Morso Squirrel #1410 mods...

Here's a short video of the modifications I made to our Morso Squirrel stove.



It's the USA EPA model with the primary air control welded shut, which obviously made that the first mod on the to do list. With the control open, you can light the fire immediately close the door and it starts right up.

The mods are:

1. Make primary air control operational
2. Add Morso cast iron coal firebox liners
3. Make cast iron ring level with top surface so pots and pans don't rock.

peakbagger said:

You do realize that you have voided the test certification on the stove? Odds are you wont burn the house down but if you do, your insurance carrier does not need to pay off for the damage.

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(shrug) So?

Over the years I've found that life isn't always about doing what you're told by government bureaucrats. It's about doing what works for you. You gain a different view of life when you clear your own land and build your own home with no mortgage and no insurance.

It's perfectly safe to start a fire with the door closed and the primary air control open.

Squirrel said:

It appears from the video that you have the draft reducer installed right in front of that 90° bend in your pipe. These two things are probably reducing your draft enough to cause problems lighting the stove. By not air sealing the top plate you are also reducing your flue temperature. Your front grate is also in backwards which may be why your glass is so black.

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There aren't any problems lighting the stove and the top plate has a good seal. I'm a pretty good metalworker and carefully filed it flat until there's no rocking when it's set in place.

And thanks for the reminder on the coal bar. I'll turn it around. The glass actually stays quite clean. I purposefully avoid touching the corners because I like the old fashioned look of the dark rounded edges. Purely aesthetics. ; )

Squirrel1410 said:

Oh perfect - a new thread. I just hi-jacked that screen porch thread with some questions, so feel free to ignore that post. I'll post them here:

Mine came with the lower intake inoperable too. Why do they do that? I ordered the short 100mm legs - they sent them but said they aren't tested for the 1410, however I see them on So many pictures of the stove that I'm thinking these changes are due to US regulations. Also, it's supposed to be a multi-burner, coal etc, but it came "wood only". But I know they sell coal liners so.... I find that interesting.

Not that I plan to burn coal, but as a quasi prepper, it would be nice to have a bunch of anthracite in the basement for an emergency if power went out and wood was t enough for the heat...

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The welding is likely some kind of EPA regulation. Our 30+ year old pre-EPA Efel had a lower primary air control. I found the online operating instructions for the older multi fuel Morso with the separate ash drawer door. It doesn't have the secondary burn feature, and lower air control is used for burning coal.

It's easy to undo. i ground off the weld to remove the disk. Filed the inner surface flat for a good fit. Arc welded a metric nut onto the inside of the threadless shaft and screwed a metric Allen head bolt into the disk so it works exactly like the top one. I'm really glad Morso made it reversable with only a small tack weld.

The Squirrel normally comes from the factory with stubby legs so I had to specify they send it with the long legs. It's nice to have it up off the floor for easier cooking and keeping the floor clean. It's also a little easier to tend not having to squat down quite so far.

No one in the US sells the cast iron coal liners. Probably another EPA regulation. (lol) So I ordered them from...

morsosparesdirect.co.uk

...for $85 including the freight (they're small but heavy). Their salesperson, Katie, is very competent. And I received them only 4 days after the order was placed. They fit perfectly and make the firebox more robust because they're designed to deal with the higher burning temperature of coal.

Hey, my wife and I are also preppers! ; )

We have lots of fun coming up with simple back up contingencies for just about every situation.

Greg

Squirrel1410 said:

I assumed that's why it only requires ember protection, but I have limited space, so I designed the floor pad at R-4, so nothing that stove can put out will be an issue. If the short legs work in Europe, I think I'm fine, as long as I plan for the extra heat closer to pad.

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We found even when the stove is blazing hot it puts very little heat from the bottom and there's also sheet metal heat shield. I store the poker underneath in the heat shield and even after burning for hours, it never gets too hot to the touch. The short legs work here too. The Squirrel is normally sold in the US with short legs. We had to specify long ones to get them.

Greg

Squirrel1410 said:

Yeah it's definitely short! I'm building my masonry pad with a central platform to raise it up a bit, and a bit larger also to accomodate any future stove that would replace it. Otherwise I think it would look a little funny sitting in the middle of a 5" hearth pad.

And I can grind that weld off no problem, but arc-welding a new nut is something I'll have to learn how to do. My metal joining experience stops at solder

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Yeah, it just might. (lol) The little Morso doesn't really give off much heat from the bottom especially with the heat shield.

You could try using JB Weld for the nut. That stuff is super strong and heat resistant enough to be used on engine blocks. I'd file both surfaces for good roughed up contact, and use a bolt through the hole to keep the nut really snug while the JB cures. Or you could simply take your door and the nut to a muffler shop. They can weld it up for you in just a few seconds for a few bucks. Just be sure to bring a metric bolt along with you to hold it in position.

Greg

Squirrel said:

I would like to try anthracite in my stove but the nearest supplier is a seven hour drive away so it's not going to happen soon.
Once my stove is lit I can close the door right away and it will take off fine with just the primary air open. I think it's all a question of how strong a draft you have. At below freezing temps outside I have to block off the secondary air about 50% to maintain efficiency.
A good layer of ash in the bottom keeps the stove hotter and burn times longer so I don't see the advantage of the coal liners. Raking the coals forward at reload seems to push enough ash through the front of the grate that no further action is needed.
I have been using anti-seize graphite on the primary air screw about twice a season to prevent wear on the threads and if the door latch sqeaks rub it with a pencil lead.
Three years of trouble free burning and counting.

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Yes. : )
I use antiseize compound on everything.

I found that there's no need to rake with the liners, as the angled sides naturally keep the coals and ashes in the center. I just jiggle the grate a little to let the ashes fall out and put on more wood. The liners also create triangular insulating air gaps along the edge of both sides which helps to keep the firebox hotter. Coal burns hotter than hell, so they're designed to keep the coal in the center over the grate to protect the stove and so it can get combustion air from below.

Greg

Squirrel said:

Mine came with the long legs and the lower intake welded and I like it that way.

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There seem to be differences depending what country in which they're purchased. As far as I've seen online, the models with the separate ash pan door with a useable lower air control appear to still be sold in the UK.

The long legs are nice. They give the stove that old fashioned "Jotul" look.

Greg

Squirrel1410 said:

Great idea. I'll probably end up doing that. If I can get it done for less than the cost of a torch and hours of YouTube videos for the knowhow, then I'll go that route.

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Funny!

In the past I tried to gas weld cast iron with little success because of preheating issues, however an electric arc works great. A couple of quick zaps and you're all set. A muffler shop can easily do this. Those guys are highly skilled because they're cutting and welding exhausts all day.

Greg

peakbagger said:

unfortunately someone else may come along and adopt that modification and may not be aware that the certification is null and void. I guarantee you the factory didn't weld the door shut for the heck of it. They most likely did it to pass emissions. Given your location in a perpetually air non attainment area, there is lot to be said for running equipment to minimize emissions. Despite clearing your own land and building your own home, you are still breathing the air that everyone else is polluting and potentially contributing to the pollution yourself.

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I'm sure Morso did it to meet USA EPA regulations. Since California has the most stringent bureaucratic regulations in the nation, I'm sure the difference is negligible. And if an open primary air control when you're starting a fire makes your stove pollute more, can you tell me how much it pollutes when you leave the door open?

That's what Morso and many other stove manufacturers recommend on startup.

Greg

bholler said:

I would also be worried about warping the grates with the air being fed in underneath like that which is meant for coal not wood

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I'm not.

I don't believe you're aware that coal burns ~way~ hotter than wood because it's a hydrocarbon which contains a lot more potential heat energy for equal weight than any wood ever could.

The Morso cast iron grates are exactly the same parts used in their dual-fuel wood/coal stoves. Our old Efel was also a dual fuel stove...



...and the firebox is also fed by primary air from underneath because that's how coal burns best. This stove received heavy use for 32 years and the fire box was completely intact with absolutely no damage when I sold it. Dual fuel stoves are designed to tolerate the high heat value of coal without damage.

Greg