Baby Bear Firebricks

[rhinoguy]

Hello,

I was searching for information online about the Baby Bear stove and ran across this site. It looks like there are some very experienced Fisher people here, so I thought I'd sign up and ask.

I bought a very nice Baby Bear stove, but there were no firebricks. I want to buy some firebricks and re-line the inside, but when I took some measurements and looked at some common firebrick dimension, I wasn't sure how they were going to fit. The firebricks I was looking at were 9" x 4.5" x 1.25".

For those of you experienced with the Baby Bear, are there standard sized firebricks that fit inside without cutting? If you do need to cut them, will a standard masonary blade on a circular saw work? Any tips on which firebricks (dimensions) to get to make the job easier?

I was hoping that the Baby Bear was made to fit standard size firebricks, but after searching around I'm not sure if that's the case based on the bricks I've seen.

Thanks,

Ed

 

[coaly]

Weclome to the forum; I'll assume you have an older style stove with flat top door, and angle iron down the corners made before 1980;
They are the correct size bricks. (for any Fisher Stove) Yes, a few need to be cut, but they cut very easily. You can score them with a masonary blade and snap them cleanly the rest of the way.
The best way to show you placement is the picture below of the "Brick Layout" page of the original stove drawing. You should be able to click on the photo and view it full size.

Here's the sizes, since you can't read them on the print;
A ...... 4 1/2 X 9 ........... 14 required
B ...... 4 1/2 X 1 7/8 ..... 4 req.
C ...... 1 3/8 X 9 ........... 3 req.
D ...... 1 3/8 X 1 7/8 ..... 1 req.
I ........ 4 3/8 X 9 ........... 1 req. (rear)
Tolerance is +/- 1/16"

The first fire or so may seem like the stove doesn't put out much heat. This is due to new brick being high in moisture content and quenching the heat to steam off this moisture for the first couple fires. This can happen when a stove is stored in a damp area a season or more as well. Moisture is absorbed by the brick and must be removed before the full BTU will be felt radiating from the stove.

 

[rhinoguy]

Thanks for your help, Coaly. That's exactly what I needed.

Now I can get some firebricks and a masonary blade and be all set to go!

Ed

 

[coaly]

One of those air powered 10,000 RPM muffler cutters scores them nice too. I never tried with a cement board scoring tool, but that may work too. They are like a utillity knife with hard carbon cutter. Usually sold next to cement board or drywall. The white bricks are much softer than cutting a regular red brick and snap clean and easy. They only need to be scored 1/8 or 1/4 inch deep, but do it outside. It's dusty even wet. For only a couple cuts, you may get by killing one hacksaw blade. Just tap it down the line with a chisel. A good sharp chisel scores them too in a pinch. I use a masonry blade in a circular saw since I already have the blade.
If you have an Ace Hardware nearby, they sell firebrick by the box, the cheapest I've found it.

 

[rhinoguy]

That's great to know. I have one of those air powered muffler cut off saws, too.

I just bought a set of 20 firebricks on eBay for $86.43 which includes the shipping. Hope that was a good price. I live in a sparsely populated area and not so many stores around. I called around, and the only place that had them said they were $40 for a pack of 6. I didn't think to call Ace Hardware though. There is one of them in town. How much do you pay for firebricks at Ace?

I just hope that my firebricks don't arrive broken. The guy said that they have good success shipping them without breakage. Guess I'll find out soon enough!

Thanks for the help!

Ed

 

[coaly]

10 times more than what they were when your stove was built! They were 35 cents each in 1974. $20 for 6 today. Most masonry suppliers sell them idividually as well.
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1366795

 

[Captain Hornet]

I replaced all the bricks in my stove two years ago. They were in the stove when it came from the factory around 1980. They were really not in bad shape but I thought it was time. There is a big plant here that makes prestressed concrete products. They charged me $1.29 each so I got enough and some as spares. They had been sitting outside so it took several fires to dry them all out. David

 

[rhinoguy]

That's a really good price, David!

Coaly, Ace has a great price too all things considered. I guess I made out OK with my $86 for 20 bricks, since I would have needed to buy 3 boxes at $20 each and then another $30 in fuel round trip to pick up the bricks. As long as the bricks I bought show up unbroken, then I'll be OK.

Ed

 

[jjs777_fzr]

Coaly - the diagram you listed for the firebrick layout does not show the second tier of bricks. I've also seen some other posts that hinted there was no second tier on the baby bear (on the both sides - on top the first coarse).
The baby bear I have - which a little old lady owned since new - till I got it (likley excluding any modifications) has this second tier of bricks. Looks oem since there is angle iron on both sides near the top to secure them.
Just wondering if you've also come across this on the bb.
I suppose if some bb stoves do not have the upper angle iron to secure the second tier it wouldnt do much good to add them - but if the angle iron is there then I'd recommend they make sure they get fitted.
My stove is dated 1979.
You can see the second coarse of bricks in this photo - three bricks per side - and barely seen is the angle iron that secures it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v206/jjs777_fzr/Wood_Stoves/100_3215.jpg

 

[coaly]

The brick layout page photo is taken from a 5/9/77 revision drawing. Mama and Papa drawings from 1977 show an upper course, but not Baby by that date. Most stoves built did not have the upper course, don't know when there was a revision to the Baby Bear including them. Adding to the mass is good, but Baby having such a small firebox to start with cuts down even more on cubic inch area. For protection purposes, the upper course with such a small fire isn't necessary.