I like my old Earth Stove and use it heat my whole house, works good. What I don't like is the smoke blowing around the neighborhood (had a couple mention it) and the creosote buildup I get on my cap every month or so.
It has got a huge firebox, I figure it to be about 5.8 cubic feet. I'm thinking if I added a cat inside the firebox I could have a Blaze King on a budget! Should clean up my chimney and the smoke, reduce wood consumption, and if you loaded it full, the burn times should be long. The box for adding the cat and damper would be in the wasted space in the top of the firebox.
To do it I would build a steel box about 5" tall that would be either welded to or bolted and gasketed to the inside top wall of the stove under the flue exit. I would use a rectangular cat at the front of the box with a shield to protect from thermal shock and a bypass opening for direct venting to the flue at the rear. It would pretty much be a copy of Blaze King's design. The stove already has two pipes that come in through the back that provide secondary air, which should help the cat get the air it needs to burn up the smoke. The pipes could be extended closer to the cat if needed. If the box is about 5" it will reduce usable firebox space to about 1.1 cubic feet for total usable firebox of 4.7 cubic feet.
Like the Blaze King, you should be able to load it with wood, activate the cat when it gets up to temp, set the thermostatic air intake damper for the desired heat output, and let it cruise.
It has got a huge firebox, I figure it to be about 5.8 cubic feet. I'm thinking if I added a cat inside the firebox I could have a Blaze King on a budget! Should clean up my chimney and the smoke, reduce wood consumption, and if you loaded it full, the burn times should be long. The box for adding the cat and damper would be in the wasted space in the top of the firebox.
To do it I would build a steel box about 5" tall that would be either welded to or bolted and gasketed to the inside top wall of the stove under the flue exit. I would use a rectangular cat at the front of the box with a shield to protect from thermal shock and a bypass opening for direct venting to the flue at the rear. It would pretty much be a copy of Blaze King's design. The stove already has two pipes that come in through the back that provide secondary air, which should help the cat get the air it needs to burn up the smoke. The pipes could be extended closer to the cat if needed. If the box is about 5" it will reduce usable firebox space to about 1.1 cubic feet for total usable firebox of 4.7 cubic feet.
Like the Blaze King, you should be able to load it with wood, activate the cat when it gets up to temp, set the thermostatic air intake damper for the desired heat output, and let it cruise.
