Firebox~ Reduced
I wanted to try this and it looks like some success. I put an 8" thimble, cut down to 9" high; inside my stove. This is to reduce the output of heat and tame the beast. I learned a lot about the history of Gold Marc Monticello stoves; the thing that I remember most is somebody told me they were made big enough to heat bus depots and big shops.
I cut the thimble down on my tile saw, just set it in there over the grate. I cut a bunch of little firebrick pieces and put them on the outside of the thimble, to cover up the air holes still exposed. Then I put coal ash over that to seal air out from coming up around the thimble. I want all the under air to come up through the thimble. This rig has been burning 24 hrs. now. Same characteristics I saw in my first season heating with anthracite. The initial burn goes great, lots of air coming up through the stove size coal. Air flow adjustments were not monitored very thoroughly. I left the ash door open for a while today to revive it a little, it really got glowing. When I allow too much air it seems the whole mass of coal catches, and will eventually all burn out at once if I don't tend the fire. It's 60 degrees out tonight, too warm in here and I've got the windows open. Still have to see what the ash situation will be; it seems it might be improved, since the thimble walls are dead vertical over the grate holes!
The thimble I put in there was defective from the get-go with a crack. It popped open as soon as I started a little wood fire in it to get the coal going. Not worried about that at all. This idea gives me an adjustable firebox.
I cut the thimble down on my tile saw, just set it in there over the grate. I cut a bunch of little firebrick pieces and put them on the outside of the thimble, to cover up the air holes still exposed. Then I put coal ash over that to seal air out from coming up around the thimble. I want all the under air to come up through the thimble. This rig has been burning 24 hrs. now. Same characteristics I saw in my first season heating with anthracite. The initial burn goes great, lots of air coming up through the stove size coal. Air flow adjustments were not monitored very thoroughly. I left the ash door open for a while today to revive it a little, it really got glowing. When I allow too much air it seems the whole mass of coal catches, and will eventually all burn out at once if I don't tend the fire. It's 60 degrees out tonight, too warm in here and I've got the windows open. Still have to see what the ash situation will be; it seems it might be improved, since the thimble walls are dead vertical over the grate holes!
The thimble I put in there was defective from the get-go with a crack. It popped open as soon as I started a little wood fire in it to get the coal going. Not worried about that at all. This idea gives me an adjustable firebox.
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Dan, great idea, looks good! Also, Since the burning coal is held inside the thimble, the steel walls of the stove are protected. You could actually stack another thimble on top of that one, furance cement them together, and make the coal bed twice as deep
Have you tried burning Pea size? I did last spring and found after 15 yrs of burning coal in Nut size it really cools the fire down without looseing it. I just get it going morn and night for a few minutes while shakeing it down and topping it off. You would swear it's out but it's not inbetween.
- VigIIPeaBurner
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Great idea! A good example of ingenuity by using what's at hand and keeping it simple. How much coal can your set up hold and do you have a feel for burn time yet? It would be interesting to see how Chris's idea of making it taller would do especially with either nut or pea. Size will change how often and how big of a column of ash and burning coal will need shaking in that column. I haven't done my reduced fire box yet but will be doing it really soon. Have to unwrap the the foil on the dual use firebrick that was used for summertime grilling
- Freddy
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Sweet Mama! That's skicker than a frogs belly. I hope it shakes OK without disturbing the outside stuff. Let us know how it works as time goes on.
- whistlenut
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Dann, this confirms what has long been in question: Size DOES matter!! Good thinkin', keep us posted with the results.
PS: Did you consult with any 'flue czars' on this one or did you just exercise your individual freedom of choice?
:pepsi:
PS: Did you consult with any 'flue czars' on this one or did you just exercise your individual freedom of choice?
:pepsi:
I'd love to find a way to make a home made backyard breaker. Maybe a steam roller positioned over an auto shop dynomometer with adjustable gap and a feed chute. Until then, I will need to use up all the odd sized basement coal I have hoarded! There are a lot of smart fellers here, my calculations about volume show that I have reduced the volume of the firebox by 67.3%. Based on a 9" high cylinder diameter of 14" to an 8" cylinder diameter. The top area exposed went from 154sq. in. to 51sq. in. anyhoo. The local stone yard has round thimbles, I might end up trying a 9 or 10" if they have them. I could work with a taller cylinder, but can't go much taller ~ I wouldn't be able to load it. Good observation, Fred, I have yet to see how shaking affects the outside bottom where I put in little firebrick pieces covered with ash to seal the airflow out. Plenty of ash available lol. The entire thimble rests on the grate now, so shaking moves the whole setup. Still about the same to poke the fire from underneath! Fire went out overnight, my short chimney loses draft in warm weather!
This setup sure protects the firebrick lining, maybe too much as far as heat transfer is concerned. But the place got warmed up over the last two days!
Thanks for the replies!
This setup sure protects the firebrick lining, maybe too much as far as heat transfer is concerned. But the place got warmed up over the last two days!
Thanks for the replies!
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Cardboard folled by a layer of waxpaper...
like a cardboard bowl with a wax paper inner liner.
Center your thimble...
Pour castable refactory cement...
no air leaks that can not be sealed with some gasket cement or hi temp rtv
Now you may have to design in a casting break to remove the sucker from the stove...
and pre-split the thimble to match the casting break.
like a cardboard bowl with a wax paper inner liner.
Center your thimble...
Pour castable refactory cement...
no air leaks that can not be sealed with some gasket cement or hi temp rtv
Now you may have to design in a casting break to remove the sucker from the stove...
and pre-split the thimble to match the casting break.