resolute III included in my new home

resolute III vermont casting in my new place, need info on how thermostat control ,located upper rear back operates. the chain and metal spring aren't attached and lying on top of the stove. unable to locate info in the owner manuals available online. thanks.

Hi gail, and welcome to the Hearth.
No knowledge of that stove, but there are others here who will help. Hang around a while, they'll show up.
While you're waiting, maybe this will help.
http://literature.mhsc.com/vermont_castings/manuals/2000893_Resolute_Acclaim24.pdf
http://vermontcastings.com/learn-and-inspire/user-guides-manuals/
If you can find the manufacturer plate on the stove (maybe on the back or side), get the model and year. That will help. Pics are good too.

The thermostat on the Vermont Castings Resolute III is a bi-metallic damper (the spring) that expands and contracts with the heat attached to the air control by a chanin. This opens and closes the air control in reponse to the temperature of the stove to keep in burning generally in the temperature range you've set it to with the lever attached to the spring. The manual is no longer available on Vermont Castings website but I found this other link-

http://www.fergusonfireplace.com/Defiant_Vig_Res_Intre_Pre88-0029.pdf

new question: my resolute model is older, does not have the air control at the bottom front, only has damper control OPEN?CLOSED on left upper side. how do i control air flow in the stove?

Best stove V.C. ever made, but find a good local stove guy, not just a chimney sweep. It should probably have the smoke chamber cleaned out, which can only be done by removing the firebabk and stuff. Betcha that thermo. needs to be drilled and tapped too, that's why it's sittin' there.

My BIL has a Resolute III. Neat stove, and it pumps out the heat. Once the thermo is installed, the chain attaches to the primary air intake. You just flip the lever to open the air intake flap and get the stove up to temp. Then cut the air back to maintain the temp you want to see on your stove top and/or flue thermo (both of which you'll be buying soon.) I think the max stove top temp they recommended in BIL's manual was 700* F. You also have the little hand-operated air flap in the lower left-hand corner of the left side, right? That supplies air to the base of the fire through the small holes in the fireback inside the stove. This was to promote a "horizontal burn" with the damper in the closed position, pulling the smoke along the base of the fire to exit low through the right wall inside the firebox. This was an early attempt to get a cleaner burn by re-burning the smoke. It also pulls more heat out of the exhaust by routing it through the wall of the stove. BIL's stove was made in 1980. I glanced quickly at the links posted but none looked identical to BIL's Res III manual.

You will have to burn the stove pretty hot, around 500 stove top I would think, or you will be smoke-bombing the neighborhood... You'll be able to cut the air back later in the load, as the smoke output decreases. With some experimentation and watching the chimney outside, you'll figure out how to operate the stove cleanly and efficiently.

My Father in Law has a coal/wood Resolute. He's had it for 30 years and still loves it. The only issue is replacement parts are expensive and hard to come by. He cleaned it and repainted it last year. It looks brand new.