Slicing a Harman Mark 1
-
- Member
- Posts: 92
- Joined: Sun. Nov. 25, 2012 4:11 pm
- Location: Juneau county, Wisconsin
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman Mark 1
- Coal Size/Type: Nut & stove
- Other Heating: Vermont Resolute wood stove for the shoulder months
Have a Harman 1 for a number of years. Works grate, but once in a few days ash builds up on the sides. Has anyone made a tool to get on the top of the grates to slice the ashes after a shake down?. I see from the front there seems angle iron just under the loading door. If I drill a slot at the edges right and left, use a flat piece of steel 1/8 thick. May have to bend the steel a bit so it lays flat on the grates. As anyone tried this. There is a Hitzer article on the first page that a similar idea. George
I used a Mark III for years and had the same thing happen after a few days of burning. The tool i used was a regular fireplace poker and I scraped along the firebrick in the coal bed to get rid of the ash there. Worked well and was good to go for the next few days.
-
- Member
- Posts: 92
- Joined: Sun. Nov. 25, 2012 4:11 pm
- Location: Juneau county, Wisconsin
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman Mark 1
- Coal Size/Type: Nut & stove
- Other Heating: Vermont Resolute wood stove for the shoulder months
Yes shaking enough for clearing the ash. Get a12 hour burn at 425 degrees with a steady burn rate. It's every 3or4 day I get ash build-up. Some say to poke down on the edges. I do not poke the fire from above. I learn this from old timers. Oops I'am an old timer myself. Other than the ash event I am very happy with this stove. I use to own a Vigilant 1 w/coal conversion shake and slice the ashes. Had that stove for 35 years. G.
-
- Member
- Posts: 92
- Joined: Sun. Nov. 25, 2012 4:11 pm
- Location: Juneau county, Wisconsin
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman Mark 1
- Coal Size/Type: Nut & stove
- Other Heating: Vermont Resolute wood stove for the shoulder months
Yes shaking enough for clearing the ash. Get a12 hour burn at 425 degrees with a steady burn rate. It's every 3or4 day I get ash build-up. Some say to poke down on the edges. I do not poke the fire from above. I learn this from old timers. Oops I'am an old timer myself. Other than the ash event I am very happy with this stove. I use to own a Vigilant 1 w/coal conversion shake and slice the ashes. Had that stove for 35 years. G.
- Homesteader
- Member
- Posts: 299
- Joined: Sat. Aug. 13, 2016 4:24 pm
- Location: Goshen, CT.
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman Mark II
- Coal Size/Type: Nut, Stove
- Other Heating: H.B. Smith oil fired boiler
My daily routine with my Mark II; I shake the ash down in the morning, then load back up with fresh coal, in the evening I empty the ash pan then I poke around the sides, back, and front with a piece of 3/8s threaded rod that I bent at a 45 deg. angle so I am poking straight down with the load door open. After that I give it a good shake down so I can see the light above the ash pan then load with fresh coal.
So my routine is tend to the stove twice a day (takes about 10 min.each time) and run the stove around 450 to 500. No ash bridging or dead spots.
Easy Peasy.
So my routine is tend to the stove twice a day (takes about 10 min.each time) and run the stove around 450 to 500. No ash bridging or dead spots.
Easy Peasy.
- SawDustJack
- Member
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Fri. Jan. 15, 2016 6:12 pm
- Location: Cape Cod
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Newcastle/Ironhouse;Warm Morning 617a
- Coal Size/Type: Stove/Nut
G- I get what you are saying about the old timer rule for poking. I have a box stove that experiences this build up too, but I do break the rule once a week to clear the ash out of the corners and sides. It is very disruptive to the fire and I need extra time to help it recover, but it makes a big difference. I kind of think the rule applies more for daily tending. I use a 45 deg rod like Homesteader, but only once a week.
-
- Member
- Posts: 92
- Joined: Sun. Nov. 25, 2012 4:11 pm
- Location: Juneau county, Wisconsin
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman Mark 1
- Coal Size/Type: Nut & stove
- Other Heating: Vermont Resolute wood stove for the shoulder months
Well, after reading all of your posts, I've decided to try it using a poker. It may make me feel younger. So thanks for your input on this subject. I am sure I 've got something in the barn I can use. Will keep you posted on my results. G. Also any Wisconsin and Minnesota coal burners out there?.