McClary No 45

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Donkeynuts

New Member
Dec 28, 2018
12
Saskatchewan
Hey all I’m a newb to the forum and have purchased a McClary No 45 heater and was wondering if anyone had any info on these stoves like the year value and operation and such. I’m in the process of restoring it for my ice shack and can’t believe how great of shape it’s in!! I’ve searched the web and haven’t found diddly!

Cheers

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Looks like a late 20's stove. General Steel Wares was formed in 1927. McClary was one of the parts of the company.

In October, 1927, General Steel Wares was born through the merger of the following companies:

The McClary Manufacturing Company of London, Ontario (founded 1847)
The Sheet Metal Products (SMP) Company of Canada Limited of Toronto (founded 1867)
The Thomas Davidson Manufacturing Company Limited of Montreal (founded 1858)
The E. T. Wright Limited of Hamilton (founded 1881)
The A. Aubry et fils Limitée of Montreal (founded 1874)
The Happy Thought Foundry Company of Brantford (founded 1855)

Beatty Brothers Limited, a metal farm implement company established in 1873 at Fergus, Ontario, gained a controlling interest in GSW in 1962 through a reverse takeover, thereby merging these two companies under the GSW name. There is a fonds at McMaster University Archives for the General Steel Wares Limited that would have more details about the company.

The name General Steel Wares Limited is 1969+.

https://greyroots.pastperfectonline.com/bycreator?keyword=General+Steel+Wares

A google search on mcclary quebec heater brings up several hits and images.
 
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Looks like an oak style stove. Join the Coal Pail forums and you will probably find everything you want to know.
 
Oh wow late 20’s sweet! Thanks for the info, I did find a bit on Mcclary but thought their would have been more. Found a site that asked for your serial number but the link was no good. So I take it this stove was used primarily as a coal burner hence the clinker grinder? Took it all apart and cleaned and polished it all up and it disassembled like a dream for being 90 ish years old!! Just need to put the feet on her and she’s good to go!
Looks like a late 20's stove. General Steel Wares was formed in 1927. McClary was one of the parts of the company.

In October, 1927, General Steel Wares was born through the merger of the following companies:

The McClary Manufacturing Company of London, Ontario (founded 1847)
The Sheet Metal Products (SMP) Company of Canada Limited of Toronto (founded 1867)
The Thomas Davidson Manufacturing Company Limited of Montreal (founded 1858)
The E. T. Wright Limited of Hamilton (founded 1881)
The A. Aubry et fils Limitée of Montreal (founded 1874)
The Happy Thought Foundry Company of Brantford (founded 1855)

Beatty Brothers Limited, a metal farm implement company established in 1873 at Fergus, Ontario, gained a controlling interest in GSW in 1962 through a reverse takeover, thereby merging these two companies under the GSW name. There is a fonds at McMaster University Archives for the General Steel Wares Limited that would have more details about the company.

The name General Steel Wares Limited is 1969+.

https://greyroots.pastperfectonline.com/bycreator?keyword=General+Steel+Wares

A google search on mcclary quebec heater brings up several hits and images.
late
 

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Yes, it is for coal and it looks to be in great condition.
 
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You can put a wood burning grate in it if you want.
 
You can put a wood burning grate in it if you want.
Ya the firebox is pristine, must have been stored somewhere warm and dry. Oh I see so justvtake an old bbq grate and cut it to size or something of the like and lay it across the grinders? All assembled and ready to roll!! Used imperial stove polish on it that stuff is the bomb!!
 

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Ya the firebox is pristine, must have been stored somewhere warm and dry. Oh I see so justvtake an old bbq grate and cut it to size or something of the like and lay it across the grinders? All assembled and ready to roll!! Used imperial stove polish on it that stuff is the bomb!!

No, not quite. The coal grates allow too much air for burning wood. You need something to reduce the airflow. Bryant stoves in Maine could probably find you one that will fit. You could also check Barnstable and the Antique Stove Doctor. I really wanted a small diameter oak stove for my home, but we needed a stove ASAP and didn't have time to look for a good antique stove.
 
No, not quite. The coal grates allow too much air for burning wood. You need something to reduce the airflow. Bryant stoves in Maine could probably find you one that will fit. You could also check Barnstable and the Antique Stove Doctor. I really wanted a small diameter oak stove for my home, but we needed a stove ASAP and didn't have time to look for a good antique stove.

Ah I see. So you can’t close off the air intake enough and your wood burns too quickly? I have lots of 1/8” steel panel so I’ll likely just do some research and build my own. Thanks for the contacts that may come in handy. I do have coal also so I don’t want to make the plate too permanent but for what I’m using it for (ice fishing) I think wood will be my best bet as coal likely takes longer to get going? So just out of curiosity and not that I’m selling it what do you think the stove would be worth? Thanks for all the help appreciate it! Cheers!
 
Ah I see. So you can’t close off the air intake enough and your wood burns too quickly? I have lots of 1/8” steel panel so I’ll likely just do some research and build my own. Thanks for the contacts that may come in handy. I do have coal also so I don’t want to make the plate too permanent but for what I’m using it for (ice fishing) I think wood will be my best bet as coal likely takes longer to get going? So just out of curiosity and not that I’m selling it what do you think the stove would be worth? Thanks for all the help appreciate it! Cheers!
Plate steel cut to fit works for wood only
 
No, not quite. The coal grates allow too much air for burning wood. You need something to reduce the airflow. Bryant stoves in Maine could probably find you one that will fit. You could also check Barnstable and the Antique Stove Doctor. I really wanted a small diameter oak stove for my home, but we needed a stove ASAP and didn't have time to look for a good antique stove.
Why would you want to use an antique stove? The performance is just so far behind what we have now i cant see any reason to use one.
 
Ah I see. So you can’t close off the air intake enough and your wood burns too quickly? I have lots of 1/8” steel panel so I’ll likely just do some research and build my own. Thanks for the contacts that may come in handy. I do have coal also so I don’t want to make the plate too permanent but for what I’m using it for (ice fishing) I think wood will be my best bet as coal likely takes longer to get going? So just out of curiosity and not that I’m selling it what do you think the stove would be worth? Thanks for all the help appreciate it! Cheers!
How will you mert the 36" clearance requirements in an ice fishing shack?
 
Oh sorry I forgot to specify, I was looking for useful info only.
In your case other than the problem of meeting clearances I don't see a problem using an old stove. You just want some heat not much worry about burn times or many of the other problems stoves like this would pose heating a home. I was responding to space bus and his desire to use an antique to heat his house.
 
Oh sorry I forgot to specify, I was looking for useful info only.
But using. A coal stove as a wood stove it will burn very hot and very fast. if you can handle that ammout of heat safely in your space go for it
 
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But using. A coal stove as a wood stove it will burn very hot and very fast. if you can handle that ammout of heat safely in your space go for it
Yes well I’m going to do the best I can for clearances and I’m putting up tin on the walls and ceiling where the stove will sit. I have a stove pipe thermometer so hopefully I can find the sweet spot in getting the right grate built. Cheers
 
Yes well I’m going to do the best I can for clearances and I’m putting up tin on the walls and ceiling where the stove will sit. I have a stove pipe thermometer so hopefully I can find the sweet spot in getting the right grate built. Cheers
It needs to be spaced off the wall an inch and space top and bottom to allow for air circulation.

No matter what you do with a grate it won't change the air feeding the fire from underneath. That is what coal needs but is horrible for wood.
 
It needs to be spaced off the wall an inch and space top and bottom to allow for air circulation.

No matter what you do with a grate it won't change the air feeding the fire from underneath. That is what coal needs but is horrible for wood.
Yes I have just over a foot of space from both walls so should be good. So even with the intake closed right off there is still too much air leaking by? Would putting a damper in the stovepipe help at all? Horrible for wood as in burns too hot and fast?
 
Yes I have just over a foot of space from both walls so should be good. So even with the intake closed right off there is still too much air leaking by? Would putting a damper in the stovepipe help at all? Horrible for wood as in burns too hot and fast?

This stove appears to be a coal only stove. The Modern Glenwood Oak stoves are much better for burning wood compared to most other oak stoves. You would be better off burning coal in it, the wood grate won't help much. I think you will end up using too much wood. Make an account on the coal pail forum and talk to the folks there. They know these stoves really well and will tell you everything about it, I could be mistaken.
 
Why would you want to use an antique stove? The performance is just so far behind what we have now i cant see any reason to use one.

Some of the high end oak stoves did have a secondary burn capability and weren't much less efficient than current EPA stoves. I also liked the ability to burn coal. That being said, we have no regrets about our Morso. I think I saw you say that in Europe they do burn coal in them and the bottom draft cap is adjustable. Couldn't I just make my bottom draft cap adjustable and burn coal?
 
Some of the high end oak stoves did have a secondary burn capability and weren't much less efficient than current EPA stoves. I also liked the ability to burn coal. That being said, we have no regrets about our Morso. I think I saw you say that in Europe they do burn coal in them and the bottom draft cap is adjustable. Couldn't I just make my bottom draft cap adjustable and burn coal?
I am curious who did the efficency testing on those old stoves to tell you that?

As far as burning coal in your moroso I have no idea if there are other differences between the us and European models. If not it should work. But modifying the stove will void the ul listing making your clearances invalid. And burning coal improperly can be extremely dangerous due to the large amount of co produced.
 
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I am curious who did the efficency testing on those old stoves to tell you that?

As far as burning coal in your moroso I have no idea if there are other differences between the us and European models. If not it should work. But modifying the stove will void the ul listing making your clearances invalid. And burning coal improperly can be extremely dangerous due to the large amount of co produced.

Good point about modifying the stove. I was more curious than anything. My wife wouldn't let me do it anyway.

Of course there hasn't been official testing, and even the best antique stove won't have as few emissions as a new EPA stove, but they were better than the 70's pre EPA stoves.