Greetings all! I moved into a house several years back with a Fisher Baby Bear stove. I believe it was the original wood stove for the house that was built in the late 70s. After using it for a few years, I noticed the sides were warped and there was a hairline crack on one. I also noticed that a lot of the firebrick was cracked, and some sections were missing. This was my first ever wood stove and I feel stupid for not checking the firebrick sooner.
Anyway, I decided to stop using the stove when I saw the warped metal, and after the sides started to glow a dull red. I stopped immediately, managed to find another wood stove, and haven't thought much about the Fisher for a couple of years.
So now I have a friend who does some welding who offered to put some new sides on the Fisher. The work would be free, I would just need to pay for steel and firebrick and any other supplies needed. It's a very generous offer and I'm definitely considering it. So my questions are: Is this economically worth it? And is there a certain type/thickness of steel that I should make sure he uses? Finally, is this something that you would recommend?
Sorry the stove is not at my house now so I can't get any pics at the moment. Any advice would be welcome! Thanks!
Anyway, I decided to stop using the stove when I saw the warped metal, and after the sides started to glow a dull red. I stopped immediately, managed to find another wood stove, and haven't thought much about the Fisher for a couple of years.
So now I have a friend who does some welding who offered to put some new sides on the Fisher. The work would be free, I would just need to pay for steel and firebrick and any other supplies needed. It's a very generous offer and I'm definitely considering it. So my questions are: Is this economically worth it? And is there a certain type/thickness of steel that I should make sure he uses? Finally, is this something that you would recommend?
Sorry the stove is not at my house now so I can't get any pics at the moment. Any advice would be welcome! Thanks!