Potbelly Stove

echos67 · Post by **echos67** » Sun. Dec. 25, 2011 10:45 pm

Smokeyja wrote:Check this out regarding your moisture experience.

http://www.budgetcastingsupply.com/literature/100 ... rature.pdf

That pretty much sums it up as to the importance of letting it thourghly dry, Steve did his and it sat over the entire summer, another person posted that they installed a light bulb to help cure theirs and Nortcan did it as well but I am unsure how he got his to dry completely.

Smokeyja · Post by **Smokeyja** » Sun. Dec. 25, 2011 11:40 pm

I fixed all of the cracks in the firebrick in my WM 414A with Rutlands castable refractory. I let it sit for about 2 days and then burned a small wood fire in it and let it burn for awhile. After that I started the coal fire. I just cleaned the stove out with a vacuum yesterday and the brick seems pretty solid.

Post by **ONEDOLLAR** » Mon. Dec. 26, 2011 7:09 am

Jtz622 wrote:
Smokeyja wrote: Thanks onedollar, I was going to use rutlands castable refractory but this stuff sounds like the bees knees . I just emailed them.
What is that stuff exactly? Is it just chimney cement?

To be honest I am not sure what the stuff exactly. I have never used it BUT I have heard nothing but good things about it. I am going to inquire about having the firepot on my Chubby Jr lined with the stuff this Spring. Just for some added insurance.

Welcome to this forum. The people here are AWESOME and they will help you anyway they can. Fill in your user info as well. You never know, someone could be living around the corner from you willing to help!

Ciao!
Onedollar

homecomfort · Post by **homecomfort** » Mon. Dec. 26, 2011 10:41 am

Thanks franco b. very helpful info. the tools are missing for my normandie, have checked around with no luck to find them, any ideas.

Post by **franco b** » Mon. Dec. 26, 2011 11:12 am

homecomfort wrote:Thanks franco b. very helpful info. the tools are missing for my normandie, have checked around with no luck to find them, any ideas.

You will have to make something up.

Buy flat steel from the hardware store 1/8 thick by whatever width you can; 3/4 if they have.

The offset poker is 20 inches long overall. The folded over part is 4 inches to act as a handle so you would need a piece about 26 inches long for a 4 inch handle , the extra 2 inches allowing for the curve at the end. Your poker would have to be straight unless you start with a piece 3 inches in width and band saw it to shape. The early straight pokers were much shorter but the longer length is handy for clearing that front edge of the fire pot.

Heat the steel red hot 5 inches from the end with a torch and bend it around a 1 inch or so piece of round stock held in a vice to act as a handle. See pictures.

Jtz622 · Post by **Jtz622** » Mon. Dec. 26, 2011 11:14 am

So should I be worried if the outside of my stove turns red hot? Will it cause any structural issues?

Smokeyja · Post by **Smokeyja** » Mon. Dec. 26, 2011 11:22 am

Jtz622 wrote:So should I be worried if the outside of my stove turns red hot? Will it cause any structural issues?

From what I've read about these cannon heaters is they all turned red. Over time the fire pot could fail faster without a liner.
Nothing last forever. It's not bad for it and it's not good for it either. It's just doing what it's meant to do. I would line the pot when you get a chance. If its lasted this long then I'm sure it's good for another season if it's you main heat source.

The melting point of Cast iron is 2150-2360 . Cast iron won't warp under high temps so you should be fine. Don't spill anything cold or room temp on it, like water. Rapidly cooling the red hot metal can cause it to crack.
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/melting-tempera ... d_860.html

homecomfort · Post by **homecomfort** » Mon. Dec. 26, 2011 11:34 am

franco b wrote:
homecomfort wrote:Thanks franco b. very helpful info. the tools are missing for my normandie, have checked around with no luck to find them, any ideas.
You will have to make something up.

Buy flat steel from the hardware store 1/8 thick by whatever width you can; 3/4 if they have.

The offset poker is 20 inches long overall. The folded over part is 4 inches to act as a handle so you would need a piece about 26 inches long for a 4 inch handle , the extra 2 inches allowing for the curve at the end. Your poker would have to be straight unless you start with a piece 3 inches in width and band saw it to shape. The early straight pokers were much shorter but the longer length is handy for clearing that front edge of the fire pot.

Heat the steel red hot 5 inches from the end with a torch and bend it around a 1 inch or so piece of round stock held in a vice to act as a handle. See pictures.

good idea. Thanks again.

Smokeyja · Post by **Smokeyja** » Tue. Dec. 27, 2011 12:00 am

Onedollar- I tried emailing about that firepot liner paste but I got a delivery failure. Let me know if you have any better luck.

talegate · Post by **talegate** » Sun. Apr. 14, 2019 4:48 pm

I was just given a Variety No. 118; it looks like the one pictured in the link. I have a woodworking shop and I was going to burn wood in this little stove, not coal, mostly using dried shop scrap cutoffs and cured small logs. This site, by virtue of its name, seems coal-focused. I joined it thinking that I might garner some assistance on the genesis of this Variety stove. Is it okay to burn wood in this little guy? It seems to be in stellar condition, and the same one shown in the picture where the gent is asking about its manufacture date. I too would like to know its vintage, where it was made, and when? It only has a very slight amount of rust. I was going to remove the rust, and I'm not sure I should even bother to repaint. Again, it's in good shape. I appreciate in advance any assistance. Tom

Potbelly Stove

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