Fisher Grandpa Bear baffle improvement?

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krrrrazyk

New Member
May 28, 2017
3
Nova Scotia
Greetings All! I have the chance to buy a Fisher Grandpa Bear for $250cad. The reason being, that it is cheap, and I need something with a high heat output, running mid-November to mid-March. The rest of the year it would not be used. I'm wondering if it is worth the trouble to get someone to install a better baffle, similar to one welded in by one of the fisher stove owners that posted on this forum? Here's a pic of the existing baffle on the rear vent stove. I don't know how to weld, so I can't DIY. Thanks for your help.
 

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Will it slide out from the angle iron brackets? There should be no welding necessary. It should not be welded to brackets and should be a loose fit for expansion.
It only needs to be beat flat and corners cut to approx 2 X 3 inch notches at the front corners to prevent stagnation at the front corners at stove top.
If it is only 1/4" thick, making a new one with 5/16 steel plate prevents the sag or warpage.
 
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Thank you Coaly. I didn't touch it, but it looks like it is just sitting there. I was thinking that metal looked like a poor excuse for a baffle. Are you suggesting the new baffle extend further toward the front of the stove, with the notches in the corners near the front, or just keep the same dimensions, and cut a notch at the front corners adjacent to the ends of the brackets? This will be my first restoration job. It shouldn't be too difficult with a power sander. Lots of rust to sand. I'll gasket the doors. Black satin paint and maybe some detail silver for the trees, if I can get it. The right door doesn't latch so well, so I might have to get that latch adjusted. It's in reasonable shape otherwise.

inside right door.jpg inside.jpg side.jpg top.jpg front2.jpg
 
The size of the baffle is not for the stove, it is sized for the chimney. Read the baffle thread and adjust as described for your chimney flue internal area. Steel plate was the material of choice when tested and later stoves were made with a very similar baffle. Simplicity was a large factor behind Fisher Stoves, so a framework to hold fire brick is a much more complex part to supply for many different stove sizes plus requires more cutting of brick.
Do not gasket doors unless it is uncontrollable with both air dampers closed. There is no clearance for gasket material and the design does not require a gasket.

The latch rod needs to be heated (dull red with propane torch is acceptable) at the 90* bend inside right door and bent while hot to make handle the same angle when closed as left door. Someone was over tightening the door latch and firing the stove with excessive pressure on the latch rod.
 
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