Wehrle parlor stove model 147

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Tsabol
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Post by Tsabol » Mon. Apr. 18, 2022 5:55 pm

So, I just got this stove, ( for a song)but am unfamiliar with it. Thought I might get some useful information here. There's no way this tell the year on this, as far as I can see. It has a rather small fire box, about 1/2 the stove, alot of wasted space it seems under the shaker plate down to the custom- to- this -stove removable ash pan.. was it made for wood, or coal? What are the 'windows' in the top door made of?(I need one) I can't wait for the next good day to fire it up(in the driveway) any thoughts, comments, wealth of knowledge appreciated! Thanks in advance! -T

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rberq
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machine 1300 with hopper
Coal Size/Type: Blaschak Anthracite Nut
Other Heating: Oil hot water radiators (fuel oil); propane

Post by rberq » Mon. Apr. 18, 2022 11:47 pm

Slider air intake at the bottom, and you said it has a shaker grate. If the incoming air can't bypass the sides of the coal in the firebox -- that is, air has to pass through the coal -- then it looks to me like it was designed for coal. I would assume the windows are made of mica, which should be easy to buy. The stove appears to be in nice shape. If you haven't already done so, put "Wehrle parlor stove model 147" into a Google search and you will get a number of hits, including previous ones on this forum.

 
Tsabol
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Post by Tsabol » Tue. Apr. 19, 2022 8:15 am

Thank you, rberg! I keep saying that the material looked like mica, and it know I've seen the material somewhere before, but didn't know they used it in stoves, or that it was available in sheet form. The local stove shop had no clue what it could be. Would burning wood in it damage it? Would that fire be too high/hot and warp it, since it was made before the use of fire brick? Burning coal is another whole subject.. and learning curve! I have a bag, perhaps for giggles, I'll try it!


 
rberq
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Posts: 6445
Joined: Mon. Apr. 16, 2007 9:34 pm
Location: Central Maine
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machine 1300 with hopper
Coal Size/Type: Blaschak Anthracite Nut
Other Heating: Oil hot water radiators (fuel oil); propane

Post by rberq » Tue. Apr. 19, 2022 8:57 am

Tsabol wrote:
Tue. Apr. 19, 2022 8:15 am
Would burning wood in it damage it?
Burn WOOD? If you are going to use bad language, I don't want to talk to you! :lol:
Just kidding. This site is COALpail, after all.
I don't really know about temperatures of wood vs. coal fires. I think lots of folks burn some wood spring and fall when they want brief fires. The coal learning curve isn't bad. Lots of topics on this forum on how to start and maintain a coal fire -- use the Search at upper right. I just use paper with wood kindling on top, charcoal on top of that, coal on top of the charcoal, plenty of air from under the grates. Start the fire in October or November, don't let it go out until April or May.

 
Tsabol
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Post by Tsabol » Tue. Apr. 19, 2022 9:59 am

So charcoal is the trick! Ha! Just learned something! Where I'm thinking of using the stove is more of a weekend getaway spot in Vermont.. with the long burn time of coal, once started, it might be just perfect! 😁 I'm getting happier all the time about finding this little gem! I have been searching topics all morning, and it seems over the years, the company that made these stoves changed hands many times; but it sounds like they only manufactured under the name wehrle from 1883- 1936. So... I guess this is a very old stove and I'm lucky for a couple of things. One that it's in such good condition, and two, that the seller had no clue what it was or whether it worked and only asked for $75! I'll call that a good day! T

 
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Sunny Boy
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Coal Size/Type: Nuts !
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Post by Sunny Boy » Tue. Apr. 19, 2022 10:56 am

Welcome. T. Pretty little room heater.

Yes, it's a coal stove. The wood burning types like that most often had a loading door on one end to get long pieces of wood in.

Can you burn wood in it ? Yes, but the highs and lows of wood will heat-stress the stove more than coal. That risks warping and cracking parts. More importantly, with such a small firebox you'll be having to load more wood in it about every hour or two,.... then waking up to a cold room and having to go through all the relighting every morning. A coal fire will spoil you away from that. ;)

Filled with coal , and the dampers set for a slower burn, it will likely burn through the night and have enough firebed left to easily recover when the dampers are opened up. Then just refuel and shake ashes.

Most antique coal stoves were sized to only need to be refueled and shake ashes about every 12 hours - before bed and first thing in the morning before starting off to work. The ash pans sized to be emptied once a day. NEVER let the ashes in the pan get up to the level of the grates. That can damage them.

The "wasted space" under the grates is needed because 24 hours of coal ash has far more volume than wood ash.

You can start with wood, but many with antique mica-windowed stoves find that soots up the mica. A lot of us with antique stoves use a layer of a couple of BBQ briquettes deep and then kerosene sprinkled on top.

When the briquettes are glowing, start building up the coal firebed in layers that still allow some flame to still come through.

Most antiques use either nut or coal stove sized coal. Nut coal size gives a longer burn because of the smaller air spaces between chunks and more fuel density in the same space as the bigger stove coal size will give. Points you'll find matter more in a smaller stove like a room heater verse a big parlor stove. Plus, nut coal is more common so easier to find.

Coal burns best with as deep a firebed as possible. Eventually you want the firebed to be filled up to the top edges of the firebox, but not up unto the front loading door.

Never bury a coal fire in coal. That risks stalling the firebed draft and loads the firebox with volatile gases. Then when a flame does get through you get a "puff-back" that some times can get quite explosive !!!

A web search will find many places that sell stove mica. Some of us antique stove owners use this company.
https://www.ashevillemica.com/stove-plate-mica/

You can cut the mica to size with scissors. Best to put in two layers because sometimes as fresh coal heats up and the volitile gases trapped in it ignite, it shoots of little bits of coal that can crack the mica. The second layer adds strength to resist that. Some antique stoves had fine brass screening on the inner face to protect the mica, but that can start to fill in with fly ash after shaking the grates.

And as rberq suggested, using the search feature will give you lots of info on antiques and how to run them on coal.

And when you get good at running it, you might want to try cooking on that flat top under the swing bonnet. That was a very common feature of antique stoves. Then check out the Cookin' With Coal thread here,

Cookin' With Coal

Paul


 
Tsabol
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Post by Tsabol » Tue. Apr. 19, 2022 11:17 am

Wow, Paul! Thanks for all that! Good bits of information as I learn my way around this experience with this particular appliance! Maybe once I figure it out, I'll try again with coal in my DS rite burn that I've been heating my home in Maine with for the last 6/7 years. I'm open to being converted, now that I've found a place with real information from people who practice what they are talking about and obviously know their stuff! Thanks again! Trudy

 
rberq
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Posts: 6445
Joined: Mon. Apr. 16, 2007 9:34 pm
Location: Central Maine
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machine 1300 with hopper
Coal Size/Type: Blaschak Anthracite Nut
Other Heating: Oil hot water radiators (fuel oil); propane

Post by rberq » Tue. Apr. 19, 2022 2:00 pm

Tsabol wrote:
Tue. Apr. 19, 2022 11:17 am
Maybe once I figure it out, I'll try again with coal in my DS rite burn that I've been heating my home in Maine with for the last 6/7 years.
My prediction: Once you figure out coal in the Riteburn you will never burn another stick of wood. Coal is so much neater and cleaner and less work and long-burning so you can sleep all night. Also doesn't make creosote to burn your house down. Good luck! There are some Riteburn threads on this forum, though I didn't see anything recent.

 
Tsabol
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Post by Tsabol » Tue. Apr. 19, 2022 2:39 pm

rberg, I'd better figure it out before I put another 4 cord in the basement, you mean!?? Not enough cold days /nights left for that. I'm always a year ahead on wood delivery, so I never have to worry about green or so called seasoned wood.. guessing it will take me a couple of winters to grow into it as a full time fuel. As for the thread, well, nothing like fresh subject matter, right!?? I'll just have to start a new one! 😉 Trudy

 
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warminmn
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Post by warminmn » Tue. Apr. 19, 2022 4:55 pm

The Riteburn, I think, burns on the same principal as the Hitzer 82 and Riteway 37's. You can burn almost anything in it. Once you try anthracite coal you wont like wood anymore, unless coal prices in your area go crazy.

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