Atlanta Stove Works Model 15-36

[From the Hill]

I purchased a NOS Atlanta Stove Works Model 15-36 kitchen range from a farm supply store in Missouri in 1981. I set it up in the kitchen of my Georgia log home when it was finished in 1982. The stove was used frequently the first few years, but sat for over 25 years without being fired up until last month. I never received a manual when I bought the stove, or if I did, it is long since lost. I have forgotten the purpose of the stove's various controls.
If anyone knows the proper operation of this specific stove, I would like to know the following:

What is the purpose of the slide control located on the top behind the left rear burner?
What is the proper way to control/adjust hot air flow around the oven?
I have seen comments on the internet that this is a coal-burning stove, but I only have wood available.....any problem with that?
Any other tips or information would be appreciated......or a copy of a user's manual would be great!.....if one was ever printed for this stove!

Thanks in advance for any information!

 

[coaly]

The slide control can be two things; does it slide a plate to open firebox directly into exhaust vent OR open an air vent into exhaust? Some cookstoves (mostly newer) have a sliding plate that opens to allow exhaust directly up chimney. They are opened when starting to allow all the heat directly up chimney until the draft is started. Also for summer cooking, when done on the stove top, you can open the slider to allow the heat up chimney instead of heating stove during warm weather. Others have a control towards the back or pipe above range top that opens air into the exhaust flue. This is opened after a coal fire is established to allow indoor air into chimney to cool it and slow draft to prolong the fire overnight. Another trick was tilting a lid overnight to allow air into chimney to prolong the fire overnight. This is only opened for coal use. A manual damper would be used for wood if needed to slow the chimney.

You "can" burn wood in any coal stove. It will burn fast since it will get air from under the fire and through grates from all directions. Burning wood on a solid bottom, in. abed of ash slows the burn and allows coals to accumulate.

After a fire is established, see what the oven temp runs normally without circulating all the exhaust around oven. Most will be around 300* f without turning the oven "on". Burning wood can make a mess under the oven where the clean out is. Water vapor from combustion condenses as it cools going around oven, so only turn oven on when burning hard with plenty of air and a hot chimney. The creosote that forms around and under oven can get to be a wet gooey tar like mess with wood.