump the stove two to three pumps. Immediately light burner with a butane lighter. Leave preheat wick clipped onto burner.
Pump more for higher flame. Momentarily loosen vent knob for lower flame.
Swing lead counterweight outboard to compensate for the weight of a frying pan handle when using with unlocked gimbal. Lead weight locks in position with a wing nut.
To shut off stove, loosen tank vent. Do not retighten until next use.

Additional Notes and Troubleshooting:

Although they have advantages over propane and alcohol stoves, kerosene stoves are not as simple to operate. To enjoy the advantages of a kerosene stove you need to follow a simple methodical operating procedure and learn the basic troubleshooting.

When pumping stove, support tank from behind with one hand. At sea when the gimbal is unlocked you may secure smaller pots with the stainless steel pan clamps, but this is only necessary if a heavy sea is running. When cooking ashore or anytime the stove is unsecured, use extreme caution to avoid spilling a hot cooking pot on yourself.
For kerosene to burn without smoke, it must be vaporized by a hot burner preheated with denatured alcohol. Once stove is operating, heat from the burner flame itself keeps the burner hot enough to vaporize the kerosene. To ensure proper preheating, place your pot on top of stove before lighting the preheat wick. This allows heat from wick to reflect back to burner and helps prevent drafts from cooling the burner. It also gets you started cooking with the preheat flame without having to wait for the pressurized flame and prevents scorching the boat’s overhead panels. If the stove emits black smoke the burner was not preheated enough or it was allowed to cool during operation. This can happen by leaving the flame in an extreme low position for a long time or by a wind blowing across the burner. If this happens, release the pressure and allow burner to cool one minute. Begin again by preheating with alcohol. Whenever a sooty flare-up of the flame occurs, release pressure, let cool, clean nozzle with pick and start over by preheating with alcohol.
There are three types of kerosene burners. The burner supplied with the Atom Stove is called a “roarer” because of its relatively loud hissing noise. This sound is useful because its tone and volume lets you know if the flame is on high or low without requiring that you constantly visually monitor it. The second type is the “silent” burner, which although having the questionable advantage of less noise, also has a lower tolerance for blowouts by wind. Even the roarer burner cannot take too much direct wind so you may need to set up a temporary windbreak next to the stove at times or partially close a hatch. The third type is the adjustable silent burner that has an adjustment knob on the side of the burner to regulate the flame instead of using the pump and vent knob for regulation. This burner is also wind sensitive, has more parts to maintain and no real advantages over the roarer.
Although the stove can be preheated by squirting alcohol from a plastic wash bottle into the burner’s preheat bowl, it is more safely accomplished using the provided preheat wick. Use a small plastic container such as a peanut butter jar filled with alcohol and dip the wick into it until fully saturated. For safety, close jar lid before lighting wick. Denatured alcohol can have an unpleasant odor because of the 5% methanol added to prevent using it for a cheap rum and punch. Keep your hatch open during preheat to reduce the eye-stinging effect. If unable to find clean-burning denatured alcohol, you can use high-proof rum as a substitute. In rum producing countries it may be cheaper and more available than alcohol. Another source of alcohol is shellac thinner from a paint or hardware store.
If flame is low despite pumping, check filler cap and vent are closed. There may be a leak at one of the three gaskets in the burner assembly. Try gently tightening burner to reseal gaskets and, if needed, disassemble and insert new gasket above and below preheat cup. Between tank and burner riser tube is a lead washer. If tightening does not stop a leak here, insert a standard fiber washer gasket on top of lead washer and retighten. Or there could be a plugged nozzle. Release pressure to extinguish flame, use cleaning pick to clean nozzle, then pump stove and relight. If done quickly (within 30 seconds) the burner will remain hot enough that you can relight without preheating. If you wait longer and allow the burner to cool, you must begin again by preheating with alcohol. To avoid a sooty flare-up, when in doubt, shut down and preheat again. It is essential to use clean filtered fuel and clean the nozzle tip occasionally with cleaning pick. If the burner still produces a low, sooty, erratic flame, replace with new burner and gaskets. Rarely, the one-way pump valve in tank could fail requiring a new tank.
Obviously, another cause of a non-existent flame is an empty tank. Allow stove to cool for two minutes, refill with kerosene and preheat again. Keeping tank at least ¼ full will prevent overheating which decreases the life of the leather pump cup, gaskets and burner. Check fuel level by flashlight, or by cutting a narrow slip of paper and dipping it into tank filler hole and noting fuel level mark on the paper. A full tank provides about 5 hours cooking time. Mineral spirits can be used if kerosene is unavailable.
A dried-out leather pump cup can cause insufficient flame. If you feel less resistance on the pump handle when pumping, remove pump assembly and apply petroleum jelly to leather pump cup. If this does not improve it, replace with a spare leather cup. Spares come with a wood dowel and bolt to keep the cup spread open. Grip pump shaft with locking pliers, remove nut and leather, unscrew brass cup assembly with pliers and screwdriver and reassemble with new leather cup. You can resurrect the dried-out cup by soaking overnight in a cup of vegetable oil with the wood dowel gently spreading open the end of the softened cup. Take care not to crack the leather. Spare pump leathers can be covered in petroleum jelly and stored in a small ziplock bag ready to reuse.
Leave tank vent open when not using the stove, otherwise temperature changes will cause some kerosene to spill out burner nozzle tip onto preheat wick and bowl. In this event, light preheat wick outside to burn off kerosene. If storing stove out of its gimbaled bracket, empty kerosene from the tank to prevent it leaking out the nozzle tip.
To change burners, use a wrench to hold burner riser tube from turning while turning burner counterclockwise using another wrench placed above preheat bowl. Replace fiber gaskets above and below preheat bowl. Carry at least one spare burner.
The stoves are small and inexpensive enough to carry an entire spare stove. If something breaks you swap stoves and repair when convenient.
The stove can generate temporary heat by placing an upturned clay flowerpot on stovetop. Allow sufficient ventilation for safety and to reduce condensation inside the boat.
An oven can be fashioned by placing a heavy cast aluminum pot with lid on stovetop and placing a baking dish inside on a mini cake-cooling rack to prevent burning the food. To retain more heat, wrap aluminum foil over pot. Cornbread, tortillas, even pizza can be baked in a thick, covered frying pan. Some recipes allow for baking in a pressure cooker.
Your stove can be taken ashore if you provide a windbreak and a board to set it on.
Polish your brass stove tank with Brasso or rubbing with a mixture of vinegar and salt.

Click here for sketches and instructions for the Atom Stove gimbaled potholder.

Links for more info:

Kerosene Fuel Primer All you wanted to know about kerosene.