NEWB question: to drill or not to drill

[120inna55]

This weekend, after two years of putting it off, I intend to install my chimney and stovepipe for my wood stove. I'm using double-wall stove pipe. According to the instructions, I'm to use three screws to affix the stovepipe to the flue (My terminology may not be correct, so I'll just say this "flue" is the short neck opening immediately coming off the top of the stove and is one piece with the stove top.) This neck (one with the stove) does not have pre-drilled holes in it, but the stovepipe does. Am I supposed to drill holes through this thick flue or is the pipe just supposed to affix with tension and the assistance of the screws?

Also, I note that the connections between the pieces of stove pipe are not airtight using only crimped connections, finished with three screws. Is this acceptable? Am I to assume that if everything is working correctly, the smoke should take the path of least resistance and via draw should go up through the chimney and not through these seams?

I apologize for the newbie questions.

Thanks.

PS: I joined this forum 2 years ago, and asked a few questions and received a lot of guidance. I then got busy and never got around to performing the install. When I attempted to log on this time, I see my account was no longer valid, so I've re-registered.

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

yes, drill holes thru pipe into flue collar if the book says to use screws!
no, smoke wont come out the "seams"

 

[120inna55]

Thank you, kind sir!

 

[SteveKG]

Some people seal the pipe connections with high-temp' sealants of some sort. I never have. We have four woodstoves here in our house and three chimneys with the stovepipe connected. I have never sealed any, never thought of it, really, til reading about it here on the forum, and I have never had a problem over three decades. I do not know whether you'd have trouble with a chimney that isn't tall enough [to create and/or maintain an adequate draft], but in that case you'd have several problems and leaking stovepipe seams would be just one of them.

I am no expert, by the way, just someone who's heated with wood since the 70s and that's the only heat source I've had in that time. For what it's worth.....