Tips for a Newbie on a Oak Stove

I have had antique stoves in my home since I was a kid but never burned coal always wood, I have been reading up on it now for a few years and this past sat my old standard oak stove grates gave out and fell into pieces. So the search began on Craig's list with nothing either in my price range or too far gone, I called a guy in northern vt to see what he had, long story short I came back 4 hrs later with a 1890s art stove co 20th century laurel 16f, complete with everything right down to the shaker Handel with laurel cast into it for $400. It has grates that turn to burn wood or coal depending on position, so I said screw it lets put the coal to it and down to the store I went, all the bad was nut coal, so when I got home I lit some charcoal and proceeded to start my first coal fire. My concerns are that 1 being old it may damage it due to over firing however the temps are low 220 on the stove and 160 on the stack I have been messing with damper and air settings all eve and it seems to stay level is this normal for the coal I have? Any tips would be great

Welcome the Forum. I can't help with your stove but someone who can will be along shortly.

D.lapan wrote:I have had antique stoves in my home since I was a kid but never burned coal always wood, I have been reading up on it now for a few years and this past sat my old standard oak stove grates gave out and fell into pieces. So the search began on Craig's list with nothing either in my price range or too far gone, I called a guy in northern vt to see what he had, long story short I came back 4 hrs later with a 1890s art stove co 20th century laurel 16f, complete with everything right down to the shaker Handel with laurel cast into it for $400. It has grates that turn to burn wood or coal depending on position, so I said screw it lets put the coal to it and down to the store I went, all the bad was nut coal, so when I got home I lit some charcoal and proceeded to start my first coal fire. My concerns are that 1 being old it may damage it due to over firing however the temps are low 220 on the stove and 160 on the stack I have been messing with damper and air settings all eve and it seems to stay level is this normal for the coal I have? Any tips would be great

Photos are really useful for anyone to know what your stove is and to give better advice. You can likely get new grates for your old standard oak, just sayin'....

220 on the stove is low. How full did you get the coal bed? Coal likes a deep bed. Can't say much more, need photos and all the damper positions, chimney type,height etc....

dj

Pics Please!!!

Damper is 3/4 closed primary air is the nickel door in the ash pan and is open aprox 1/8" the pot is 3/4 full has about 20lbs in it I can go another 4" before it reaches the top of the pot

This stove has "hot blast" which from what I can see and read is a air system in the pot that directs fresh air to all sides of the fire you can see the slits in the pot in the pic, it also has a odd upper hinged door in the mica door that swings in and also a draft adjustment on the top back of the stove pipe collar, I will take more pics in the morning when I get up
Thanks

Thanks for the pics! Beautiful stove bro!

You got one hell of a deal for $400

To get more heat out of the stove, first fill the firepot to the top with coal, Open the air control on the ashpan door about double of what it is now, that is giving you 220*. I assume this 220* is measured at the top of the stove body, on the round stove barrel, just under the top nickeled ring?

With coal, you have to keep the air passage into the bottom of the coal bed open, Coal has much more ash than wood, and wood will rarely choke itself on it's own ash.. but coal will quite easily choke itself.

The shaker grates in your stove will aggitate the coal bed, and the loose powdery ash will fall down into the ashpan.

We need to see the back of the stove to figure out the other features the stove has.

The 'Hot Blast' is for burning Bituminous coal, Bit coal has a lot of unburnt 'volitiles' that boil off out of the coal bed first, if you add HOT Oxygen rich air to a bituminous bed of coal, over the top of the coal, it will light off the volitiles with an amazing blast of flame and heat. But once the volitiles have burnt off, the Hot Blast added air is not needed or usefull to the fire.. and should be closed.

That is a very nice looking stove for $400. congratulations !!

Greg L

Welcome and congrats on a good find. A good multi-fuel stove.

As they've said above, fill the firepot to get the max heat. Coal burns from the bottom up and loves a deep, hot, firebed to burn best. Upper stove barrel temps in the 400 f - 500F degree range are normal and shouldn't overly stress the stove. Remember, if something was going to break in normal use, it most likely would have by now. If there are no cracks in any of the castings, the stove should easily handle a full firepot and temps in that range.

The "odd upper hinged door" inside may be what is called a "smoke flap" ? Some Oak stoves had them inside the upper loading door. If it is, it just keeps smoke and coal dust from coming out the top of a tall loading door opening if you pour coal in directly from a coal bucket. Pictures will help us confirm if it is.

Paul

Ok, 6am shook down ask maybe 1/4 cup and 6 clinkers fell, put another 20+ lbs on top, stating to light now.. Here are the pics of the draft control on the back and the flapper in the door, it's part of the loading door

Where is the firebox liner?

It's a double wall cast, with the slits in it for th hot blast I figured it didn't have one, if it is supposed to I can make one easy enough

So far the out side of the pot has only gotten about 300 with coal

Ok, that's not a smoke flap that low on the doors. And it's too high for raking the grates. It's got me stumped ?

Maybe some type of secondary air inlet operated by draft strength ?

Paul

The online references to that stove I found refer to it as a woodburner. That's the best I can do.

http://www.justanswer.com/antiques/6mxto-wood-sto ... stove.html

The Stove Hospital did comment on this thread though, maybe they can let us know?