Another VA-600 Project
- StokerDon
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 7496
- Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
- Location: PA, Southern York County!
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
- Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
- Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood
THIS ONE IS A COAL VIRGIN!
I picked up another Van Wert VA-600 today. This one was installed in the house right after it was built in 1983. This is a dual fuel unit and from what the owner told me, it has never had an ounce of coal burned in it! They ran it on oil it's whole life!
The covers are real nice. It even came with the doghouse to go over the stoker. Most of the insulation is still good on this one! Original, unused coal shovel and ash pan. All this stuff came apart with no problems. The augers and gears show no ware at all. I spent about an hour or so with the pressure washer to get most of the oil filth out of it. I left the pot in on this one, that made it a lot easier. The DHW coil gasket has been leaking for quite a while. This one might need to visit the welder. All in all, a good day!
-Don
I picked up another Van Wert VA-600 today. This one was installed in the house right after it was built in 1983. This is a dual fuel unit and from what the owner told me, it has never had an ounce of coal burned in it! They ran it on oil it's whole life!
The covers are real nice. It even came with the doghouse to go over the stoker. Most of the insulation is still good on this one! Original, unused coal shovel and ash pan. All this stuff came apart with no problems. The augers and gears show no ware at all. I spent about an hour or so with the pressure washer to get most of the oil filth out of it. I left the pot in on this one, that made it a lot easier. The DHW coil gasket has been leaking for quite a while. This one might need to visit the welder. All in all, a good day!
-Don
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- Member
- Posts: 512
- Joined: Mon. Dec. 27, 2010 1:59 am
- Location: New Zealand
- Stoker Coal Boiler: MK2 #1
I find it somewhat astonishing that people could buy something and then never try it out to at least ensure it works and is on the right settings ....if i own something i at the very least try it out to see how it runs.
- StokerDon
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 7496
- Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
- Location: PA, Southern York County!
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
- Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
- Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood
It was great to meet you to Jon, and thanks for all the help. It would have taken a lot longer by myself.Jhunter13 wrote:Glad to see you made it home! Great meeting you and best of luck with your new boiler.
-Don
- StokerDon
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 7496
- Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
- Location: PA, Southern York County!
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
- Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
- Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood
More pics of the boiler and parts.
The boiler serial number is 1313, SPOOKY! If I didn't know where this came from I would be wondering if The Munster's ever owned it!
Strangely, this boiler has no "H" stamp tag. The tag would have been right where the serial number is stamped. Stoker, gear box and motor data plates. The controls. Timer, relay, 2 fused power switches and aquastat. A bag of shear pins and extra bolts. Also included were 2 bags of starter mice circa 1983. Here is the oil burner plate with the mercury switch. This came with the documents that pertain to installing, wiring and running the oil burner. I have never seen these before. -Don
The boiler serial number is 1313, SPOOKY! If I didn't know where this came from I would be wondering if The Munster's ever owned it!
Strangely, this boiler has no "H" stamp tag. The tag would have been right where the serial number is stamped. Stoker, gear box and motor data plates. The controls. Timer, relay, 2 fused power switches and aquastat. A bag of shear pins and extra bolts. Also included were 2 bags of starter mice circa 1983. Here is the oil burner plate with the mercury switch. This came with the documents that pertain to installing, wiring and running the oil burner. I have never seen these before. -Don
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- Member
- Posts: 303
- Joined: Thu. Jan. 20, 2011 8:12 am
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Van Wert 600
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Tarm 202
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman HXL, 150, Crane 88, Crane 404
- Other Heating: Solar
Great find!
- Rob R.
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 18004
- Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
- Location: Chazy, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr
That looks like a nice one...would be mint if not for the coil. What do you plan to do with it?
Thanks for posting the pictures of the original documents.
Thanks for posting the pictures of the original documents.
- StokerDon
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 7496
- Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
- Location: PA, Southern York County!
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
- Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
- Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood
Thanks A.P. and Rob! These stupid coil gaskets are getting pretty annoying. For right now it will be another addition to my coal stoker museum. Winter is six months away, by then I should have a plan for it.Rob R. wrote:That looks like a nice one...would be mint if not for the coil. What do you plan to do with it?
Right now I am about to get the parts needed to install the other VA-600. It doesn't hurt to have 2!
-Don
- StokerDon
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 7496
- Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
- Location: PA, Southern York County!
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
- Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
- Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood
Last night I pulled the DHW coil out of Van Wert #2. The boiler plate has a bit if ware to the right of and underneath the coil mounting surface. So I put it on the truck and hauled it up to Scrapper's place.
I still don't have a plan for this boiler. Never the less, when I get it back it will get cleaned up and painted.
-Don
Scrapper is going to weld a plate over it so it will never leak again.I still don't have a plan for this boiler. Never the less, when I get it back it will get cleaned up and painted.
-Don
- StokerDon
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 7496
- Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
- Location: PA, Southern York County!
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
- Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
- Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood
We got the boiler back today!
Next will be a little cleaning, flushing and painting.
-Don
He had to go down below the stay rods to get all the rot out on this one.
Well, that will never leak again!Next will be a little cleaning, flushing and painting.
-Don
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- Member
- Posts: 2379
- Joined: Sun. Mar. 25, 2007 8:41 pm
- Location: Ithaca, New York
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KAA-4-1 dual fuel boiler
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: former switzer CWW100-sold
- Coal Size/Type: rice
- Other Heating: kerosene for dual fuel Keystoker/unused
For shame, where is kittycat???
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- Member
- Posts: 51
- Joined: Mon. Oct. 22, 2018 8:47 pm
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Yellow flame
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Sears homart
- Coal Size/Type: Rice
Amazing I love to see your progress on these builds I wish I had the time and resources to be able to do something like you but I guess for now I’ll just stay tuned and watch everything you put out any ideas on what comes next or does it just all depend on what falls into the bed of your truck next lol
- StokerDon
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 7496
- Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
- Location: PA, Southern York County!
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
- Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
- Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood
That's pretty much it! Watch CL until something interesting pops up for cheap. It happens all the time. There are a couple of them out there now but we have reached critical mass here, no more room. That means it's time for a purge.Joelharris58 wrote: ↑Sun. Dec. 16, 2018 5:34 pmany ideas on what comes next or does it just all depend on what falls into the bed of your truck next lol
-Don
- StokerDon
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 7496
- Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
- Location: PA, Southern York County!
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
- Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
- Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood
This morning I wire wheeled the boiler real good. then pushed it outside for some cleaning.
-Don
After some cleaning I hosed it down with some Hi Heat Silver.
I taped up the flue outlet after painting it black.
The stokers eye view of the inside.
Then the fire door and frame got wire wheeled, cleaned and painted.
The Ol' Axeman was hard at work keep'in the paint cans warm.
We managed to get the ash pan door cleaned up and painted too before it got dark.
Everything is drying right now. The Monster radiator in ON and it's over 80 degrees in there!
It's going to rain tomorrow so cleaning and painting stoker parts will wait for another day.-Don