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Found my dad's old Coleman stove in the garage, fired it up after 18 years
Pulled it out last Sunday when the power went out during that storm in Atlanta. My dad bought it in 1987 for a fishing trip, and it sat in a box through three moves. Cleaned the generator, replaced the gasket, and it lit on the second match. Cooked beans and coffee for the whole block while everyone else was stuck with cold sandwiches. Has anyone else brought an old piece back to life after a long rest, or is that just luck on my end?
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ray_williams1mo ago
That thing about the second match is what gets me. My uncle had an old cooler from the 70s, the metal kind with the latch, and we used it every summer for like thirty years. It finally cracked last year and the whole family acted like we lost a pet. Stuff from that era was built different, man. You cleaned it, put a little elbow grease in, and it just works forever. Glad your neighbors got a hot meal out of it, that's the kind of thing you remember when the power comes back and life goes to normal. My guess is you'll be using that stove for another twenty years if you keep the cobwebs off it.
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karenb971mo ago
And honestly, that old cast iron will outlive us all. One thing I learned the hard way is to crack a window when you first light it after it's been sitting, they can smoke a bit if dust got in the burners. Also, don't use anything harsh on the enamel, just a damp rag and baking soda paste if it's really bad, that keeps the finish from getting dull. You're spot on about the neighbors remembering that meal, that's the real payoff right there. That stove will probably be passed down to your grandkids the way that cooler was.
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