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By Dave, December 25, 2005 9:54 am

For those of you following these exploits I thought I would put down some of yesterdays doings.

First off, the stove works! Needs more air with damp or green wood but with good dry wood does a great job. Took a while to get the brick and sand dried out but once the moisture was out of there it took off and went the entire night with just two feedings and I only put in a couple of logs each time. I think if I had filled it with dry stuff it would have gone all night without a problem. Let the Ashley go out and the heat is still holding inside here fine. Course it is only about 20 degrees cooler outside than in instead of trying to keep a 40 to 50 degree differential so only time and colder weather will tell.

Got a couple of pieces of old roofing and cut holes for the pipe in the center of each. One is a piece of 5v and the other is the 3 foot wide stuff. the 5v went inside the south end of the greenhouse at the top. Added a couple of 2×4’s, one on each side of the opening for side attachment and screwed the metal down on all 4 sides. Put the flue pipe in for a test fit and moved the stove (sucker is heavy with the brick and sand in it too!) to get the best alignment. have a nice rise to the pipe so maybe it will draw right. Put all the seams on the top so won’t get creosote running out and dripping. Made the mistake of putting the seams down on my first stove, my thinking being that the smoke wouldn’t get out that way. WRONG way to do it!. Anyway got the pipe back out and screwed it together at each joint with 3 1/2 inch metal screws. Put it back in and then went outside and put on the other metal. No triple wall here but as far from the stove and any wood as the flue is I think we are okay.

Then got some 12 foot long shelving angle and a few pieces of shorter stuff and some bolts and nuts. drove 2 pieces of the short stuff into the ground under the pipe and then bolted the 12 foot stuff to them. Added a short cross brace under the pipe and then put on the last ell and about 10 feet of flue pipe with a rain cap on top. Another cross brace on the outside of the flue at the top and then a quick wrap with steel wire and its done.

Back inside and newspaper and a couple of cedar twigs and the fire is going. Added more stuff and it kept growing and drying the brick and sand. It will need another air intake. Guess I will take the door off, drill some holes and make a turn or slide draft control there. Once it is going the 1 1/2 inch pipe air inlet is fine but with the 24+ feet of flue (!) along with the 2 ells is just too much back restriction for the small diameter inlet, especially with wet or green wood. Once it dries out it’s fine.

To cook, perchance to eat. Got to get at it.

Merry Happy to all!