1980 VC Resolute newbie questions

[ratberg]

Hi, new to the forum, and to be honest new to wood stoves in general... We bought a rebuilt VC Resolute ca. 1980 according to the plate on the back, had it installed using the fireplace mantel, stainless sleeve, inspected and all, finally settled down last night to our first fire. Great draft easy start, all is good till about half an hour in and start smelling not so much a wood burning smell as a chemically kind of smell and start getting a bunch of smoke, thus setting off the smoke alarm...

Stopped down the fire by closing the side keyhole looking thing, and the vent door in the back, and began to grumble and worry whether the whole idea had been a mistake.

I don't believe it was smoke coming so much from the firebox as I was able to easily stop down the fire just with the vents which in my mind means the firebox is sealed well enough...

Read on this very forum after some searches about how it could be just the paint/polish/whateverstuff used to rebuild the stove and to basically let it burn off for a while with the windows open and the smoke alarm disconnected, so that's where I am at the moment, fan blowing out the window and all.

It'd be great for my peace of mind to have someone tell me this all sounds reasonable and that there is just a break-in period of sorts with a freshly rebuilt stove...

Meanwhile, an actual question, I read both in the VC manual and on this forum about putting sand in the base of the stove; i put about an inch and a half of playsand into the channels on the bottom but should I be lining the sides and back with firebrick? All the fireplace store people I talk to about this look at me like I have two heads when I mention putting sand in the bottom. The old Russo stove that lives in the basement that I tried using once last year when we bought the house has firebrick all around the inside of it.

Thanks for listening, I appreciate the help.
Jeff

 

[defiant3]

And you may continue to smell the paint burning off slightly for the next few fires as well, even later on if the stove gets abnormally hot for any reason.

GOTTA have sand in the bottomof these guys I can't tellyou how many many cracked bottoms I've repaired onResolute, Vigilants, and Defiants over theyears. Ash works, I've even heard of people usingcatlitter if that's all that's available! But never ever have a fire on your bare bottom.

Welcome, and "happy heating"!!

 

[ratberg]

Thanks! We burned the stove most of Saturday with the windows open and the smell and smoke went away. Ended up putting the firebrick I had originally bought for the inside bottom underneath the stove on the tile just as an added precaution for the floor. So thanks again, hope the Oil man comes a bit less often this winter!