iron window panes for Vigilant II

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charlesosborne2002
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Posts: 400
Joined: Sat. Jan. 24, 2015 11:22 pm
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vigilant II 2310
Other Heating: natural gas central forced air

Post by charlesosborne2002 » Mon. Jul. 11, 2022 9:53 pm

Long ago, when I first began thinking about a wood or coal stove (before the Internet), I remember that Vermont Castings stoves used wood or coal with kit, and the glass windows in front could be replaced with cast iron fitted plates. Obviously everybody wanted glass (and even then they had air wash for clean glass). However, if I use my Vigilant 2310 as a wood stove some of the time this winter I might do better with the iron. Both glass and iron transmit heat, but when glass is black--not so much (and a nuisance to keep cleaning). The Vigilant II has no air wash for the glass.

Nobody selling parts seem to show the iron windows... the doors are the same as the ancient wood-or-coal models. Anybody have ideas? If I took the glass to a metal shop, I guess they could fabricate them (steel rather than iron?)

The stove works fine as an open door fireplace (the doors even slip off), and it puts out more heat than a fireplace because the whole thing is iron, but if I want to slow the fire down with the damper-thermostat built in, with doors closed, it would soon blacken the glass. It could hold more wood, burn longer, and lose less heat.

 
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Rich W.
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Posts: 335
Joined: Tue. Nov. 26, 2013 10:29 pm
Location: Newport County, Rhode Island
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vermont Castings Vigilant Multi-Fuel (coal for me); Vermont Castings Vigilant 2310 in the shop
Coal Size/Type: Nut
Other Heating: System 2000 Oil Burner; VC Resolute Woodstove (sold) Jotul 8 Woodstove (sold)

Post by Rich W. » Sat. Oct. 01, 2022 8:05 pm

I don’t worry about soot in my Vigilants (2310 and 1400) because as soon as I burn coal it disappears. Having said that I often see cheap Vig wood burners with steel (?) inserts rather than glass.


 
charlesosborne2002
Member
Posts: 400
Joined: Sat. Jan. 24, 2015 11:22 pm
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vigilant II 2310
Other Heating: natural gas central forced air

Post by charlesosborne2002 » Sun. Oct. 02, 2022 6:52 pm

Rich W. wrote:
Sat. Oct. 01, 2022 8:05 pm
I don’t worry about soot in my Vigilants (2310 and 1400) because as soon as I burn coal it disappears. Having said that I often see cheap Vig wood burners with steel (?) inserts rather than glass.
Even when I burn coal, eventually the glass needs cleaning--but with wood, right away. It helps to keep the fire small and in the back. Of course I can just leave the doors open (with the updraft open), and it still puts our a lot of heat because the iron gets hot. That way I don't have to worry much about overheating the stove.

I never tried cleaning by burning coal.

I wonder if they made their own steel inserts? I think in the old days when they were sold for wood or coal, they offered iron or glass. I read that glass transfers radiant heat better than iron.

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