30-NC... tips for removing pedestal & adding legs?

[CenterTree]

Hey guys, I am in the process of building my hearth for the Englander. I would like to take off the pedestal and add the legs.

Anyone have any "secret" tips for doing this in an efficient and EASY way?

It looks to me that I need to lay the unit on it's side (or back) ....I HOPE NOT though.


Thanks for the help!

 

[bluedogz]

Take the firebricks out?

 

[Hoozie]

I had to tip mine on its side with the furniture dolly I used to bring it inside. (with the bricks out, of course)

 

[BobUrban]

Unfortunately I think you are onto the only way. x2 on removing the door, fire bricks and even the ash pan(every ounce counts) Mine was delivered to my living room about 10' from it's final destination on the hearth and I did the rest on my own. I have wood floors so I used throw rugs and after removing everything I slowly leaned it over to the tipping point and eased it down on it's side. I ratcheting box end wrench would be best but any box end will work. It is a bit of a pain but you can get the base off easily enough by reaching in and removing the bolts. Add the legs and get it into place before adding the bricks and parts.

I labeled the bricks as I removed them and took inside photos in the event I could not solve the puzzle in reverse but it is not a Rubicks cube.

They are big and heavy but can be moved easily enough if you go slow and are careful. I am not a big dude and I did it.

 

[Snotrocket]

After removing the door, ash pan, and bricks I removed the nuts and bolts while it was still standing.

Then I tipped it on it's back and pulled the pedestal off.

 

[Hogwildz]

Mike offered me the advice of removing door& firebricks, and carefully tipping onto the front top edge & ash lip, remove pedestal, install legs, carefully lift back up into place.. Prolly best to have a friend help list back upright and be very careful of not snapping a leg. Also be careful not to bend the air control rod as it may slide outward while flipping the stove on it's face. Some tape should temp hold it in place.

 

[CenterTree]

OK,,,,thanks all. It seems there is no way around tipping the beast over.

It just seems there is a risk of busting something. ( including my back...LOL)

It is interesting that Mike suggested tipping to the front. Never thought of that way. I was assuming to the back, but I wasn't sure if the heat shield would support all that weight.

I already got all the bricks out and door off (pan too).

* (sigh) If only Englander would ship WITH THE LEGS ON and let those who want the pedestal to worry.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

If you have an engine hoist you could probably pick it straight up. I'm not sure off the top of my head the best way to support it though.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Once you remove the brick and door, the stove is pretty light and easy to tip back.

 

[bluedogz]

Once you remove the brick and door, the stove is pretty kinda light and easy to tip back.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Once you remove the brick and door, the stove is pretty kinda light and easy to tip back.

When compared to moving cast iron and soapstone stoves, the 30 is a dream to move around once the bricks and door are removed.

 

[BrotherBart]

Just be real careful when you put it back on its feet. Real easy to break a cast iron leg or two tipping it back up.

 

[CenterTree]

When compared to moving cast iron and soapstone stoves, the 30 is a dream to move around once the bricks and door are removed.

I mostly have fear of a leg breaking as I try to stand it back up. (not MY leg, the stove's)
All the weight will be on just 2 legs instead of 4.

Engine hoist would be ideal though.

I have 2 hydraulic floor jacks. I am thinking of rigging up a way to just raise it (level) with boards somehow...swop the legs, and then lower it again. Maybe.



Edit: LOL, I was typing at the same time as BB. Yeah the legs concern me.

 

[BrowningBAR]

I mostly have fear of a leg breaking as I try to stand it back up. (not MY leg, the stove's)
All the weight will be on just 2 legs instead of 4.

Engine hoist would be ideal though.

I have 2 hydraulic floor jacks. I am thinking of rigging up a way to just raise it (level) with boards somehow...swop the legs, and then lower it again. Maybe.



Edit: LOL, I was typing at the same time as BB. Yeah the legs concern me.

Lean it over on a raise platform so when you tip it back up the angle is lessened and there is less force being applied to the two back legs.

 

[bluedogz]

I'm thinking that renting the hoist for a couple bucks for the day is gonna do you better than jerry-rigging something with the floor jacks.

 

[CenterTree]

Just be real careful when you put it back on its feet. Real easy to break a cast iron leg or two tipping it back up.

My latest thought is to tilt it over, take off the pedestal. Then see if I can stand it upright onto a pair (or more) of concrete blocks and boards of a height just higher than the leg's length.

Then with the stove "suspended" in the center by a block "stand", I could add the legs.
Then just move it forward off the blocks onto the floor. (with help) ????????

$$$$$$$$$ I hate to be buying a set of new legs. $$$$$$$$$$$

 

[CenterTree]

Lean it over on a raise platform so when you tip it back up the angle is lessened and there is less force being applied to the two back legs.

Excellent idea too!!

 

[BrotherBart]

Why not just lay it backwards on a hand truck. Pop the ped, put on the legs and put a 2X6 between the bottom of the back legs and the hand truck and stand the sucker back up.

 

[BobUrban]

Don't over think it - there are plenty here, myself included, that have done this without the legs coming off. Just be careful - they are not fine china and the stove really is not that heavy with all the bulk off it. Get a friend to help you stand it back up if you are that concerned and while they are there get their help to put it in place.

 

[Highbeam]

You won't break those legs unless you really hammer it hard. They are stout. Plus, lots of us have a box of legs on the shelf with taking up space.

 

[BrowningBAR]

lots of us have a box of legs on the shelf with taking up space.

Poor little guys. Cold and lonely. Do you occasionally hear them sadly singing "♫Why am I such a misfit? I am not just a nit wit!♫"

You could at least have the decency to take them to the island of misfit toys.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

rolling it onto its back ,makes it really hard to reach in and get at the nuts inside of the pedestal. rolling to the front (gently) gives the best angle at the bolts. or lift up one side and "crib" it then crib the other side. make the stove sit up on the blocks a few inches higher than the pedestal then pull the bolts then install the legs and remove the cribbing one side at a time setting the stove right down on the newly installed legs

by the way, we tried shipping with legs early on and the freight damage was brutal

 

[yooperdave]

I think the reason that the stove comes with the pedestal already installed vs. the legs is because of the weight distribution. Probably installs into mobile (type) homes that way; that is meeting the restrictions/codes for that type of object (heavy) onto one "small" area of the floor.
When I got the 13, the first thing I did was take the pedestal off and put the legs on...looks so much better with legs.

 

[tjcole50]

I need to cut the legs shorter on mine. I have a 29" vertical clearing on my fireplace . What is the most I can take off of these legs? Is it shipped with the pedestal attached? I would like the ash pan to sit about a 1/2 off the bottom of my hearth
What is the clearance from bottom of front legs to the ash pan?
Also can someone confirm that from the front lip of stove to the top 6" exit is 20.25 inches?

 

[stoveguy2esw]

I think the reason that the stove comes with the pedestal already installed vs. the legs is because of the weight distribution. Probably installs into mobile (type) homes that way; that is meeting the restrictions/codes for that type of object (heavy) onto one "small" area of the floor.
When I got the 13, the first thing I did was take the pedestal off and put the legs on...looks so much better with legs.

we origionally offered the 13 and 30 in either a P or L or G model, p was pedestal (shipped as it does today) L was "leg" model , but they didn't ship well on the legs( lots of freight damage as they didn't stay opn the pallet in shipping well unless absolutely perfectly positioned and handled with a lot of care the weight on points like the legs resulted in broken pallet boards and tipped over stoves. so we used a pedestal riser (pedestal without a base welded to it) which was supposed to be removed before adding legs this confused a lot of customers (who didn't read the instructions) and we were burning up half the cost of the pedestal anyway so we just went to building them all on the pedestal and tossing the legs intro the firebox.

also the stoves cannot be mounted in a mobile home on legs legally