Anyone ever seen one of these?

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I have one in a 40’X60’ shed that I am selling. $550 if anyone is interested?
 
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I have a Papa Potbelly I’m interested in selling.
Anyone in Nebraska interested in one?
Post it in the classified forum here along with a picture or two.
 
Maybe I'm crazy, but I just gotta have this thing. Found it on CL. Coolest wood stove I've ever seen! View attachment 132625

Wow I’m stoked, I just came across these posts this evening, I have one of these Lincoln Papa Potbelly’s, I got it from friend years ago, it was so unique, I asked for history on it, he couldn’t provide any. This is a very efficient stove, and man does it put out the heat. I’ve been asked many times if I wanted to sell it. The only thing I can say about this stove is, if you ever come across one, don’t even hesitate to buy it!
 
Lincoln potbelly. That is beautiful! Looks like the hatch on a WW2 submarine. I have never seen a stove like that and I have been burning for 45 years. I would love to have one.

Sadly, I bought a $2500 Norwegian stove 4 years ago am not in the market for another stove. Probably would take years to find a Lincoln anyway.

Buy that Bad Boy and fire it up! Looks cool!
 
They show up here about once or twice per year, so not all that uncommon, I would think.
 
I happened to find this site and posting while searching the web for info on these. Really just interested in seeing what may be out there, since I am going to sell mine. I've had it for just over 20yrs. Awesome and I hate to see it go but we remodeled and I gave into my wife and body which told me it was time for a gas fireplace! Sad day for me but I won't miss the work! They were made right here in Lincoln, NE in what we call the Haymarket, though it had a different look and feel back then! No, they were not made to heat poultry barns! We are a farm and cattle state, not poultry really, until lately. Several different models. I know someone who has the Momma half size. I also used to know a guy who came across a really big one in pieces laying out behind a building in the Haymarket, (manufacturing area in the south part). He worked in one of the buildings and asked around, nobody knew anything about it and so he took it home, ca 1996. It wasn't all complete, no door but he made his own. It was about 4' in diameter. These were made by taking two ends meant for propane tanks and welding them together. The ends were obtained as seconds which were not suitable for tanks. The door was cast right here to at Deeter Foundry. The tomahawk handle, school bell air inlet and door hinge pin were nickel plated. Nickel won't discolor at high heat like chrome does. The reason the company quit was the EPA started cracking down and required cats in the chimney. I guess they decided it wasn't worth it anymore after that. Great stoves. I could easily get mine to about 900 degrees on the stove top! It was really cool to watch through the glass and see the gases burn in the air! They floated around in there burning as if the air itself was on fire! You can only get this effect in a really hot stove. In the early years (read younger) and while still single, I would bank the stove and burn it 24/7. That's a lot of wood though, and eventually I learned to just keep enough coals in it to make stoking it up after work easy. They really are a one of a kind. Almost perfect sphere. Holds a ton of ash, as I would not clean it out until it reached the seam. Not sure though what the tomahawk has to do with Lincoln. City or President! Not a history buff.
 

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I happened to find this site and posting while searching the web for info on these. Really just interested in seeing what may be out there, since I am going to sell mine. I've had it for just over 20yrs. Awesome and I hate to see it go but we remodeled and I gave into my wife and body which told me it was time for a gas fireplace! Sad day for me but I won't miss the work! They were made right here in Lincoln, NE in what we call the Haymarket, though it had a different look and feel back then! No, they were not made to heat poultry barns! We are a farm and cattle state, not poultry really, until lately. Several different models. I know someone who has the Momma half size. I also used to know a guy who came across a really big one in pieces laying out behind a building in the Haymarket, (manufacturing area in the south part). He worked in one of the buildings and asked around, nobody knew anything about it and so he took it home, ca 1996. It wasn't all complete, no door but he made his own. It was about 4' in diameter. These were made by taking two ends meant for propane tanks and welding them together. The ends were obtained as seconds which were not suitable for tanks. The door was cast right here to at Deeter Foundry. The tomahawk handle, school bell air inlet and door hinge pin were nickel plated. Nickel won't discolor at high heat like chrome does. The reason the company quit was the EPA started cracking down and required cats in the chimney. I guess they decided it wasn't worth it anymore after that. Great stoves. I could easily get mine to about 900 degrees on the stove top! It was really cool to watch through the glass and see the gases burn in the air! They floated around in there burning as if the air itself was on fire! You can only get this effect in a really hot stove. In the early years (read younger) and while still single, I would bank the stove and burn it 24/7. That's a lot of wood though, and eventually I learned to just keep enough coals in it to make stoking it up after work easy. They really are a one of a kind. Almost perfect sphere. Holds a ton of ash, as I would not clean it out until it reached the seam. Not sure though what the tomahawk has to do with Lincoln. City or President! Not a history buff.
They are pretty cool stoves and it's nice to hear some of the history. I just have to correct one thing. The EPA has never required the use of cats in wood stoves. They simply set emission standards. Many stoves easily meet them with no cats. But it did require much more engineering and testing. That takes a much larger investment which many of the small shops could not or would not spend. It is ashame to see some of them go but it really has led to far superior stoves.
 
Well, I never looked at it as a hatchet, but that's probably what it really is. FYI, I did sell the stove. This gentleman already has a Momma half size in his workshop. He happened to see it on CL and jumped on it. He had an old friend that worked in the shop back in the 1970's. I got a little more info on them for posterity. They indeed were made using the ends meant for propane, anhydrous ammonia, etc. tanks. They had built a custom rotisserie that would spin the sphere and a machine would weld them together. He agreed with me that these can burn very hot and any type of wood, even hedge (Osage Orange)! The inside volume of this model measures in at about 8cu ft! The Momma is about 5cu ft. This is one of the reasons they quit. The inside was too big per EPA guidelines and allowed too much incomplete burning unless it was hot enough. This is according to the buyer but sounds right. Stoves I have seen in my life after this time period are all smaller in fire box size and I never understood why. One reason I bought this stove and ditched the one I started with, it was small inside. I will give the dimensions in case any one in the future wants to know: 30" diameter sphere, 42" tall at the chimney, 12" round door opening, and 37" to the top of the sphere. One last nugget. He says they actually set off M80's in them to 'test' the ability of the door to hold pressure. If that's true, it's one hell of a story.
 
Well, I never looked at it as a hatchet, but that's probably what it really is. FYI, I did sell the stove. This gentleman already has a Momma half size in his workshop. He happened to see it on CL and jumped on it. He had an old friend that worked in the shop back in the 1970's. I got a little more info on them for posterity. They indeed were made using the ends meant for propane, anhydrous ammonia, etc. tanks. They had built a custom rotisserie that would spin the sphere and a machine would weld them together. He agreed with me that these can burn very hot and any type of wood, even hedge (Osage Orange)! The inside volume of this model measures in at about 8cu ft! The Momma is about 5cu ft. This is one of the reasons they quit. The inside was too big per EPA guidelines and allowed too much incomplete burning unless it was hot enough. This is according to the buyer but sounds right. Stoves I have seen in my life after this time period are all smaller in fire box size and I never understood why. One reason I bought this stove and ditched the one I started with, it was small inside. I will give the dimensions in case any one in the future wants to know: 30" diameter sphere, 42" tall at the chimney, 12" round door opening, and 37" to the top of the sphere. One last nugget. He says they actually set off M80's in them to 'test' the ability of the door to hold pressure. If that's true, it's one hell of a story.
Again you have been given false info about EPA requirements. There is no limitation on firebox size. Just emissions. Now it is true the larger the firebox gets the harder it is to engineer it to burn cleanly. But there are 4 cubic foot stoves on the market now that burn very clean even at low output.
 
Again you have been given false info about EPA requirements. There is no limitation on firebox size. Just emissions. Now it is true the larger the firebox gets the harder it is to engineer it to burn cleanly. But there are 4 cubic foot stoves on the market now that burn very clean even at low output.
Well the truth is there somewhere. Either way, it sounds plausible. I am certainly no EPA expert! That was his point, the size made it burn inefficient, stated another way. This stove has no tech. built in. Air in and smoke out. Simple. One baffle but that was it. They could move a ton of air through them. Anyone with one of these has only one growl, collecting wood to feed it!
 
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I happened to find this site and posting while searching the web for info on these. Really just interested in seeing what may be out there, since I am going to sell mine. I've had it for just over 20yrs. Awesome and I hate to see it go but we remodeled and I gave into my wife and body which told me it was time for a gas fireplace! Sad day for me but I won't miss the work! They were made right here in Lincoln, NE in what we call the Haymarket, though it had a different look and feel back then! No, they were not made to heat poultry barns! We are a farm and cattle state, not poultry really, until lately. Several different models. I know someone who has the Momma half size. I also used to know a guy who came across a really big one in pieces laying out behind a building in the Haymarket, (manufacturing area in the south part). He worked in one of the buildings and asked around, nobody knew anything about it and so he took it home, ca 1996. It wasn't all complete, no door but he made his own. It was about 4' in diameter. These were made by taking two ends meant for propane tanks and welding them together. The ends were obtained as seconds which were not suitable for tanks. The door was cast right here to at Deeter Foundry. The tomahawk handle, school bell air inlet and door hinge pin were nickel plated. Nickel won't discolor at high heat like chrome does. The reason the company quit was the EPA started cracking down and required cats in the chimney. I guess they decided it wasn't worth it anymore after that. Great stoves. I could easily get mine to about 900 degrees on the stove top! It was really cool to watch through the glass and see the gases burn in the air! They floated around in there burning as if the air itself was on fire! You can only get this effect in a really hot stove. In the early years (read younger) and while still single, I would bank the stove and burn it 24/7. That's a lot of wood though, and eventually I learned to just keep enough coals in it to make stoking it up after work easy. They really are a one of a kind. Almost perfect sphere. Holds a ton of ash, as I would not clean it out until it reached the seam. Not sure though what the tomahawk has to do with Lincoln. City or President! Not a history buff.
If you still have this stove, please contact us at [email protected] Thank you
 
Came across this thread when looking for info on our stove. We just bought a house with one of these (the mama mushroom), and it’s awesome, but not really our style, so I was considering selling it. The original owners saved everything, including a sales “brochure” that I thought some of you might find interesting.

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I have, of course, run across this stove in my old catalogs and ads. It is really cool looking. For those who have room and collect stuff (like in the barn, etc.), it's rare enough to keep...if one likes it. Not to say it will gain value, but there are very few of that particular stove in the wild.

As to how clean it burned - that was a function of the times. Very few people, back in the early 80's, would have been thinking too much about that.

If I was going to modify a stove like that I'd probably build up firebrick or cast refractory 1/2 way or more up just to keep the firebox hotter inside (reflecting back toward itself). It also might be a candidate for a flue mounted catalytic converter if anyone is still selling that type of a kit.
 
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That is a beautiful stove Batpig. I'd love to have it but one is enough I'm afraid.
 
Came across this thread when looking for info on our stove. We just bought a house with one of these (the mama mushroom), and it’s awesome, but not really our style, so I was considering selling it. The original owners saved everything, including a sales “brochure” that I thought some of you might find interesting.

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man that thing is cool! I like the mama mushroom version more. Wish you were close Id love add this to my collection. Thanks for sharing!
 
Came across this thread when looking for info on our stove. We just bought a house with one of these (the mama mushroom), and it’s awesome, but not really our style, so I was considering selling it. The original owners saved everything, including a sales “brochure” that I thought some of you might find interesting.

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As I said earlier, my uncle manufactured these stoves and my dad sold them. These spinning brochure bring back memories!

I have a mushroom that I use to heat my little lake place still.

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