My New Woodstock Fireview

[dylskee]

Hello all,
I just wanted to share my experience of purchasing my first new wood stove. I have been burning in my mid 80s Efel for the last 10 years, the stove was here when we bought the house. I ran the stove all this time without really knowing what I was doing with a catalytic stove. The catalyst was completely gone and I don't know for how long! After about 5 months of research and a lot of flip-flopping I finally decided on a stove and last weekend I took a ride to Woodstock Soapstone in NH and a fireview picked me as it's owner. Absolutely the best stove I looked at and I looked at a lot of stoves! The experience was great, they showed me around the place and gave me their history and everyone was very helpful. I'm proud and very happy to be the owner of a great piece of workmanship that was built right here in New England! Everyone there should be very proud of themselves for the great work they do.

Without further ado, I drove 3 hours each way to get my stove and only had a few incidents........ The first being a $230.00 speeding ticket, and the second being a little damage to my tailgate while unloading the stove, and the last was a pulled muscle in my back when the stove started to fall over and I pulled as hard as I could to get it upright and felt a massive pull in my back! But I kept the stove from falling over......

Some pictures of my day, I hope you enjoy and I'll post some pictures of the first burn when I get it all installed and some cool temps!

 

[HollowHill]

She's a beauty! Congrats, dylskee. Had to be love at first sight!

 

[BrowningBAR]

Glad you got the stove. Sorry to hear about the speeding ticket... and the truck damage... and the injured back.

 

[dylskee]

@ HollowHill - Thank you sir, and yes it was. As soon as I saw these stoves in person I knew I was going to get one.

@ BrowningBAR, it was all worth it man!

 

[Gark]

Beautiful stove! Just wondering how you got it off the truck, what with it weighing in at 485 lbs?

 

[rdust]

The stove looks great! I'm sure it will provide years of enjoyment and heat for your family!

 

[CT-Mike]

Not knowing anything about Woodstocks, what is the purpose of the large hatch on the top, other than accessing what I guess is the cat?

 

[Todd]

Congrats, you purchased a great heater.

 

[dylskee]

Beautiful stove! Just wondering how you got it off the truck, what with it weighing in at 485 lbs?

I backed my truck up to a hill in my front yard and pulled it off on the dolley. But after getting it to my stairs to go into the house I couldn't do it with just one of my sons. I had to call in my brother and brother in law. It wasn't easy at all and I hope i don't have to do that again for a LONG time!

 

[dylskee]

Not knowing anything about Woodstocks, what is the purpose of the large hatch on the top, other than accessing what I guess is the cat?

That's what it is for, easy access to the cat. My old stove you had to remove a bunch of bolts and two plates and contort your hands to reach the cat so this is a HUGE selling point for me.

 

[dylskee]

My dogs are already very happy with my new purchase and can't wait for me to light this baby up! They love the stove in the winter, my yellow lab puts his head on the hearth about an inch from the stove and sleeps there all night!

 

[begreen]

Congrats dylskee, I think you are going to love this stove. But remember rule one of DIY stove installing. You are not allowed to hurt yourself.

I love the shot of the golden lab walking away from the stove. He has a worried look on his face like "Where's the heat!?"

 

[rideau]

wishing you many years of winter comfort with your lovely, great little stove. She's a beauty.

 

[dylskee]

Congrats dylskee, I think you are going to love this stove. But remember rule one of DIY stove installing. You are not allowed to hurt yourself.

I love the shot of the golden lab walking away from the stove. He has a worried look on his face like "Where's the heat!?"

Thanks begreen, I always hurt myself and the way that I look at it is, if I'm not bleeding I didn't do it right!

And you're right, my yellow lab is wondering why the stove is in my computer room and not near his bed and cranking heat!

 

[Shadow&Flame]

My dogs are already very happy with my new purchase and can't wait for me to light this baby up! They love the stove in the winter, my yellow lab puts his head on the hearth about an inch from the stove and sleeps there all night!

Hope you didnt hurt you back too much....its not a good thing to have to deal with in the long run...

I was thinking the same thing when I saw pic 13...that dog is just asking for it to be lit...ha

Nice stove...they are a work of art.

 

[dylskee]

wishing you many years of winter comfort with your lovely, great little stove. She's a beauty.

Thank you rideau, I can't wait to light this stove!!

 

[dylskee]

Hope you didnt hurt you back too much....its not a good thing to have to deal with in the long run...

I was thinking the same thing when I saw pic 13...that dog is just asking for it to be lit...ha

Nice stove...they are a work of art.

Nah the back is feeling better today, still a little sore but nothing too bad. I agree, the stove is a work of art. I would have loved to get their Progress Hybrid but it was too much stove for my house.

 

[Woody Stover]

Very nice! Metallic Blue? The pooches will love the radiant heat off the stone stove. Wow, $230 for speeding out there?? How much over the limit were you? It's $120 here for a standard ticket.
You'll get a big kick out of lighting off the combustor, then walking outside and seeing nothing coming out of the stack. Your neighbors will enjoy it too.
Need to get it installed today...looks like you may drop below 50 tonight! I'm looking forward to firing ours up again soon.

 

[dylskee]

Very nice! Metallic Blue? The pooches will love the radiant heat off the stone stove. Wow, $230 for speeding out there?? How much over the limit were you? It's $120 here for a standard ticket.
You'll get a big kick out of lighting off the combustor, then walking outside and seeing nothing coming out of the stack. Your neighbors will enjoy it too.
Need to get it installed today...looks like you may drop below 50 tonight! I'm looking forward to firing ours up again soon.

The color is Charcoal and I think the dogs want this thing lit now! I got the ticket on the Mass Pike and I was clocked at 88! I was passing someone and didn't realize how fast we were all going.......

I have to wait for my floors to be refinished and that won't be for a couple weeks. I also have to build a hearth for the stove, I removed the red brick hearth we had to put something smaller in. I was just reading the manual and making a home depot list for the hearth and I just noticed they are calling for a 24 gauge sheet of sheetmetal on the plywood. I thought you didn't need that if you used tile and thinset?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Congratulations dylskee! It is a beautiful stove indeed. Very much like ours except the cast is a lighter color on ours.

Really hate hearing about the ticket, the damage and especially the damage to the body. I too used to do things like that until one day..... That was 28 years ago and I'm still paying the piper for that one.

This is how we moved our Fireview and it worked like a charm. I left the stove in the crate until it was right in front of the hearth. Then 3 of us lifted it up 16" onto the hearth. First, I had unloaded the stove alone off our low trailer and put it onto the furniture dolly. Then we had to go up so I laid two 2 x 10 and rolled it up on that and into the house.

You not only have a beautiful stove but 2 beautiful dogs too! Oh, btw, HollowHill is female but I doubt that she was upset over the little mistake. She is a wonderful person.

On that top lid, yes, access to the cat and the bypass and the associated gaskets. The first time you clean the cat you have to remove two shipping bolts. These do not have to stay in so from then on, you simply lift the lid and then lift the cat out. Cleaning takes only a minute or two.

 

[charly]

If you gout the joints , I believe you don't need the metal. Loose lay the stone and you do, for amber protection. Correct me if I'm wrong. I installed the 24 gauge sheet metal anyways just for added protection. Was 43 dollars at the metal shop. They cut what a needed. Made my hearth pad 54 inches deep and 66 inches wide for my new Fireview. I wanted extra room and not at the edge of the specs. I see those pictures are of at the loading dock! Been there. I felt the same way once at Woodstock looking at the stoves in person. You can't help not to want one after you see how nicely they are built. Super nice people for sure. Congratulations on your stove Dylskee! I'm sure glad I went with a Woodstock stove. How about cleaning that cat! Not a a single wrench needed! Sorry to hear you about your ticket! Nice save on your stove, sorry to hear your back took some punishment. Couple more weeks and I should be doing some break in fires myself. I'm getting ready to set the brick. Was almost as much to buy a hearth pad as to build one. Guess my cut brick is what cost me.

 

[dylskee]

You not only have a beautiful stove but 2 beautiful dogs too! Oh, btw, HollowHill is female but I doubt that she was upset over the little mistake. She is a wonderful person..

Oh damn, thanks Backwoods. And sorry HollowHill, now I know and I won't make that mistake again!

Great stove BW, I can't wait to get my first fire going! Good idea with the furniture dolley, that would work great for me. I'll see if I can find one on craigslist.....

 

[dylskee]

If you gout the joints , I believe you don't need the metal. Loose lay the stone and you do, for amber protection. Correct me if I'm wrong. I installed the 24 gauge sheet metal anyways just for added protection. Was 43 dollars at the metal shop. They cut what a needed. Made my hearth pad 54 inches deep and 66 inches wide for my new Fireview. I wanted extra room and not at the edge of the specs. I see those pictures are of at the loading dock! Been there. I felt the same way once at Woodstock looking at the stoves in person. You can't help not to want one after you see how nicely they are built. Super nice people for sure. Congratulations on your stove Dylskee! I'm sure glad I went with a Woodstock stove. How about cleaning that cat! Not a a single wrench needed! Sorry to hear you about your ticket! Nice save on your stove, sorry to hear your back took some punishment. Couple more weeks and I should be doing some break in fires myself. I'm getting ready to set the brick. Was almost as much to buy a hearth pad as to build one. Guess my cut brick is what cost me.

Thanks for the reply charly, I actually found someone local on craigslist that makes these for about $100.00 more than I can buy all the material for so I will support my local community and get one from this guy. He does great work and for a reasonable price.

 

[ddddddden]

. . .I'm proud and very happy to be the owner of a great piece of workmanship that was built right here in New England! Everyone there should be very proud of themselves for the great work they do.

+1. . .and you have done a very good job of showing the fit & finish in the pics.
I think the price on these would be much higher, if sold in stores. Fortunately for us, Tom Morrissey has other ideas about distribution, so we get to save $1k+, even if it does cost a lil' blood & sweat. . .

To get the stove off of the pallet after placing it on the hearth, a very good idea someone posted is to run a couple of 2x4's under the stove and use jacks to lift the stove.


Welcome to the Temple of the Cat!

 

[ddddddden]

Not knowing anything about Woodstocks, what is the purpose of the large hatch on the top, other than accessing what I guess is the cat?

That's what it is for, easy access to the cat. My old stove you had to remove a bunch of bolts and two plates and contort your hands to reach the cat so this is a HUGE selling point for me.

On that top lid, yes, access to the cat and the bypass and the associated gaskets. The first time you clean the cat you have to remove two shipping bolts. These do not have to stay in so from then on, you simply lift the lid and then lift the cat out. Cleaning takes only a minute or two.

Yeah, if you look closely at the next-to-last pic, you can see the white gasket peeking out around the bypass door, just to the rear of the cat. In the last photo in that series, you can see out through the flue collar. . .I reach through there and scoop out the debris after sweeping the pipe from above. So yeah, that hatch gives easy access to pretty much everything that requires routine maintenance, except for the loading door gasket, which is also easy. Verrrrrrrrrry niiiiiiiiiiiiice!