Axemans Restored By Korean War Vet

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StokerDon
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Post by StokerDon » Sun. Apr. 24, 2022 8:37 am

The other day I took a ride out to Shippensburg to look at a couple Axemans and meet the guy that restored them. Jan from the "Axeman 130 Heats Wood Boiler" project came with me.
Axeman 130 Heats Wood Boiler

His name is Orbie Pepley, he is in his 90's, a Korean War Vet, Welder/Fabricator and in his spare time he furbishes Axeman Anderson's!
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He is a fascinating guy to talk to and we had a great time there.

Here we are in his shop looking at his unique Axeman install next to his old Dodge 12 valve Turbo Cummins welding truck.
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He had a very unique set up to clean his chimney. He has an air fitting in the Tee at the bottom of the chimney to blow compressed air and flyash up and out the stack. I haven't figured this out yet but he has some kind of spring loaded contraption on top that is operated with a cable and bellcranck.
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Orbie also had a coal business on the side. Here we are all loaded up on the scale.
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We ended up coming home with 2 fully restored Axeman 130's, a bunch of parts and some great stories.

A 2007.
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And a 1959 that is missing a couple parts.
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Jan got the 2007 and I got 1959.

We had a great time and Orbie is a great guy to talk to. Everything from the coal business, restoring Axemans and his old Dodge 12 valve Turbo Cummins welding truck is fascinating to me.

Thank you Orbie!

There will be a video later. This one will be long and I have a lot of editing to do to make it work.
-Don

 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Sun. Apr. 24, 2022 8:55 am

I reported earlier of my meeting Orbey at our Meet & Greet at Alternate Heating Supply (AHS). He is definitely a legend in the Axeman Anderson stoker boiler world.

Don you and Jan had a rare and personal event to be able to visit and talk to Orbey at his own shop. I am envious of that. 😄

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Sun. Apr. 24, 2022 8:56 am

Wow that is a great story Don! Ummm.. whatcha gonna do with another Axeman? I get the feeling that you REALLY like these boilers.. just a hunch I guess :lol: but yer in good company here!

 
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hotblast1357
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Post by hotblast1357 » Sun. Apr. 24, 2022 4:37 pm

What’s the deal with the chimney? I don’t see the need for such an elaborate contraption on a coal chimney..? It’s just a little fly ash. Did he use to burn wood or something?

 
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StokerDon
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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

Post by StokerDon » Sun. Apr. 24, 2022 8:17 pm

McGiever wrote:
Sun. Apr. 24, 2022 8:55 am
Don you and Jan had a rare and personal event to be able to visit and talk to Orbey at his own shop. I am envious of that.
Indeed! I am very grateful that we got to go out there and spend some time with him.

Here are some better pictures of the 2 boilers we came back with.
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The 1959.
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The 2007.
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The video is about done. It's about 30 minutes or so and is one of the longest videos I have ever done. I'll probably get it uploaded overnight.

-Don


 
ziggy87
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Post by ziggy87 » Sun. Apr. 24, 2022 9:23 pm

Wow that is great that you and Jan were able to get out and see him. That chimney looks very interesting. I can only imagine the stories and the knowledge that he has.
Ziggy

 
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Post by warminmn » Sun. Apr. 24, 2022 9:55 pm

Looks and sounds like a great day! That chimney is real interesting.

 
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Post by Jkohanski » Sun. Apr. 24, 2022 10:27 pm

Wow, it amazing the people who make up the coal brotherhood.

 
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StokerDon
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Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
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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

Post by StokerDon » Mon. Apr. 25, 2022 5:46 am

Time to roll the video!!!...



-Don

 
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Post by Toddburn » Tue. Apr. 26, 2022 8:02 pm

As usual Don great post 👍


 
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Post by Hambden Bob » Thu. Apr. 28, 2022 12:02 pm

Too Good,Mister!!

 
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Post by JPepper » Sat. Apr. 30, 2022 12:09 am

Finally had time to sit and read thru this post and watch the video. Which Thank You Don, this may be the only video that I have of my father. Sending a link to my two sons.

Dad was thrilled for the visit from Don & Jan, as well as the opportunity to talk about his coal boilers. Dad has always been creative with metal it wasn't until I'd long left home and was working around my own house when I realized growing up there was never wood around the house or Dad's shop to build anything with........but there was always piles of metal most of which has been hauled away over the past couple years.

As for the coal boilers it's too bad Dad didn't keep track of the number of units he rebuilt. Seemed like every time I came home for a visit and went out to his shop he had at least one he was working on. Although I'd almost say that was more of a hobby than anything else.

In regards to the chimney contraption...yearly he always wanted to run a brush down through the chimney to clean it out. For years he'd visit me in Ephrata (Lititz actually) and we'd use ladders to get up onto my 2-story house to run a brush down the chimney. The chimney at his house is not easily accessible, so at some point he created that device, which has a chimney sweep brush at the top along with pulleys. Yearly he'd lower and raise the brush to clean his chimney. Last year when he went to use it he inadvertently raised it when he meant to lower it and it jammed on him. My Mom found him on a ladder propped on the slope of the roof attempting to go up and free the brush......needless to say Mom had more than a few choice words for him and we found a Chimney Sweep to come out and clean the chimney.

Again Thank You Don

John Pepley

 
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StokerDon
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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

Post by StokerDon » Sat. Apr. 30, 2022 7:52 am

JPepper wrote:
Sat. Apr. 30, 2022 12:09 am
Again Thank You Don
It was my pleasure John.

-Don

 
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Hambden Bob
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Post by Hambden Bob » Sat. Apr. 30, 2022 9:27 am

This Is Downright Representative Of Where We Come From,And What We Do Here! This Man's Had It Coming! Thanx To All Involved,"The Mister" has been documented on how he "Showed Da' Way!!"

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