Am I Being Silly?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Put a split on about midnight last night.
Relit off coals this morning at 10:00 am.

BA401B67-953C-4CFC-80D7-6711B870C141.jpeg F627C81F-3149-4EC3-B6B5-B993607B65C8.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: NewGuy132
Keep the double wall. It is a superior build pipe with a stainless interior. It will keep the flue gases hotter for better draft and a cleaner flue system.
 
Well, just toss some splits on top and go, probably not. But you can see in the pictures I had enough coals to get a few pieces of kindling going, added a little more kindling, then put in 4 small splits and ran it to 500* and now letting it die back for the day.
 
Last edited:
Are you implying that one split of wood at midnight gave you coals suitable for a reload at 10am?
I was wondering the same.

I think this is not a cat stove, so I'd also be concerned about smoldering too much.
Note though that this is North Carolina, so the need for heat (rather than speed) is less.
 
Ordered one of these.

E72B4F3D-66C4-41C3-A18E-32EB633AD4CA.png

This it’s what’s left 4 hrs in with four small pieces of really dry maple. I raked it up, pulled up the coals and put some thin pieces of hickory on top to see if it takes off.

89BA500B-9CAE-4C29-B6EF-0A70C1119907.jpeg

E5996771-61D8-477C-95BA-52D7EF858CB3.jpeg

Gonna see how stinky or hot to the touch an antler gets.

2914014F-6D80-4709-8158-3F4941333908.jpeg
 
Got the factory black handle back on. The wife came home sick. She can smell anything on a good day, and has spidy senses when she’s sick. If you’ve ever cut bone or antler on a band saw, you know the smell. I got ahead of myself and should have just let it sit in the building to air out a while after I cut and drilled it. I guess already puking and smelling freshly cut bone in the house didn’t agree with her.
 
Looks like it runs about about the same speed as my old stove. 2 splits is comfy, 3 splits is a little warm. These were smallish splits, but I don’t need 600* unless the ice knocks the power out.
2 splits it is. Maybe I’ll add a damper when I get the appliance adapter.
Steam pot is putting out the steam with a trivet under it.
Door seal is good.
33240D0B-1081-4CF9-92E0-E97D1F68AC88.jpeg

281B7A0E-DE0A-4331-B85A-4BD3AF26DDD0.jpeg

22465006-8FE3-4481-857A-B9D208C3FEA5.jpeg

645CCE68-B8A1-47BD-B294-81D207A5027C.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: ispinwool and Todd
With the automatic air control I wind if you will be chasing your tail if add the damper.
That’s a good looking stove. Best VC available now IMO. Glad it’s working almost got one myself but went with a big insert.
 
I’m gonna let it die down. It’s warming up outside. I’ll mess around with it more when I have the proper connector and will try a larger split instead of smaller ones. Maybe part of the problem is that it’s actually warm enough that I don’t need a fire today. I was just working on breaking it in. I just didn’t mean to get that hot with a couple little chunks of wood.
 
I’m gonna let it die down. It’s warming up outside. I’ll mess around with it more when I have the proper connector and will try a larger split instead of smaller ones. Maybe part of the problem is that it’s actually warm enough that I don’t need a fire today. I was just working on breaking it in. I just didn’t mean to get that hot with a couple little chunks of wood.
With automatic air control it’s going to try and achieve the pre set temp. And it’s probably hotter than you want today. And hot enough to get clean burns to me emissions.
 
It looks like the stove wants to cruise around 650º at peak burn so far. The Imperial thermometer temperature zones are for single-wall stovepipe and not relevant for stovetop temp. Overfire on this stovetop would be more like 800+.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ispinwool and Todd
It looks like the stove wants to cruise around 650º at peak burn so far. The Imperial thermometer temperature zones are for single-wall stovepipe and not relevant for stovetop temp. Overfire on this stovetop would be more like 800+.
That makes me feel better. I didn’t see anything in the documentation. I’m also finding VC to not be very helpful. I sent them an email before I bought the stove and never got a reply. I’ve tried to call and ask about a question about the auto damper and temp range, and another time about the flue adapter. They just forward you to the local dealer when you enter your zip code. This would be the same dealer that said I didn’t need an adapter when I bought the stove, then tried to sell me a single wall adapter when I told them I needed an adapter. (6DBK-ADSS) maybe it would work, but it just didn’t feel like the right part. About like my temporary fix.

C54124C5-C229-4B21-A886-2A0A478D7818.jpeg
Anyway, if that dude can run 7-800, 6-650 isn’t so alarming. I’ll just need to manage load size for comfort but it’s still too warm to tell what that is. It was cold a couple weeks ago. 70+ today and the A/C is on now. So that’s not a fair judge. It wasn’t trying to warm the cold bones of this old uninsulated house.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Todd
Mowed the lawn in a t-shirt today! November 12! Usually I'm wearing a jacket to zoom around on that mower (self-imposed wind chill!), by the time the sun is setting this early.
 
Like 78 yesterday. 71 today but getting ready to dip down for a bit.

362FF05B-BE1E-4B9B-B98D-6450520D7F0C.jpeg
 
So, a thing I’ve noticed it the wall behind the stove gets hot to the touch. You can hold your hand on it, but it’s hot if the stove gets to 500-650*. The old stove could run hot and the wall directly behind the stove was cool to the touch. The old one had a shield built on to the back of it, and was about 9” off the wall. This new stove advertises 3” to combustibles on the back. I have it 12–14” off the wall. The wall is old tongue and groove pine boards which bothers me more than if it was drywall.
I went to take the temp last night and went out to get the IR gun, and it was dead, tried a new battery and still dead. I’d say it was 100* or better.
So I’m thinking of adding a shield. I have some 3/16” steel, but like the idea of adding a brick and beam mantel. I have a wet saw and can cut the brick.
I’ve not seen any brick veneer sheets that actually looks good.
If I cut the brick in half to keep a lower profile, and left an inch to an inch and a half gap behind the full surface area except for the corner brick, I could tab it to the wall in the corners. I’m thinking about 4-5’ wide and about a foot or two above the chair rail. ( I’d have to take a look at the top clearance to get the beam height.)
Then top it with a beam to set some junk on.
I can either do a lintil along the bottom or do 1” thick half brick under each bottom joint along the floor.
Any thoughts on this ?

EFB4D652-0A74-43DB-948E-745BD4A71679.jpeg


Also wondering if the bottom of the beam was recessed a little the top vent wouldn’t be so visible. As in, if the brick was 3.5” off the wall, and the beam had a 1” deep x 4-5” wide recess all the way across the bottom-back edge, it could overhang the vent without blocking it.
So I ask again, Am I Being Silly?
I can always cut the steel sheet I have and maybe cut a design on it with the torch, I just think real brick would look best with a nice beam on it.

932AC88A-C005-40DC-BCF2-D9E6FBDC5243.jpeg
 
Last edited:
I also found this. https://www.lowes.com/pd/General-Sh...mbled-Ceramic-Brick-Look-Wall-Tile/1000773832
Looks like it is real brick. It shows being put up with adhesive, then filled with grout, but I bet you could put some chicken wire on cement board and use grout for the adhesive and grout lines. Then notch in the half brick for the corners or box the corners with cement board and close the sides with more thin brick tile.
 
How hot is the wall behind the stove? Can you place your hand on it? If so, how long can you keep it on the wall?
 
I also found this. https://www.lowes.com/pd/General-Sh...mbled-Ceramic-Brick-Look-Wall-Tile/1000773832
Looks like it is real brick. It shows being put up with adhesive, then filled with grout, but I bet you could put some chicken wire on cement board and use grout for the adhesive and grout lines. Then notch in the half brick for the corners or box the corners with cement board and close the sides with more thin brick tile.
I believe you will want a vented shield, not something stuck directly to the wall, if operating at close clearances is your goal. This is most often sheet metal spaced off the wall with 1" standoffs, and free air movement around the entire perimeter, but other materials may be possible. It may even be possible to make the shield out of those bricks on green board (@begreen?), if that's the look you want, but you'd want to space it off the wall with ventilation all around.
 
First I want to know what is "hot".
 
I believe you will want a vented shield, not something stuck directly to the wall, if operating at close clearances is your goal. This is most often sheet metal spaced off the wall with 1" standoffs, and free air movement around the entire perimeter, but other materials may be possible. It may even be possible to make the shield out of those bricks on green board (@begreen?), if that's the look you want, but you'd want to space it off the wall with ventilation all around.
That’s the intent. The face brick in the sketch would be cut in half. The corner brick is notched, with gaps along the top and bottom. Air can enter beneath and exit above.

The Lowes link, Thin Brick on the cement board would be spaced off the wall with gaps above and below, then a beam suspended above. I may not have stated that clearly, but the corners would be boxed in, creating a bull brick appearance from the sides with the offset off the wall.
 
How hot is the wall behind the stove? Can you place your hand on it? If so, how long can you keep it on the wall?

First I want to know what is "hot".
Indefinitely. It’s hot though. I need a new IR gun. I’m guessing 110*. My house is 1950s vintage, rough cut pine. The walls are pine. If you look around in the attic at the exposed framing and trusses, you can see beads of amber and dried pitch.
I read mentions of pyrolysis, and it’s troublesome to me. I’ll get a new thermometer and shoot it and get an accurate reading for you. With the old stove it was always cool, and I could hold my hand on the back of the stove, on a cool heat shield, with a ripping 650* stove top fire going. ( Literally plaster your palm on the back of the stove ) So mabybe it’s just different than I’m used to. I wouldn’t say the wall is warm. Warm is 80-90* IMO. This feels hot, steamy.

Some things are worth doing for peace of mind, but I do want to follow up with opinions and expertise in the field. Maybe you can talk me out of it.

It’s not a regretful purchase, I like it. I’m just learning the new stove and adapting to its needs.