Prepare the pot:
The fuse: Many if not all the non thermostat controlled pots have fuses of some type. This is to protect you and the pot if the pot pulls an overload or has a short. Many pots had extra fuses under the bottom or in the case of Farber, they had a wheel fuse system. You just turn the wheel to a new fusable link.
Amount of coffee to use:
Everyone has an opinion about what they like but for percolated coffee the guide below is good and you can easily adjust.
Coffee Measure Guide per 6 oz. cup for Percolators / Manual Drip / Vacuum
Mild
Normal
Strong
1 ½ tablespoons
2 tablespoons
2 ½ tablespoons
Cups of Coffee to make (6 oz. cups)
Water Measure
Coarse Grounds to Use (dry measure cup) Normal
2
12 oz
2 level tbsp or coffee measures
4
24 oz
1/3 cup + Tbs
6
36 oz
2/3 cup
9
54 oz
1 cup
12
72 oz
1 ¼ cups