Todd
Minister of Fire
Backwoods Savage said:
I'm curious too. I'd like to see if there would be a difference in flue temps since some believe soapstone acts as an insulator and steel would release more heat?
New Woodstock stove
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I'm curious too. I'd like to see if there would be a difference in flue temps since some believe soapstone acts as an insulator and steel would release more heat?
Yes Todd. I wonder because our flue temperatures are pretty low. Once again, where does the heat go? It just seems to me the same amount of heat would be given off by each material. The difference for sure can be felt with the new fires because some heat goes into the soapstone. Yet, that heat has to be released; where else would it go?
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
BrowningBAR said:
At this point anything is possible. Woodstock is not only a soapstone company but also a cat stove company and they were going to ruin that with non-cat air tubes for the sake of... ? I like the looks of soapstone but with a cat converter the need for soapstone is greatly reduced. If the fire is staying lit for 12+ hours then what do I care about "heat life"? The benefit of using steel is that you can run the temps up much higher and heat a larger area.
People don't but woodstocks for utility. If you want a superior performing stove then buy a BK, they're just ugly. People buy woodstocks for soapstone plus dang good utility.
Woodstock should show prototype photos if this thing has been burning for 7 months. Throw us a freaking bone.
BrowningBAR
Minister of Fire
Highbeam said:
If the do develop a steel stove (which seems really unlikely) it would be interesting to see what they develop for a design. As great as steel stoves are, you can not argue how plain they are. They lack all the personality that a cast iron stove has. Would Woodstock be able to change that?
The long burn time vs not getting the benefit of the soapstone is a valid point. Makes you wounder if they will develop a cast iron cat stove (which seems more likely than a steel stove).
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
My dream would be a cat stove made out of that fine looking soapstone . . . only a bit bigger than the Fireview, a little more Plain Jane like their Keystone and with front and side loading doors . . . and all backed by Woodstock's reputation and excellent customer service. The day this stove comes out . . . I may have to try explaining to my wife why I need . . . not want . . . a new woodstove.
i wanted to buy the cast frame for the top with out the soapstone and put a piece of steel plate in place of the soapstone...it would not change the look of the stove to much,and it would sit right over the cat and you would get the benefit of the much,much better heat transfer of the steel right where you need it...plus the stove would still be mostly soapstone,it would keep its looks and it would not melt my new flat screen tv. hands are full right now plus i'm pretty lazy when i do have spare time but maybe some day i'll do it...i doubt it.
There is a reason they put that radiation shield in there, and use soapstone. It keeps the cat at operating temp. If you had a steel top you'd go through a lot more wood keeping the cat up to temp. Right now the stove is cooking me out, with the air fully closed.
Todd
Minister of Fire
bjkjoseph said:
Why buy the frame? There's just 6 bolts that hold those 2 soapstone top panels in place. It would be a quick easy retro fit and you can use the panels as a template. The only difference I forsee with a steel top is a quicker heat with higher temps at first but also and quicker cool down. Probably not worth the effort but would be interesting to see the difference in both stove top temps and flue temps.
I really don't see Woodstock building a cast or steel stove, it's not what they do. The steel prototype is probably just a basic steel fire box and easier to take apart or weld back up than to fabricate with stone as they figure out a good size. Once they come up with the right size they will rebuild with stone and retest.
Flatbedford
Minister of Fire
firefighterjake said:
That's what I wanted too. But I bought my Fireview anyway. After a few months of use, we have figured it out I'm ok with what I have. If they offer some kind of trade in deal, well, that could be interesting. Kinds of topic, but I think that what I really want is a 1/2 size fireview to warm the cooler end of my house in the colder weather rather than a bigger stove.
BrowningBAR
Minister of Fire
Slow1
Minister of Fire
Flatbedford said:
Yeah but it had better come with about 1/4 the clearance requirements or it will look rather silly sitting so far out in the room eh? You've seen their tiny little gas burning stove haven't you? Perhaps something a bit larger than that would be nice. Then again where I would want to stick it is actually in a bedroom and as I recall that isn't code-compliant anyway so oh well.
Flatbedford
Minister of Fire
Yeah, I hear you on the clearance. I was thinking of that little gas stove. I just need something that would have similar out put to a small, electric space heater that I could tuck in a corner of my dining room.
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