mica windows on coal burning cooking range

 
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Post by gardener » Thu. Aug. 27, 2020 3:28 pm

I have been perusing the 1890 Acorn catalog.
When I got to the depictions of the Live Acorn cooking range, I noticed the feed door appears to have what looks like mica windows. I cannot recall a cooking range with any windows for the firebox. On the ovens I have seen windows, but not the firebox. The catalog description does not mention windows or some other description that would suggest viewing the fire.
There is no air control on that door, so the "windows" and not vents.
Could this just be decoration and it is just solid iron and not mica windows?
Many heating stoves have mica windows close to the coal fire, could a coal cooking range also have mica windows located like I am asking about in this depiction?

LiveAcornCook_hardcoal.png
.PNG | 467.6KB | LiveAcornCook_hardcoal.png


 
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Post by freetown fred » Thu. Aug. 27, 2020 3:48 pm

Looks more like a fancy laundry stove??????????????????

 
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Post by Sunny Boy » Thu. Aug. 27, 2020 4:30 pm

Quite possibly it was mica. Acorn stoves tended to be rather ornate, and stayed that way as other stove makers were starting to go to simpler decoration.

With those early style cookstoves, the firebox end usually faced out into the room. So if it was mica in that loading door, you'd have a view of the firebed just like parlor stoves. You could cook from the front or either side. Some of that style even had an oven door on both sides giving access to either end of the oven.

And even on later ranges like mine, where the firebox is typically on the left end when doing all the cooking/baking, that firebox end was still referred to as the stove's "front" - and what we think of as the front of the range is actually called the "right end", when ordering new firebricks. Holdover terms from those earlier cookstoves.

Paul

 
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Post by gardener » Mon. Aug. 31, 2020 8:27 am

I found in the catalog this reference under the description for the Imperial Acorn Range,
The front Mica Door is hinged to swing to the left, and the
upper half drops down for convenience in poking the fire.
perhaps it is the same for all of the ranges in the catalog that appear to have a mica door.

 
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Post by gardener » Tue. Sep. 08, 2020 1:34 pm

Sunny Boy wrote:
Thu. Aug. 27, 2020 4:30 pm
...

With those early style cookstoves, the firebox end usually faced out into the room. So if it was mica in that loading door, you'd have a view of the firebed just like parlor stoves. You could cook from the front or either side. Some of that style even had an oven door on both sides giving access to either end of the oven.

And even on later ranges like mine, where the firebox is typically on the left end when doing all the cooking/baking, that firebox end was still referred to as the stove's "front" - and what we think of as the front of the range is actually called the "right end", when ordering new firebricks. Holdover terms from those earlier cookstoves.

Paul
I don't recall seeing a cookstove/range in the configuration you describe, though maybe because you described it now I am beginning to see it. Though I have seen photos of other cookstoves with both sides of the oven opening.

 
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Post by freetown fred » Tue. Sep. 08, 2020 3:17 pm

Looks much bigger in 2nd set of pix!!! My bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

 
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Post by Sunny Boy » Tue. Sep. 08, 2020 3:24 pm

Gardner
Your two pictures shows one of the early "cook stoves" I was talking about. It's the predecessor in the evolution of the range.

It's designed to have the firebox end face out into the room, with an oven door on either end of the oven. The stove in your picture would have the mantel and shelf toward the wall and the primary damper/ash door and hearth ( the ledge sticking out under the ash door) face into the room.

Rather than lean over the hearth (these cook stoves were rather low and even for women, an invitation to back pains having to reach that far), most preferred to cook standing at either side.

That lead to the later development that became known as "ranges" with their larger, longer cooktop surface and wider ovens being built so you cook from one side, with the firebox and oven door on that same side. But as far as parts being labeled, the "front" was still considered the end with the hearth and ash door. So, technically, with a range like mine, your cooking from the right side, but most people think of it as the front of the range.

There are some right side firebox ranges - built just the mirror of the commonly seen left side ones - but they are very rare. I've only seen a couple in 15 years of looking at ranges in shops and online.

Paul


 
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Post by gardener » Thu. Sep. 10, 2020 8:36 am

Sunny Boy wrote:
Tue. Sep. 08, 2020 3:24 pm
Gardner
Your two pictures shows one of the early "cook stoves" I was talking about. It's the predecessor in the evolution of the range.

It's designed to have the firebox end face out into the room, with an oven door on either end of the oven. The stove in your picture would have the mantel and shelf toward the wall and the primary damper/ash door and hearth ( the ledge sticking out under the ash door) face into the room.
The few historical homes I have seen growing up, the kitchens were relatively small by today's standard, but few furnishings so they seemed open. The homes I can recall all had hearths... that would be late 1700s to early 1800s? If someone back then bought a cookstove it would have been a step stove and piped into the chimney sitting on the hearth?

So this 1887 Upper Peninsular #99 being a later cookstove, but a predecessor to the range, is taller than a step stove and has a mantle with a high exhaust flue, it would not have been piped to a hearth's chimney? Rather connect to a high port on the side of a chimney or piped independently to the roof using metal the whole way? So a late 1800s kitchen would have been larger with more furnishings I think :?:

Sunny Boy wrote:
Tue. Sep. 08, 2020 3:24 pm
Rather than lean over the hearth (these cook stoves were rather low and even for women, an invitation to back pains having to reach that far), most preferred to cook standing at either side.
I cannot even imagine cooking on a step stove day after day. It seems like you would need a stool to sit on while working with that, but then your knees and pants would be close to the stove.

Here is another picture of the 1887 Upper Peninsular #99 with part of someone's arm in the picture. I know you guys already have a sense of their size, but cannot recall seeing one in person so its still a shocker to me how small these are. Maybe others might find it interesting.
Sunny Boy wrote:
Tue. Sep. 08, 2020 3:24 pm
That lead to the later development that became known as "ranges" with their larger, longer cooktop surface and wider ovens being built so you cook from one side, with the firebox and oven door on that same side. But as far as parts being labeled, the "front" was still considered the end with the hearth and ash door. So, technically, with a range like mine, your cooking from the right side, but most people think of it as the front of the range.
Even in the late 1800s some kitchens did not seem to have a formal layout, other than furniture lining the walls. A cookstove like this Upper Peninsular probably been sitting alone so it was easily accessible from both sides?

Paul, about what year did your range come out?

Sunny Boy wrote:
Tue. Sep. 08, 2020 3:24 pm
There are some right side firebox ranges - built just the mirror of the commonly seen left side ones - but they are very rare. I've only seen a couple in 15 years of looking at ranges in shops and online.

Paul
You have mentioned that on another post before, I have been watching the various sites I visit for a picture of one.

 
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Post by mntbugy » Thu. Sep. 10, 2020 9:47 am

Them little ranges are bigger than an end table but smaller than a coffee table.

 
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Post by Sunny Boy » Thu. Sep. 10, 2020 3:18 pm

My Glenwood range is 1903. It's midway in the progression as ranges became less ornate in the very early 1900's. By 1905 Glenwood's line of ranges became the "Modern" models that had very little ornamentation.

Not all manufactures were as quick to change ornamentation, or dropped earlier type cook stoves, while they were also producing ranges, so it's tough to tell the age just by looks. The R&S Acorn range that Melissa grew up with is the same age as mine, but it is far more ornate like you see on ranges from 10-20 years earlier.

My Sunny Glenwood range, and the Model F range, are the smallest model ranges that Glenwood made back then. But it's quite large compared to your last picture. With the water reservoir it has longer flues and several more square feet of heat radiating surface area than even a Glenwood #8 base heater. And, compared to the Glenwood Home Grands that Dana has in his home and shop, it looks only slightly bigger than a kids toy.

Paul

 
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Post by D.lapan » Thu. Sep. 17, 2020 5:42 am

Here’s an acorn from 1877 I did for a gentleman last summer this was set up like a cabinet range with no hearth and the ash pan directly below the fire box, the firebox has a broiler door that swung To the left which Has curved mica towards the bottom of the firebox has a poker flap door

I didn’t get a direct picture of the end but you can kind of see it in the photo if you blow it up

Dana

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Post by Sunny Boy » Thu. Sep. 17, 2020 10:09 am

Since I don't burn wood, I did similar by slipping pieces of mica in behind the secondary damper slide and leaving the slide in the open position so that the damper openings become windows. While not as pretty as real mica windows, it does make it easier to check the fire when there's pots of food cooking on the stove. ;)

Paul

 
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Post by gardener » Thu. Sep. 24, 2020 10:21 am

Wow Dana, that is a beautiful range!

 
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Post by gardener » Tue. Sep. 29, 2020 3:57 pm

Sunny Boy wrote:
Tue. Sep. 08, 2020 3:24 pm
Gardner
Your two pictures shows one of the early "cook stoves" I was talking about. It's the predecessor in the evolution of the range.

It's designed to have the firebox end face out into the room, with an oven door on either end of the oven. The stove in your picture would have the mantel and shelf toward the wall and the primary damper/ash door and hearth ( the ledge sticking out under the ash door) face into the room.

Rather than lean over the hearth (these cook stoves were rather low and even for women, an invitation to back pains having to reach that far), most preferred to cook standing at either side.

That lead to the later development that became known as "ranges" with their larger, longer cooktop surface and wider ovens being built so you cook from one side, with the firebox and oven door on that same side. But as far as parts being labeled, the "front" was still considered the end with the hearth and ash door. So, technically, with a range like mine, your cooking from the right side, but most people think of it as the front of the range.

There are some right side firebox ranges - built just the mirror of the commonly seen left side ones - but they are very rare. I've only seen a couple in 15 years of looking at ranges in shops and online.

Paul
Saw these two on Craigslist recently.
I think this is the sort of arrangement you are referring to.
As usual, now that I am thinking of them I begin to see them around.

 
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Post by mntbugy » Tue. Sep. 29, 2020 6:01 pm

There is alot of Oak style stoves that the ash door and swing top are left hand swing instead of right hand swing.


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