Question on a Variety #118

Hello.
I was curious if anyone knew who made the Variety #118 pot belly stove and possibly what time period?

I'm not concerned about it's worth, just interested in the history of it.

Thank you

Welcome to the forum Mc.
Don't know about that stove but not shure if you can burn apples in it

Maybe not those, but possibly some good road apples..

Welcome.

The wide top makes me think that is one of the class of small stoves called "laundry stoves". They were usually of a "pot belly" type. In the days of wash tubs, scrubbing boards, wringers, and clothes lines, laundry stoves were often meant to be somewhat portable to move around to wherever that messy, wet job was being done. Usually once a week, and often outdoors.

Google "antique water boiler" and you'll see why the top is that shape.

There were special copper and galvanized steel tubs called "water boilers" that are shaped to sit over and cover the holes of two stove top round covers (sometimes called lids, or burners). The covers and the support plate in between could also be removed to get more heat to the water boiler to heat it faster/hotter.

The larger kitchen ranges can do the same by removing two round covers and shifting the eyes and tees support plates around so that the boiler could either sit directly over the firebox, or just one end of the water boiler sits over the firebox.

That front section of top would have stuck out past the edge of the water boiler. Most likely a couple of sad irons would be heating up there.

Paul

Awesome!!

Thanks for the info Paul. I'll do some looking on that. Very cool!

I've looked it over real good. Every piece that can be removed has either "Variety 16-18" or "Var 16-18" or "Variety 118", but there is nothing on the outside of the stove other than the Variety No 118 on the front.

The only other markings on it are on the inside of the legs. They have "VAR 118" and then "SUN295". It appears the legs have either been broken off or modified as there has been some welding done inside the legs at the top. Not sure if these had bolts thru the body to attach the legs to it or not, but this one does now!

Another welcome "McNatt" Cute little stove. Be fun to see it in action. Get a few feet of 4" stove pipe, stick it up your chimney, and lite that thing up. Once you get the coal bug, they'll be no stopping you.

I'm actually running it right now. Cooking whatever might be on it, off. Thought I'd fry a lil bacon while I was at it.

Yup, makes a good little cook stove, too

Paul

Wow! That's bigger than I thought. Could be a nice extra room warmer, like maybe a breezeway, or cellar installation. Heck, the belly looks bigger than my stove. (Not that it would take too much).

I just posted in another section regarding this same Variety #118 stove pictured by McNatt. I just had the same one given to me by a friend, that looks just like McNatts, and it appears to be in pristine condition. I have a separate woodworking workshop on my property, and I was hoping to be able to burn wood scraps along with cured logs in this stove, not coal, which seems to be the focus of this website. So, I'm wondering if it is okay to burn wood in it, and if there is any definitive information available as to where, when, and by whom it was made? Given it is going in a woodworking shop with a bare plywood floor, I had intended to just use the metal sheets sold at Lowes to set the stove on, and use the same material on the wall with 1" spacers? Does that seem practical. Any information in this regard would be appreciated. I have a large wood stove insert in my main house, but I've never tried to install a standalone stove, but it doesn't look too difficult, especially given appearance is not paramount. On this particular stove, I can figure out what all the hinged openings and clean out tray are, but what is the little door at the bottom of the unit on the right hand side. The door swings up, but can't be locked in place, so I wonder what it's for. I thought perhaps it was for a grate shaker type operation that's perhaps missing a part. Again, any insight is appreciated.

Welcome,

Some of the potbelly stoves don't seal as well as they should around doors and dampers. While this can make it difficult to burn coal, it can make it down right exciting burning wood. I had one in my basement wood shop for many years.

I finally got it under control by better sealing around the edges of the ash and loading doors and slide damper. Then only using coal, which doesn't burn out of control as easily as wood does.

Check to make sure the doors and dampers seal well, or gasket them as best as you can with stove gasket materials.

Paul