Spring Clean-Out

I just up-dated my 111 thread, (season 2), and posted some pics of an ashed up stove. Here's the worst one.

Anyone have some good "ash collected" stories or photos?

I don't quite understand what I'm looking at Joe. Is that a base chamber?

How does ash get in there?

Sorry Lee. I'll go find a better picture to relate to. OK boss, maybe this will be a tad clearer. On the bottom photo, showing the rear of the stove, the cleanout in the photo is on this side, and is located on the corner at the base of the stove pipe. Can you see the access door? That's what's removed to show the chamber that got filled up. In the upper photo, it shows the chamber exposed, and the suspended pot sits on a plate above it, and when in base heater mode, send the heat downward into those chambers, and then up the pipe. I'll see if I can find a photo of the plate.I think one might be in my assy album. I'll have to look.

That stuff doesn't look like the common airborn fly ash I would expect to see in that area. Am I seeing klinkers-chunks of coal residue? Can it migrate from the firepot to that section of the stove?

You are right DW, there is some chunky pieces in there. As I mentioned in my other thread, I need to go back to basics, and trace what my shake down procedure is, and see how this stuff got in there.

Do any of you experienced coal burners have any advice for wiping down, or lubing up the insides to prevent rust or corrosion, while sitting dormant through the off season? Would vinegar be a good neutralizer for the ash pan area then spraying with some DW-40? Or is there any other methods that would be more successful? I was thinking of spraying the cast iron internal components, such as the grates or draw center, and fire-ring with some Rustoleum. I'm wondering if something greasy or sticky might be worse because it would collect fly ash when the stove is back on line.

I just disconnect from the chimney immediately after shut down and vacuum the crap out of the inside. This will keep cooler moist air from entering the stove in the off season if your chimney reverses draft. I have also wiped down the exterior with LPS 1, it dries up and doesn't seem to stink too bad on re-light

I been doin WD40 for 10 yrs J with outstanding results.

OK guys, thanx for the feed back. I'll be back vacuuming, and then sprayin her up.

I'm gonna take the power washer to mine, dry it out good with a heater or a couple wood fires and then coat it with oil.

I have been hearing about doing a routine cleaning,and then burning a few wood fires to coat things with creosote.Makes some sense,but I've never tried it.Supposedly an old idea.

I coat both interior of stove pipe and stove with Fluid Film, stuff is easy because it is lanolin based and not really toxic.

Rev Larry has posted about using wood fires to put a layer of creosote in the stove and pipes. I tried a couple of small wood fires end of the season last year and had no rust - like previous years - except for a few spots the creosote didn't quite get to. This year I plan on burning wood longer to get a more compleat coating.

I've never tried WD40 in a stove, but I've been using it, and the CRC equivalent, for over 40 years in my restoration work and they both work well. The "WD" stands for "Water Displacing".

I learned about using them on cleaned cast iron engine parts from two highly respected engine rebuilding shops I've worked with. They use WD40, or CRC on freshly hot-tank and washed, or glass bead blasted engine parts, that are not going to be painted.

Paul

Joe I wish I would've thought to take some pics of the 116 when I finally, after much persuasion got that little clean-out door open.

Probably a pound of dirt, crayons, and two dead birds! And some screws and nails.

philthy wrote:Joe I wish I would've thought to take some pics of the 116 when I finally, after much persuasion got that little clean-out door open.

Probably a pound of dirt, crayons, and two dead birds! And some screws and nails.

"And a partridge in a pear tree". (sorry, couldn't resist).
I hear ya on the critters Phil. I've had lives ones in my old box stove a couple times, in the off season. Not fun.

2001Sierra wrote:I coat both interior of stove pipe and stove with Fluid Film, stuff is easy because it is lanolin based and not really toxic.

Never heard of this stuff. What's it designed for? Always interesting finding out what's new in the market.
I hear you people talking about creosoting the stove pipes, and am wondering if it's the internal piping in the house you're concerned with. (Seeing it's single wall black pipe.). My system only has a short run horizontally through a wall thimble behind the stove, where it connects to the 15' vertical Metalbestous double wall stainless chimney pipe. Does it really need to be coated? For the price of this stuff, it should outlast the the Great wall of China.