King to the dungeon

I got the king hooked up about a month ago. I'm getting 12-18hr burns with birch and some red maple. With as bad as this house is built it does have a hard time heating it from the basement. But if I don't heat from the basement my floors are ice cold. There was no easy way to get the stove down the stairs. My stairway is very steep and narrow. I had to cut the ash lip off to get it down. Plus with a 90 deg turn at the top there was no way to put it on a cart and take it down. The safest way I could figure out how to do it was build a lifting frame into the stairway and lower it with a come-along. While I am going to have to mud and sand some screw holes in the drywall it made it down safe and sound.
















One thing I have learned so far is that dry wood is absolutely critical. My one year dried wood really isn't dry enough it really needs two that are in a good drying spot. And two that it works better with full loads of wood turned down rather than trying to burn a few splits. With a full load it seems to mostly burn across the front of the wood and what coals fall down have time to fully burn up while keeping the stove temps up. With a few splits it burns the whole split and quickly turns it to coals then I have to add more wood to keep the temp up. But while that is happening the coal bed keeps building up and can't seem to burn up.

Billy

Thanks Rusty

I was able to grind the welds off with out hurting anything so I can weld it back on latter. I had though of drilling holes and bolting it on as I was afraid the door way would warp. But I haven't had a problem with it and I hope to move in a year or two and take it with me.

I run heavy equ for a living and am used to lifting and lowering equ. And thought I would show another way of moving something like that which doesn't involve getting a bunch of people to move it. Where their is a danger of it getting away and crushing someone.

What I didn't have a picture of was the second come-along that controlled the side load. That one held it so when I lifted it from the top of the stairs it did not take off sideways. So I was able to lift it with one then let the other one out until the stove was centered under the first come-along.

Billy

Thanks WeatherGuy

I hated to do it but my only other option was to widen the stairway and that wasn't going to happen. And its no problem to weld it back on when it gets moved to a new home.

Thanks Dennis

Just before my brother and I left to pick it up he ask if it would fit down the stairs. Well I guess it did with a little work.

Thanks BeGreen

That come-along has pulled and dropped a lot of engines in its time. It was my Grandpa's and has to be at least 40 years old.

Thanks Jeff

I don't know when I am going to pull it out but unless I hit the lottery it won't be this year. But I do have a 8' tall brush pile to burn and I'll let you know before I put it to the torch.

Thanks S&W

It sure does take a while to figure out how to burn a new stove. And everyone sharing their tips and experiences really helps out!

Howey Estang

Usually once I am done with a project like this it looks better after I finish than before I started. Patching and paintings no big deal. But then again being single makes it simple.

Billy

Thanks Zap

Its not my first rodeo. My Brothers and I are always getting into projects that need something big and heavy moved. Compared to moving a bridgeport it was a pice of cake.

Billy