Coalpail.com Forum

If you are talking about wood strips inside the burn area at the top I'm told that was for expansion. All my fireplaces have those.

PJT.
At first sight I thought they heated the beehive ovens from the fireplace also. But I learned they didn't.

On, "baking day", they started early and built the fire right inside the oven. That's why, if you look inside, there is a small flue from inside the top of the oven angling up into the main chimney flue as john pointed out about his. Several hours of a wood fire put a lot of heat into that massive pile of brick. The brick released it back out at a surprisingly even rate. And usually just a wood plug door with a handle to close the opening.

John.

Yes, all the early cooking fireplaces I've seen had panel and frame covering everything except maybe part of the stone mantel. And all were painted. If your house had higher ceilings, it's possible it was built for someone a bit wealthier than the neighbor with the low ceilings.

That really brings back great memories. Thank you.

Paul

I'm on my 26th season with the same SS double walled chimney. 3 tons of anthracite/year. Always covered with a cap, liner is still like new when I remove the black pipe to clean the black pipe. Come to think about it, I'm only on my 3rd black pipe set. Every year I remove the black pipe and hose it out. Once it's dry, I knock off the layers of rust/ash inside.

Coal and the equipment to burn it seem to like to be left alone. Minimal tending, minimal common-sense cleaning works for me.
Once per year stove vacuuming.

Sunny Boy wrote:PJT.
At first sight I thought they heated the beehive ovens from the fireplace also. But I learned they didn't.

On, "baking day", they started early and built the fire right inside the oven. That's why, if you look inside, there is a small flue from inside the top of the oven angling up into the main chimney flue as john pointed out about his. Several hours of a wood fire put a lot of heat into that massive pile of brick. The brick released it back out at a surprisingly even rate. And usually just a wood plug door with a handle to close the opening.

Wow pretty cool....would they plug up the flue after they let the fire go out? the one next door has a big burn mark on the inside of the exterior wood door.....

Not sure about all, but the beehive oven flues I've seen in two houses at Bethpage Village are only about as big around as your fist and not easy to reach in to. Especially with a hot oven. Could be that the wooden doors sealed well enough that the small flue shut down during baking.

Yeah, I could see how the door would get charred with the heat during firing.

Paul

hmmmmmmm....the flue in the beehive next door is close to a foot in diameter IIRC

Just pulled out the insulation I had stuffed up in there probably 20+ years ago. Good thing I had the shop vac running!! The flue opening runs the full width of the oven door opening (15") & is 5.5" deep. Goes up & turns in where it doubles in depth over the oven.

It would be a neat trick to build one like that today