Buck stove shot gun control

[Crank shaft]

I can't answer the question about the ash door - it was such a pain to use that I simply filled it with ash and abandoned it in place. It's much easier to use a shovel and bucket, for me at least.

If all of the air inlet possibilities have been checked (the three user controlled inlets, the seal around the door is tight and the ash pan seal is intact), then you'll need to check the exhaust outlets for problems. Here are some of the possible problems with the exhaust system:

1) The bypass damper might not be sealing correctly. This is difficult to check while the stove is in use. You can drop the flame shield that hangs below the catalyst chamber and do a visual inspection. If you have a feeler gauge, you can also check around the perimeter of the bypass to make sure there are no large gaps.

On our stove, it's possible to push the damper in too far and run it up over a weld that will leave it elevated above the bypass hole.

2) The catalyst chamber might be loose, allowing air to get around it instead of through the cat. Snug up the nuts while the flame shield is off.

3) The catalyst itself might be damaged or the gasket around the catalyst might be damaged. Inspect while the flame shield is off.


There are also timing and wood issues to consider:

1) If you wait too long to close the damper or the air inlets, it can get away from you. These are not air-tight stoves that can be choked down. There are gaps around the air inlet plates as well as the secondary air inlets behind the catalyst that are always open. Once the catalyst goes active (I use 500°F on the catalyst probe thermometer), shut the bypass damper and start closing the air inlets. I also use a kitchen timer to remind myself to go back and check the stove every 10-15 minutes until it reaches equilibrium.

2) A load of small pieces of wood will burn much quicker and hotter than a load of bigger pieces. It seems counter-intuitive, but large loads usually don't burn as hot.

Thank you pgmr. I will try to print this and check all of your points. I was able to use a mirror and look up at the bypass, it looks like it is closing and sealing on the rear of the stove but I can really see the front of it. I will drop the shield this weekend and check the other items. I'm going to build a fire tonight and close the bypass at 500 and see how that goes. Thank you, Mike

 

[Crank shaft]

Here are some blower pics:

These two pics show the blower and its rectangular outlet.
View attachment 188675 View attachment 188676

To the right of the ash pan housing, you can see part of the rectangular opening that the blower outlet fits into. I guess that if the blower outlet wasn't fully into that opening, air would be blown out the front with the ash pan door open. However, I don't see that affecting the burn much.
View attachment 188677

This pic shows where the blower air comes out after passing through the jacket. Two vents blow straight out the front, then there are two more vents that blow out diagonally, one above each bay window. Is this similar to the 80? Can you feel heated air blowing forcefully from the vents?
View attachment 188678

TR Thanks, Woody, I will also check that out this weekend. Wow you really know how to disassemble these things.. thank you! Mike