My wife loves our new Warm Morning 414!

I’m new here, my first post, please bear with me....
About two weeks ago my Susan says ...”Maybe we should get a small wood stove or something in the kitchen”.
Backing up quite a bit first, we recently moved to The Farm. My Mom and Dad bought it in 1960 when I was nine years old. It was fifty acres of bliss for Mom and Dad who grew up in Secaucus, NJ. Quite the contrast. Not a big place, we always had a milk cow, a beef cow, some pigs, chickens and the occasional old horse Dad saved from the glue factories. The garden grew each year as our appetites did. Then it began to shrink again as us kids left for the greener grasses. The biggest I remember was about 40’x80’, the perimeter is still noticeable in the lawn. Hobby farming it’s called nowadays but with no money for effort saving toys it was a LOT of work. To Dad it was his passion. He passed 8 years ago and Mom passed 2 years ago. May God continue to bless them, wonderful people and I miss them. Prior to Mom’s passing the deal was that whoever would move to The Farm, lived there and kept it up, would own it. My three siblings backed away but I’ve always loved the place, and Susan somehow understood that and agreed, so now it’s ours.

Backing up again, In June of 1960 we moved in. The then popular TV show “Green Acres” was not a stretch from our reality. The center of what was and would again be the dining room had a big old stove with a flue pipe that ran below the ceiling to a six over six glazed window with one pane occupied by the pipe then an elbow and about ten feet of pipe going up. That was the entire heating system. The electrical system was installed by the REA in what...1934? I kid you not! Clearly there was some upgrading to do with winter just four months away. It took everything Mom and Dad had to drag the place out of 1930 and into 1960.
A new oil fired hot water boiler was installed in the basement with a new block and flue tile chimney. Copper finned baseboard was installed around the perimeter of the living area upstairs and down....except for the kitchen. One small radiator was placed on a wall common to the main house since the kitchen is in a shed like structure added in 1913 on the ground, not even a crawl space. It was cosmetically improved over the years to some extent. To help that situation Dad installed a coal/gas kitchen stove on the north wall to keep the room somewhat reasonable in the winter. I can remember a very dark day a couple years after that new oil fired system was installed and a fresh load of oil was put in the tank. Dad was so very upset, the fuel oil cost was now 18 cents/gallon, up from the previous 16 cents. I’ll never forget his words regarding the pedigree of the oil delivery people, the first time I ever heard some of them.

Lots of work is still involved inside and out of the house as we now try to drag the place out of 1960 and into the 21st century. Though upgraded to a new 175,000 btu propain furnace in 2005 the heating ‘system’ is still inadequate as it struggles to keep our 1,500 sq ft 1793 farm house warm....which until two years ago had zero insulation! About half the house is now insulated, the downstairs. Next year the upstairs gets done.
I’m very excited to say I’m nearly done installing a 1980’s vintage Chappee hand fired boiler. It’s the larger one, I think about 130,000btu. Can’t wait for it to go online! Four valves in the 1-1/4” copper tubing will isolate the propain boiler from the Chappee boiler. Closing two and opening two others will allow me to switch from one to the other. The circulating pumps will be switch selectable...by zone with the propain and ‘always on’ and pumping with the Chappee.

So back to Susan’s request, and sorry for the long ramble to get here.....”Maybe we should get a small wood stove or something in the kitchen?” That one little radiator just doesn’t cut it and Dad’s coal/gas kitchen stove was replaced by a 50’s vintage gas/gas stove with a propain heater in it. That equates to $$$$ straight up the chimney for very little benefit.

So off I went to Craigslist before any minds could change. I knew exactly what I wanted since I’ve been lurking here for over a year. You all taught me well! I found our little Warm Morning 414 on Long Island, brought it home a week ago yesterday. It’s been up and running since Thanksgiving Eve and the kitchen is so nice and toasty ALL THE TIME now! No more chilly mornings for Susan. I’m burning about 20 pounds a day in it, nut coal I pulled out of an old theatre basement in Hudson Falls for free. I have a ton now, three more to go.

If it works, here’s a photo of my fire pot doing its thing.
Don

Congratulations Don on resurrecting the home place. Warm Mornings are awesome little stoves, it is a crying shame they went out of business. Those hollow corners in the firebrick are the secret to the ease of use, fire gets not only under-fire air but also over-fire air. This also allowed them to burn bituminous just as well as the volatile gasses could be burnt off much quicker, minimizing snuff-outs and puffbacks. I have 2 of them here, one in constant use and another that heated a large part of my previous house. For now it remains under a sheet, waiting for service again one day.

Rule #1 around here... we LOVE pictures, and I demand more! How about a few of the whole stove, if the rest of it is in good of shape as those firebrick then you have an awesome little heater!

PS, some parts are available online if needed but requires a bigger magnifying glass than most other makes.

Donb wrote: ↑

Tue. Nov. 27, 2018 11:17 pm

...It’s been up and running since Thanksgiving Eve and the kitchen is so nice and toasty ALL THE TIME now! No more chilly mornings for Susan. I’m burning about 20 pounds a day in it,
Don

That's happiness pure and simple, pretty much how my venture into coal burning started... congrats!

Welcome and congrats. Great story. Much like what lead us to get a coal kitchen range, as this old place originally had.

Warm morning stoves are highly regarded here by those who have experienced how well they work.

And as Coaljockey said, we like coal stove pictures.

Paul

Pictures....here are a few.
The ‘brick’ on the wall is wall paper. The metal sheet is brass and temporary until I fashion something better. It nicely keeps the heat off the wall. I had concerns with wall and ceiling temps but the pipe temps are low and the surfaces are just a few above ambient. The temps down low on the wall, where the most firebox radiant heat is, was a real concern hence the temporary brass sheet. The kitchen stove shown is not the old timey 50’s vintage stove once there, but it’s what we have for the time being. We’re on the hunt for a vintage stove with gas burners and oven but without a heater. Susan laments the fact that this current stove does not ‘fit’ the rest of the decor.

The other photos hopefully show the wonderful shape the 414 is in. It was purchased used in the mid 80’s by the previous owner then stored as a spare in case his in use 414 developed a problem. It never did. So my stove is essentially next to brand new.

Welcome to the forum Donb!!

But.....Look out.....
When Paul see's the pic of that setting in the kitchen ..... He's gonna beat on ya to get a coal fired kitchen range in there!! And he won't be the only one - Especially since it has already been mentioned by SWMBO the existing stove doesn't match the period decor of the house!!

That modern stove has been in the unheated mud room for a decade or more. It’s only use was for its oven which does not vent to a chimney like the gas heater did. Now that we are in the heating season I have a problem with taking paid for heat....in that oven...and just letting it go. IneffIency that can be helped drives me bonkers! So to cook last week’s turkey we swapped stoves and let the heat and aroma waft through the house. It’ll stay this way until spring.

By the way, our 1793 house was assembled with chestnut beams salvaged from a barn that burned down. The builder was one of George's boys who kicked the King out of North America. His reward was 100 acres upon which he built this house. Those guys fought for nothing but the hope of freedom and the right to own land. He and his family are buried on the farm. Just down the road is another cemetery where a fellow soldier is buried, he was one of the bugle boys at Bunker Hill.
Theyd be turning in their graves if they knew what’s going on today.
Don

Don

Very interesting about the house, I love the history. This place I am living in was built in 1830 so I will be coming upon 200 years here soon.

At any rate, the 414 sure is a handsome little thing and I love the stoves that they produced with the ceramic enamel like yours. In the setting you have it in it looks like it was built just for that.

Just an FYI in case you didn’t know... the circular shaker grate also contains a “draw” grate in the center that you can pull out towards you. This opens up the ash bed allowing any clinkers and larger chunks of ash to be discharged.

Again, very nice!

titleist1 wrote: ↑

Wed. Nov. 28, 2018 2:21 pm

Welcome to the forum Donb!!

But.....Look out.....
When Paul see's the pic of that setting in the kitchen ..... He's gonna beat on ya to get a coal fired kitchen range in there!! And he won't be the only one - Especially since it has already been mentioned by SWMBO the existing stove doesn't match the period decor of the house!!

I was tempted,... yes, indeed,... I was very tempted...…

Paul

Donb wrote: ↑

Wed. Nov. 28, 2018 2:55 pm

That modern stove has been in the unheated mud room for a decade or more. It’s only use was for its oven which does not vent to a chimney like the gas heater did. Now that we are in the heating season I have a problem with taking paid for heat....in that oven...and just letting it go. IneffIency that can be helped drives me bonkers! So to cook last week’s turkey we swapped stoves and let the heat and aroma waft through the house. It’ll stay this way until spring.

By the way, our 1793 house was assembled with chestnut beams salvaged from a barn that burned down. The builder was one of George's boys who kicked the King out of North America. His reward was 100 acres upon which he built this house. Those guys fought for nothing but the hope of freedom and the right to own land. He and his family are buried on the farm. Just down the road is another cemetery where a fellow soldier is buried, he was one of the bugle boys at Bunker Hill.
Theyd be turning in their graves if they knew what’s going on today.
Don

Then your not far from one of the most important battles of the revolution !!.

I've trod those battle grounds a few times. And every time we go the stepson's house in Vermont, we drive right past where for the first time in history, an entire British army was forced to surrender,...…. to a bunch of "rabble".

Paul

Yes indeed! The Battle of Saratoga was conducted about five miles south east of here as the crow flies. Adjacent to the battlefield, immediately to the north, is the new National Cemetary. Mom and Dad are there, they and all our military heroes are in good company with our forefathers.
Don

Great stories and a heck of a nice looking stove! I have a bunch of ancestors that fought in that war. Damned glad they won too.

Did you use galvanized stove pipe??? If you did thats a no no... toxic fumes. Or maybe they are stainless? i am unsure. Anyway, enjoy the warm warm and happy wife.

Donb wrote: ↑

Wed. Nov. 28, 2018 2:55 pm

That modern stove has been in the unheated mud room for a decade or more. It’s only use was for its oven which does not vent to a chimney like the gas heater did. Now that we are in the heating season I have a problem with taking paid for heat....in that oven...and just letting it go. IneffIency that can be helped drives me bonkers! So to cook last week’s turkey we swapped stoves and let the heat and aroma waft through the house. It’ll stay this way until spring.

By the way, our 1793 house was assembled with chestnut beams salvaged from a barn that burned down. The builder was one of George's boys who kicked the King out of North America. His reward was 100 acres upon which he built this house. Those guys fought for nothing but the hope of freedom and the right to own land. He and his family are buried on the farm. Just down the road is another cemetery where a fellow soldier is buried, he was one of the bugle boys at Bunker Hill.
Theyd be turning in their graves if they knew what’s going on today.
Don

Some were paid to fight with depreciation land grants. From my Grandmother's family history I learned her Father's side were 2 Hessian soldiers, they weren't granted any land.....

Donb wrote: ↑

Thu. Nov. 29, 2018 12:22 pm

Yes indeed! The Battle of Saratoga was conducted about five miles south east of here as the crow flies. Adjacent to the battlefield, immediately to the north, is the new National Cemetary. Mom and Dad are there, they and all our military heroes are in good company with our forefathers.
Don

So you must be just east of Saratoga Springs ?

We've walked around the Nat cemetery, also. It's a beautiful place.

We have a house near the flat track in Saratoga Springs. Melissa has a distant grandfather and uncle - bothers that were at Crown Point that fought for the British in the French/Indian war, and later were at Fort Ticonderoga when they went over to the Rebel cause during the Revolution. Don't know if they were in the Saratoga dustup, but they both survived the war and were buried in West Stockbridge.

Paul

Warminmn....yes, I used galvanized temporarily and have been keeping a close eye on it. The good stuff had to be ordered but was to take ten days to deliver. It’s been eight days now and still not here. So with an easy fire and cautious eye...so far so good. Last week’s daytime lows in the 20’s and low single numbers at night were my incentive.

Bubbalowe....yep, I read about the Hessions. But they were paid. Some call them mercenaries. I call them good friends!

Sunny Boy....we are about four miles east of Broadway and the flat track on Louden Rd. PM me in August and we can rendezvous here at the farm and I’ll show you around the place. Or anyone else visiting in the neighborhood. Ever heard of Adirondack Live Steamers? It’s out behind the barns. Some of us burn coal out there too.

Don