Hi everyone, this is my GP Bear. I bought it new around 1980 from a stove shop in Dover, NH. My guess is it’s a 1979 or 1980. It’s been keeping me warm since then. It’s good to see so many others who enjoy these stoves.
Dave
Dave
Long time Grandpa Bear owner, new member
- Thread starter Dmottv
- Start date
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Todd67
Minister of Fire
Hi Dave, you have the Cathedral doors that were optional in 1979, and the old style flat top doors were discontinued for 1980.
If the shims or whatnot under the feet are there to protect the floor, I glued felt on the bottom of my feet to protect from scratching floor tile.
To level the stove, put flat washers inside the feet. They are stove levelers, not just for looks.
Your feet by the way are the first white brass plated, cast iron feet that were later replaced with cheaper white metal angled style.
Take care of them, they're worth as much as the stove today !
As the right door handle gets lower when latched, you can adjust it by heating the bent latch rod inside. It can be heated enough with a propane torch, takes time to get a dull glow or hot enough to bend easily. I do it with an adjustable wrench. Just put more of a bend in it, more like a 90* angle and the handles will match when closed. The rod when hot with downward force, tends to straighten the bend, putting the latch out of adjustment. It can mean you lean on it a little heavy when latching too. It is easy to bend cold, but you will find doing that allows it to go back after it is heated and cooled a few times. Doesn't take much of a bend to make a big difference.
If the shims or whatnot under the feet are there to protect the floor, I glued felt on the bottom of my feet to protect from scratching floor tile.
To level the stove, put flat washers inside the feet. They are stove levelers, not just for looks.
Your feet by the way are the first white brass plated, cast iron feet that were later replaced with cheaper white metal angled style.
Take care of them, they're worth as much as the stove today !
As the right door handle gets lower when latched, you can adjust it by heating the bent latch rod inside. It can be heated enough with a propane torch, takes time to get a dull glow or hot enough to bend easily. I do it with an adjustable wrench. Just put more of a bend in it, more like a 90* angle and the handles will match when closed. The rod when hot with downward force, tends to straighten the bend, putting the latch out of adjustment. It can mean you lean on it a little heavy when latching too. It is easy to bend cold, but you will find doing that allows it to go back after it is heated and cooled a few times. Doesn't take much of a bend to make a big difference.
Hi Coaly, thanks much for all the information and advice! I did not know about the white brass plated feet, they do finish the legs nicely!
I have to replace some of the hearth tiles. The furniture sliders under the feet work slick to allow fairly easy movement of this heavyweight stove on the hearth. A wheeled automotive floor jack, a centered 2x8 and an extra set of hands to balance the stove worked well when I moved it to the new hearth location in the corner of the living room.
Good to know how to fix the door latch rod. I checked it out last evening. I noticed that in addition to the rod bend angle adjustment, there is play in the rod sleeve opening through the door. It appears either the rod or the sleeve has worn. It's not much of an issue as the door latches fine but I'm interested if anyone else has experienced this and if there is a known fix.
An old friend recently told me that he has the same stove in his home in the Maine woods. That prompted a search for more information, and it was a treat to find this forum!
Dave
I have to replace some of the hearth tiles. The furniture sliders under the feet work slick to allow fairly easy movement of this heavyweight stove on the hearth. A wheeled automotive floor jack, a centered 2x8 and an extra set of hands to balance the stove worked well when I moved it to the new hearth location in the corner of the living room.
Good to know how to fix the door latch rod. I checked it out last evening. I noticed that in addition to the rod bend angle adjustment, there is play in the rod sleeve opening through the door. It appears either the rod or the sleeve has worn. It's not much of an issue as the door latches fine but I'm interested if anyone else has experienced this and if there is a known fix.
An old friend recently told me that he has the same stove in his home in the Maine woods. That prompted a search for more information, and it was a treat to find this forum!
Dave
Todd67
Minister of Fire
It is common to wear the parts that move. When you latch the door, the latching rod contacts a wedge welded to the stove door opening. That pulls the door tight by pulling the latch rod in, making it tight against the door, normally sealing well.
It's important to grease the threads of the bolts the draft caps spin on, as well as the hinge pins.
Silver anti-seize works well, or high temperature grease. If you keep all moving parts greased, it prevents wear on the few moving items that wear out. I use the brush in can and open doors, applying grease to the threads through the air hole in door from the back.
Hinge pin and hinge wear is the most common problem that prevents doors from sealing well. Usually new pins tighten them up enough, simply keep them greased.
Yeah, the more common feet started selling for $100 a set years ago, and now they regularly go for 250 to 299 a set or more! Before yours they had round chrome plated ball feet. The first bear feet were cast iron and chrome plated. They didn't have the hair detail since the chrome plating would not let it show through. Then some were cast like yours, you don't find them often, and they were also available in black, finished with black iron oxide. They matched yours, later they are all white metal that is better for finish detail, but much more common. They came with washers to set inside to level legs.
It's important to grease the threads of the bolts the draft caps spin on, as well as the hinge pins.
Silver anti-seize works well, or high temperature grease. If you keep all moving parts greased, it prevents wear on the few moving items that wear out. I use the brush in can and open doors, applying grease to the threads through the air hole in door from the back.
Hinge pin and hinge wear is the most common problem that prevents doors from sealing well. Usually new pins tighten them up enough, simply keep them greased.
Yeah, the more common feet started selling for $100 a set years ago, and now they regularly go for 250 to 299 a set or more! Before yours they had round chrome plated ball feet. The first bear feet were cast iron and chrome plated. They didn't have the hair detail since the chrome plating would not let it show through. Then some were cast like yours, you don't find them often, and they were also available in black, finished with black iron oxide. They matched yours, later they are all white metal that is better for finish detail, but much more common. They came with washers to set inside to level legs.
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