Cookin' With Coal

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Mon. Jan. 10, 2022 8:00 pm

I tried a ton of Lehigh bagged stove coal in the range a few years. Didn't put out any more heat than nut coal but it did respond quicker to damper changes when I needed to boost temps when it was time to start cooking.

The downside of stove size was that it shaved about two hours off the overnight burn times with it having less fuel density in the firebox than nut coal. Stove coal is not a good size in a range if you like to sleep late.

Paul

D.lapan · Post by **D.lapan** » Mon. Jan. 10, 2022 8:11 pm

I'm hoping mixing it will help but now that I'm self employed it's not a huge deal if I have to do it sooner.
I sold a modern home grand to a guy in VA back in June and he called me last week and said he's only getting 10 hours between tending and I'm used to going 12-14 easy. Regardless I now have plenty to last the winter and possibly into next winter

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Mon. Jan. 10, 2022 10:36 pm

With the new firebricks, now that the firebox on my Sunny is back to original size 12 hour runs with nut coal are easy. Haven't tried for anything longer than that yet, but at 12 hours the firebed is still very healthy and quickly recovers when refueling and shaking ash.

At only 10 hours, is the Virginia guy using nut or stove coal ?

Paul

D.lapan · Post by **D.lapan** » Tue. Jan. 11, 2022 7:39 am

Sunny Boy wrote: ↑
Mon. Jan. 10, 2022 10:36 pm
With the new firebricks, now that the firebox on my Sunny is back to original size 12 hour runs with nut coal are easy. Haven't tried for anything longer than that yet, but at 12 hours the firebed is still very healthy and quickly recovers when refueling and shaking ash.

At only 10 hours, is the Virginia guy using nut or stove coal ?

Paul

He is using stove I told him to go to TS and but a half a dozen bags of nut to try, being that far south and not being all that cold I would think nut all damped down would make sufficient heat

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Tue. Jan. 11, 2022 10:09 am

Ok, that would explain why he's only getting 10 hour burn times. Same length of time I got when I was using stove coal in the range.

Yes, using nut coal will get him closer to 12 hour burns. Nut coal not only gives 10% more fuel density over stove size in the same space, but it also helps slow the air flow through the firebed, thus helping extend burn times and more completely burn the coal. And it will give just as much heat as the stove size.

And the nut clinkers are smaller and easier for the grates to breakup.

After using up that ton of Lehigh (and a few bags of Blascak stove), I'll never go back to Stove size for either stove - especially with the smaller, square corner firebox of a range. I see no real gain for its several disadvantages.

Paul

fig · Post by **fig** » Fri. Jan. 28, 2022 10:27 pm

ReidH wrote: ↑
Tue. Nov. 17, 2020 11:09 pm
One step closer to cookin’ with coal for the Heartland Oval. Picked up all the bits equivalent to the Heartland coal kit, plus a new set of firebricks.

Where did you find the coal
Kit?

Hoytman · Post by **Hoytman** » Sat. Jan. 29, 2022 11:32 am

Never seen bagged Blashak stove coal before this far west. I think all Hitzer carried is rice, pea, and nut.

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Sat. Jan. 29, 2022 12:36 pm

Most likely depends on what type stoves customers have.

When I asked around about stove coal, one dealer side there was no demand in his area.
Closer to home I have two dealers that carry bagged stove coal. One Lehigh the other Blaschak. Both side they have some customers with bigger stoves that use it.

Paul

ReidH · Post by **ReidH** » Sat. Jan. 29, 2022 1:44 pm

fig wrote: ↑
Fri. Jan. 28, 2022 10:27 pm
Where did you find the coal
Kit?

Hi Fig,
There is a business in Durham ON that has lots of old parts. Other places also in various parts of Ontario.

For a very recent Heartland range, you need the 3 upper firebox castings and the prismatic grate assembly. Oh and a shaker handle.
The necessary castings are the right side, front and rear castings.
For anything less than late 1990's you only need the front casting, back casting and the grate assy.

The newer ranges are more of a PITA than the older ones as you must remove the entire top cooking surface to get the castings in. The older ones had 3 loose rectangular plates with 2 round covers on each. You need only remove the the left and middle to have access to drop in the castings.

The grate assembly just slides out the front through the front ash door, so swapping is easy
The Oval was originally designed to be easily convertible between wood and coal. with the front and back upper castings removed, you can get 21 inch logs into the upper firebox. The lower firebox is oval shaped so not as wood friendly and the upper portion of the firebox becomes oval shaped with the installation of the front and rear castings.

When you get into older Findlay's, there were small, medium and large oven models with different back external firebox extension castings that accepted shorter, medium and longer lengths of wood. Elmira and then Heartland only made one size. The medium I think. I assume that was the one Goldilocks preferred.

BTW, there are still new parts dealers that have all the bits for the coal conversion, but they are priced very high. Those prices do drive the prices up from the used part dealers.

Reid

ReidH · Post by **ReidH** » Sat. Jan. 29, 2022 2:35 pm

Sunny Boy wrote: ↑
Sat. Jan. 29, 2022 12:36 pm
Most likely depends on what type stoves customers have.

When I asked around about stove coal, one dealer side there was no demand in his area.
Closer to home I have two dealers that carry bagged stove coal. One Lehigh the other Blaschak. Both side they have some customers with bigger stoves that use it.

Paul

Maybe outside boiler users??? The local Blaschak dealer, 200km away from me, carries Stove, Nut and Rice. They also distribute outside boilers and stokers.

Now if I had a small dump truck, I would drive to Mahanoy, 600 km away, and pick up 5 tons of nut.

Reid

fig · Post by **fig** » Sat. Jan. 29, 2022 5:57 pm

ReidH wrote: ↑
Sat. Jan. 29, 2022 1:44 pm
Hi Fig,
There is a business in Durham ON that has lots of old parts. Other places also in various parts of Ontario.

For a very recent Heartland range, you need the 3 upper firebox castings and the prismatic grate assembly. Oh and a shaker handle.
The necessary castings are the right side, front and rear castings.
For anything less than late 1990's you only need the front casting, back casting and the grate assy.

The newer ranges are more of a PITA than the older ones as you must remove the entire top cooking surface to get the castings in. The older ones had 3 loose rectangular plates with 2 round covers on each. You need only remove the the left and middle to have access to drop in the castings.

The grate assembly just slides out the front through the front ash door, so swapping is easy
The Oval was originally designed to be easily convertible between wood and coal. with the front and back upper castings removed, you can get 21 inch logs into the upper firebox. The lower firebox is oval shaped so not as wood friendly and the upper portion of the firebox becomes oval shaped with the installation of the front and rear castings.

When you get into older Findlay's, there were small, medium and large oven models with different back external firebox extension castings that accepted shorter, medium and longer lengths of wood. Elmira and then Heartland only made one size. The medium I think. I assume that was the one Goldilocks preferred.

BTW, there are still new parts dealers that have all the bits for the coal conversion, but they are priced very high. Those prices do drive the prices up from the used part dealers.

Reid

This is the top. I’m not sure what vintage it is.

ReidH · Post by **ReidH** » Sat. Jan. 29, 2022 6:44 pm

Hi Fig
Probably an Elmira. Can't read the name on the wood loading door or clean out cover under the oven. Early Heartland branded look the same. Not a Findlay as it would have a grill door/damper on the left end of the top perimeter casting. This one has the casting protrusion, but no door. The later Heartlands with the one piece top casting and the one rectangular key plate don't have the protrusion on the left end. See pic below.

It has the 3 rectangular plates. The left most one is the key plate. There should be a lifting handle mounted on the rear left corner of the key plate. This allows the key plate to be lifted and propped open for loading coal. You can see the large nickelled slot head step bolt on the key plate that the handle mounts to/under. Maybe removed to push into the corner of the room.

You need to see under the key plate to determine what parts you may need. You likely would need the front and rear firebox castings, the grate assy and a shaker handle. Of course, depending on how its set up, you may find it has the prismatic grate and the castings installed.
Also, you need to check the condition of the fire bricks. These are two large half oval castings. The place in Durham has replicas cast as the factory ones sell for stupid money.

If I had to get another one or do this again, I would get a model like in your picture. The newer ones are rarer, usually overpriced, have dubious improvements and the unique parts are not available in the stove graveyards yet.

Reid

D.lapan · Post by **D.lapan** » Sun. Jan. 30, 2022 5:04 pm

My grams recipe for home made bread in the home grand, I really should make it more often being the stove is always going but I rarely think of it
Dana

Hounds51 · Post by **Hounds51** » Sun. Jan. 30, 2022 6:41 pm

D.lapan wrote: ↑
Sun. Jan. 30, 2022 5:04 pm
My grams recipe for home made bread in the home grand, I really should make it more often being the stove is always going but I rarely think of it
Dana

That looks really good

Photog200 · Post by **Photog200** » Mon. Jan. 31, 2022 6:15 am

D.lapan wrote: ↑
Sun. Jan. 30, 2022 5:04 pm
My grams recipe for home made bread in the home grand, I really should make it more often being the stove is always going but I rarely think of it
Dana

The bread looks awesome, now the jelly won't roll off that bread.

Cookin' With Coal

Attachments

Attachments

Attachments

Attachments