First leg - the Alderlea has landed

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begreen

Mooderator
Staff member
Nov 18, 2005
104,429
South Puget Sound, WA
Today was a busy day. I drove up to Bellingham to pick up the T6. Although I left in clear skies, at some points in the 100 mile north trip I ran into snow up to 6" deep. We are having really quirky weather here. In an empty pickup, this meant 50 mph freeway but I arrived around noon without issue. The ChimneySweep store is a real visual treat. It's in an old brick building that is perfect for stoves. The ambiance and nice stove layout is very nice. It was great meeting Tom and crew. They had the stove nicely bolted to a palette and ready for the journey south.

More snow heading back home, but with 600# of ballast, this was no big deal. Getting back my son and a helping neighbor removed the F400 and got it safely into the garage. Moving the beast T6 off the truck and into place was much more challenging. But we managed and the stove is now in it's new home. It is burning it's first fire here now and fits right in. It will take a bit for me to adjust to burning in a steel stove, but I am already enjoying all the wiggle room in the 3 cu ft box. There are 4 6" splits in there burning nicely. Living room is a perfect 72 degrees with 36 outside. Life is good....

PS: no, Howard (aka Sweet Child) is no relation to Craig, though the resemblance is striking.
 

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That looks just great. To just roll the Alderlea on to the launch pad, just light it up and that it fits no rebuilding anything. The Force is strong with this one BeGreen.
 
Congrats BG: sweet looking stove. Those pics are well thought out. Hey, doesn`t look like that fan is moving on that stove top. Don`t be shy now, crank that puppy up and get that air moving ;-)
 
Thanks, the stove is doing it's thing very well. The flash strobe stopped the fan's motion, but it's spinning, which surprised me considering it's not directly on the stove top.
 
Congratulations on the new stove install BeGreen. Always fun to light it off for
the first time. Wishing you many years of fine burning with this one.
 
Thanks for the full report with pic's, I enjoyed reading about your 'quest for fire'...here's to many years of happy burning.
 
Congrats, BG, it looks great. Let's hope this one does the trick - you've certainly had more than your share of adjustments to make recently stove-wise... though that in itself can be fun! :)
 
BeGreen are you trying to make me change my mind on buying an Olympic!!!!! :) What a beauty!!!!! What a sweet store Tom....
Hey, did that Howard guy move the stove by himself.

Is probably a good thing I do not live near the Chimney Sweep, I am "one of those guys" that likes to wander aimlessly at my favorite stove shop. When I retire (20 years) I am sure I will be there part time talking customers heads off with my love for wood stoves. :coolsmirk:

Again nice stove

Hey that Mansfield is sharp too, Oh boy my mind is working making decisions now, maybe I won't get an Avalon %-P
 
Lookin good BG. Now turn those splits N/S and turn that puppy loose.
 
besides the t6 being bigger what the diff between the t6 and f400?? you mentioned "steel stove"?
 
The F400 is a 1.5 cu ft, true castiron stove inside and out. The T6 is a 3 cu ft, steel stove with a firebrick lined box and a cast iron jacket.
 
BrotherBart said:
Lookin good BG. Now turn those splits N/S and turn that puppy loose.

Thanks BB. I've been laying in 2 bottom splits NS, then another pair on top set EW which seemed to work well. Stovetop temp peaked at about 550. I have no doubt about the upper limits that this stove can put out, but I also want to see those long burning fires. I'll try a pure NS fire as a test today if it doesn't warm up too much outside.
 
BeGreen said:
The F400 is a 1.5 cu ft, true castiron stove inside and out. The T6 is a 3 cu ft, steel stove with a firebrick lined box and a cast iron jacket.

so the t6 is like a hybrid insulated brick then steel wrapped with cast iron???? so it is more durable as far as high temp fluc. than just regualr cast??
the cast helps it stay hotter longer than steel but not as long as a true cast??
 
JFK said:
BeGreen are you trying to make me change my mind on buying an Olympic!!!!! :) What a beauty!!!!! What a sweet store Tom....
He did that Howard guy move the stove by himself.

Is probably a good thing I do not live near the Chimney Sweep, I am "one of those guys" that likes to wander aimlessly at my favorite stove shop. When I retire (20 years) I am sure I will be there part time talking customers heads off with my love for wood stoves. :coolsmirk:

Again nice stove

Hey that Mansfield is sharp too, Oh boy my mind is working making decisions now, maybe I won't get an Avalon %-P

Thanks, even my wife is adjusting to the new look pretty well. I love the deep firebox. No smoke spilling out at all.

Seems you have a great stove now that the Summit has been fully cured. Personally that is what I would stick with. The Mansfield is a real beauty, but when it's zero outside, I'd want to have the Summit. Can you put a stop on the Avalon order? Or are they taking the Summit back?
 
iceman said:
BeGreen said:
The F400 is a 1.5 cu ft, true castiron stove inside and out. The T6 is a 3 cu ft, steel stove with a firebrick lined box and a cast iron jacket.

so the t6 is like a hybrid insulated brick then steel wrapped with cast iron???? so it is more durable as far as high temp fluc. than just regualr cast??
the cast helps it stay hotter longer than steel but not as long as a true cast??

Yep. The castiron jacket sits about 1/2" away from the steel box on the sides. It warms up slowly and provides good heat shielding for very close installation clearances. On top, the cast iron is slotted and has about a 1/2" gap from the steel. It heats up pretty quickly on top. As far as durability, the thing is built like a tank (585 lbs.). Inside it is identical with a Summit which has a great reputation for longevity. What I like is the very straight forward, simple design. There is very little to go wrong or wear, so I expect it to stay with us for awhile.
 
BeGreen said:
iceman said:
BeGreen said:
The F400 is a 1.5 cu ft, true castiron stove inside and out. The T6 is a 3 cu ft, steel stove with a firebrick lined box and a cast iron jacket.

so the t6 is like a hybrid insulated brick then steel wrapped with cast iron???? so it is more durable as far as high temp fluc. than just regualr cast??
the cast helps it stay hotter longer than steel but not as long as a true cast??

Yep. The castiron jacket sits about an inch away from the steel box on the sides. It warms up slowly and provides good heat shielding for very close installation clearances. On top, the cast iron is slotted and has about a 1/2" gap from the steel. It heats up pretty quickly on top. As far as durability, the thing is built like a tank (585 lbs.). Inside it is identical with a Summit which has a great reputation for longevity. What I like is the very straight forward, simple design. There is very little to go wrong or wear, so I expect it to stay with us for awhile.

it sounds like its almost or is a summit wrapped in cast.....being a summit owner :) it seems as if you will now fall into our group:)!
but does this crank out as much heat as a summit?? or more?
if you had a 1.5 box before you might wanna notify the local fire dept to ignore calls saying your roof is glowing red next winter...lol!!!
 
[Begreen said-Can you put a stop on the Avalon order? Or are they taking the Summit back?[/quote]]



Keeping the Summit, still buying an Avalon Olympic probably, selling the Quad 5100. The Summit will be the house heater, the Olympic will be in the Florida Room and shoot heat into the breezeway. I love having 2 killer stoves. It's like having a Kick Ass truck and another Kick Ass truck :cheese:

Now I have to think if I want to spend the extra cash for the gold door......I think I can get the Olympic with pedestal, ash pan, gold door, and blower for 2,500 including tax. Not too bad total price, saving about 400-500 from other Avalon Owners.

Man, If I ever move I will be taking these stoves with me (replacing them with cheepies for the new owners) :coolsmirk:
 
JFK said:
Take some pics of that beauty, I want to salivate over them %-P

you what is a shame but funny (now) to think you have these beautiful pics of the summit burning and had a great fire going (your sig) and you weren't even near its potential because you had not even cured it yet!! i find that amazing what till next year you might even be burning the avalon as much as you might think!!! but please get that sucker up to about 600 stove top and change your sig video...please!!!!!!!!!!! show me that sucker burning at 600!!!
the front of my insert right now shows 575 on one side and 550 on the other ....
 
Man, BG, you don't mess around! Not 24 hours later, and you're up and running already. Thanks again for the business: I'm glad our test model found a good home.

JFK, the Alderlea T6 is the same firebox as your Summit, with a cast iron outer shell instead of plate steel. The cast iron causes more of the radiant heat from the firebox to be turned into convection heat (cooler outside shell temp, more heated air to heat far-flung rooms), adds about 110 lbs. of thermal mass, and allows the incorporation of the waycool swivel trivet top.

When we sold Avalon, the "gold" door was actually brass, and required frequent polishing to keep it looking good. Unless they've switched to gold-plated, stick with basic black.

Forum members, you should know that BeGreen comes across the same in person as he does on the forum. Knowledgeable, soft-spoken, basically a sweet dude. And when the conversation strayed into politics, he stepped in and closed the thread...
 
i am getting jealous ...and want another stove NOW! and its spring.... this is all the people on this forums fault.... i could've fought this urge if i was alone but now .......
how am i gonna get this over on the wife????
 
iceman said:
JFK said:
Take some pics of that beauty, I want to salivate over them %-P

you what is a shame but funny (now) to think you have these beautiful pics of the summit burning and had a great fire going (your sig) and you weren't even near its potential because you had not even cured it yet!! i find that amazing what till next year you might even be burning the avalon as much as you might think!!! but please get that sucker up to about 600 stove top and change your sig video...please!!!!!!!!!!! show me that sucker burning at 600!!!
the front of my insert right now shows 575 on one side and 550 on the other ....

Yep, I am a little embarrassed that I was not burning that beast near it's potential, Hey I have my Summit about 550F, I cleaned it up, shined up the brass door and man she is looking Sharp :lol:

OK, now do you want me to change my Sig video because of the cheesy "I shot the Sheriff" music in the background, or do you want me to show off the sweet temps that I can comfortably do ;-)

Your quote of " i find that amazing what till next year you might even be burning the avalon as much as you might think!!! has me stumped...did you mean wait till next year or I might not be burning the avalon as much or more than I think :roll: You must be a typer like me, we think faster than we type :p
"talk to you soon
 
thechimneysweep said:
Man, BG, you don't mess around! Not 24 hours later, and you're up and running already. Thanks again for the business: I'm glad our test model found a good home.

JFK, the Alderlea T6 is the same firebox as your Summit, with a cast iron outer shell instead of plate steel. The cast iron causes more of the radiant heat from the firebox to be turned into convection heat (cooler outside shell temp, more heated air to heat far-flung rooms), adds about 110 lbs. of thermal mass, and allows the incorporation of the waycool swivel trivet top.

When we sold Avalon, the "gold" door was actually brass, and required frequent polishing to keep it looking good. Unless they've switched to gold-plated, stick with basic black.

Forum members, you should know that BeGreen comes across the same in person as he does on the forum. Knowledgeable, soft-spoken, basically a sweet dude. And when the conversation strayed into politics, he stepped in and closed the thread...

I agree Tom, my father in Law has the brass door (sorry I called it gold...) and after 10 years the door looks not too shinny. I think though some brass cleaner would clean it up nicely though. Yah I might pass on the door

I shouldn't salivate over the Alderlea as much as I do, I know it has the same firebox as my Summit but boy what a sweet cast iron shell. I guess I just love stoves when they are in a nice setup. Hey, any chance you want to move your store to Clarence, NY? :coolsmile: You are guaranteed to have somebody, a customer, in the store most hours. OK I confess, Well, that would probably be me :)

Why did you stop selling Avalons :roll:
 
JFK said:
iceman said:
JFK said:
Take some pics of that beauty, I want to salivate over them %-P

you what is a shame but funny (now) to think you have these beautiful pics of the summit burning and had a great fire going (your sig) and you weren't even near its potential because you had not even cured it yet!! i find that amazing what till next year you might even be burning the avalon as much as you might think!!! but please get that sucker up to about 600 stove top and change your sig video...please!!!!!!!!!!! show me that sucker burning at 600!!!
the front of my insert right now shows 575 on one side and 550 on the other ....

Yep, I am a little embarrassed that I was not burning that beast near it's potential, Hey I have my Summit about 550F, I cleaned it up, shined up the brass door and man she is looking Sharp :lol:

OK, now do you want me to change my Sig video because of the cheesy "I shot the Sheriff" music in the background, or do you want me to show off the sweet temps that I can comfortably do ;-)

Your quote of " i find that amazing what till next year you might even be burning the avalon as much as you might think!!! has me stumped...did you mean wait till next year or I might not be burning the avalon as much or more than I think :roll: You must be a typer like me, we think faster than we type :p
"talk to you soon


i type like you

change the link in your sig... to show the summit burning HOT!! the other one doesn't count now as it was n't burning right:)
i think you were dissapointed with your summit and looked for another stove.... now that THE BEAST is ready you might find you won't use the avalon as much as you originally thought


i hope that clears it up
and show me some more pics of the beast burning hot!!! and also tell us your thoughts about the heat output
 
Sometimes planning works! It took about 2 hrs. to move the Jotul out to the garage, unload the PE and get the T6 in place and hooked up. The drive up took longer than the whole process.

One interesting thing I discovered today is the diffusing effect of the top trivet. With the trivet swung closed, the stove feels gently warm if you hold your hand about 2 ft above the top (600 stove top temp). Swing the trivet out and the heat blasts off the top. Good to know if you want to bring temps up quickly.
 
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