Stove
Yea though the world conspired to keep me from finishing the new stove, lo have I persevered and at dark was ready to install the flue. So put that off till today.
Found and fitted together an ell, 6 inch stub, and a tee, and another 6 inch stub, all 1 1/2 inch black pipe, and cut a piece of 1 3/4 exhaust pipe to fit the side curve at the bottom of the front of the stove. Marked and cut the stove, and with a bit of additional fitting brazed the exhaust pipe bushing into place. This allows for removal and or replacement of the air intake should my design not work. And I am not sure that it will. The open end of the ell and the middle of the tee are the intake air outlets.
Fitted the inside stuff into place and added a coupling to the end of the stub that was sticking out.
I still think I have some old gate valves and other large steam fittings or plumbing stuff out here somewhere but after an hour of searching decided to make an air control myself rather than spend any more time or money on the project.
Got another 1 1/2 inch diameter 6 inch stub and drilled a hole through the center of it to accept the bolt of my choice. Took said bolt to the shaper and cut half of it off the hard way. Removed one side of the section of the bolt that was visible inside the pipe. Found a old shock washer that after flattening fit the inside of the pipe. Drilled a 1/8 inch hole in the center of the land on the bolt and threaded it 8 nf 32. Put the bolt back in the pipe, added the washer and after a while got the screw in place. Had to remove the washer and grind one edge at an angle so it would turn in the pipe. Put it back together and had a valve good enough for air (I think). 2 washers and a spring then a nut gave a grip so it will stay where it is set. Found a piece of broken sledge hammer handle and cut it down to make a valve handle. Another couple of flat washers and another nut to secure it to the bolt and it’s done. No pix as I ain’t got the time right now. I think Cat took some of the finished product but not sure.
Finished bending the rim/legs and welded them on. After charging the battery for the welder. And finding and using the terminal cleaning tool. And telling the woman (again) that NO I didn’t want to sell the catalytic converters out of the cars in the field. And fighting with the wrong rods (again). But they are on and welded well if not pretty. Filled some 1/2 inch gaps in places too. Guess I did learn something with the 90+ hrs welding on the dozer… Another job to finish soon…
Removed the door frame and flue coupling and applied liberal amounts of furnace cement to them and put them back on. Filled the air valve hole (air bladder tank) with it also as I may want access to the firebox at some point with a thermocouple so didn’t want to weld this nice threaded hole closed.
Came up and got the yellow truck and wheelbarrow and back to the barn to load the new stove. The rim legs just fit in the barrow in either direction! Glad I planned it that way 😉
Brought it and as much flue pipe as I could find to the greenhouse and again into the wheelbarrow and inside. After moving the trees and cacti that is. The largest (got it as a 2 year old plant that was 12 inches tall for my 16th birthday in 1969 and been caring for it ever since) pony tail palm is almost too tall for the 13 ft ceiling in there! Will have to dig a hole and put it’s container in there I guess. Had hoped the new ceiling height would be enough. Should have known better…
Got the stove wrestled into place and went and got the firebrick out of the experimental kerosene smelter. Will replace it with home made out of clay, sand and ash. The firebrick I used are made to retain heat where what I need in the smelter is to NOT absorb but to reflect. So they get reused. Moved them to the truck and then into the building.
Then got a barrow of sand and put a bit in the stove and started setting the firebrick. Lined the bottom and sides up about half way. Put some across the back also and put sand everywhere there wasn’t firebrick. Hope it will work…
Cut a piece of metal roofing to 27 inches long. Turned out to be 38 inches wide with the bends stomped flat. 😉 Cut slots about an inch deep and 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart on one 38 inch side and bent the cut pieces at right angle to the rest. On the other end (the one that will face the door) I found the center at 19 inches and drew then cut out a triangle 6 inches on the side for the smoke and hot flue gasses to pass through. The idea is that the fire will burn from front to back with the air coming in the front then to exit the smoke has to pass back through the flame to get to the flue. Also should cut down on the flame damage to the inside of the tank and get a few extra btu’s out of the flue gases at the same time. The inner shield will wear out pretty quick but is easy to make and costs some scrap to do. Anyway back to the story at hand…
Rolled this in as small a roll as I could and inserted it into the stove body. Surprisingly enough the sucker fit first time. Had to move the brick on the top to let it move a bit behind them, and may have to redo the entire inside with one less brick a row which will mean not centering the first one. Anyway it ended up with about 3 inches of clearance between the flame shield and the top so should be about right. Will see.
Was too tired and too late to get the roof cut and glad I waited. I have decided to go through then end or side wall and get all the heat I can out of the pipe. Will take cleaning out quite often but that’s better than a leak in the NEW roof. This way will only need 2 pieces of metal and some extra pipe along with the wood and such but I think I like the idea better than the straight up… And will not put the creosote build up on the roof either!
About warm enough to get out and at it. Got to cook a load of stuff today too! Not ready but Christmas is here so will typo again as soon as I have a bit and stuff to say…
And a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!
Themocracy
Sounds neat! Will have to get by and check it out. The nicest thing, of course, is as soon as you get it done and fired up, the weather will improve greatly for ALL of us…..Thanks! (You just KNOW it will happen–but that will probably be alright, too. And it won’t last forever, either…)