Baby Bear identifier

[rordone]

Just pick up a Baby bear off of craigslist in Alaska for a killer deal. Trying to find out more info about it. I know its a baby bear because of the single inlet. The door says PAT PEND, has a interesting knob on the handle that i don't see on many and the inlet caps aren't like the normal ones i seen. I saw on another post that the ball handle is one of the more original ones, possibly a collectible. I don't know much about the stoves but have been trying to track down more info on other post but cant seem to find much on the ball handle and finless inlet. I pulled out the fire bricks and in one of the photos you can see them, says made in canada i think.

Attached are the photos, i Just wire wheeled the entire thing and searched multiple times for a stamp or welding mark but cant find any. I just Texted the seller and asked him about it, and just waiting to get a response from him.


Any info would be helpful, also 2 cracks on the back, and idea how to repair?

 

[No Neck Shrek]

I can't tell you a lot about yourBaby except that the body is steel, so it can be repaired by welding it. You need to research here about installing a baffle, a baffle will make your stove burn cleaner and put out more heat as well as redirect the folw insde the stove to prevent the cracking in the back, and for paint you should use Stove Bright Satin Black. You can get replacement 4 fin draft caps from Barr Castings made from the original molds .

Coaly is the resident expert on these stove, he'll be able to tell you more, I'm just repeating what I've learned from him. Good Luck ! Nice Find !

 

[rordone]

Yeah i was reading about installing a baffle, ill definalty do that once i put in new fire bricks. not sure on the sive of the baffle but im sure i can find more information in the forums.

Thanks!

 

[coaly]

Welcome to the Forum;
The first doors were flat with no trees and the tops were made with 3 pieces instead of being bent. They had the chrome ball handle and pipe cap damper as made for yours. The doors were made thicker and trees added to prevent cracking and Bob Fisher's dad invented the finned damper to stay cooler and be operated by your foot. The handle was changed to a spring to stay cooler as well. Near the end of '74 is an article in the Register Guard (OR) about how the Baby Bear was 'born". So yours is an early one AFTER only the door change, probably late 1974 or early1975. Only a number in weld on the bottom would give you an idea of manufacture in order IF it was a fabricator that used that system. (PA and GA in the US)
Your draft damper is quite rough. A hole was drilled in the pipe cap center and the bolt "plug welded" on the outside of cap, then supposed to be ground smooth before painting. The ball handle and pipe cap damper make it time period correct.
Stop drill the end of cracks with 1/8 drill bit. (drill hole beyond crack so it breaks into hole and stops. the radius of the hole prevents the crack from spreading) Groove the crack and weld. Not an issue.
The baffle prevents the intense heat from fatigue in the area around the outlet as well.
Here's a pic of the only older door type than yours that wasn't used too long and original draft damper;



Can you tell as you're removing paint if it was an even coat sprayed, or are there brush marks showing heavier spots? Originally the first stoves were brushed as pictured above. That is in my collection from Idaho. They only cracked between holes on the double vent Mama / Papa door. I wouldn't use any with that type door. Yours is a collectable or user if you need to. Normal use won't hurt it.

 

[coaly]

There were not many fabricators in Canada when your stove was built. Bob started his first shop in June of '74 and the first license he sold to make Fisher Stoves was to two Canadians interested in making them, Paul Zyri and Claudio Querin from British Columbia. That solidified his idea of selling licenses to make his stove. Yours is likely one of theirs.

Early Canadian fabricators were;
Fisher Stove Works, Ltd. (North Vancouver, B.C)
With licensed territory of; Western British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Northwest Territories.

Okanagan Stoves, Ltd. (Burnaby, British Coumbia)
Licensed territory for; Eastern British Columbia.

E.B.I. Industries, Inc. (Cambridge, Ontario)
With licensed territory of; Ontario, Atlantic Provinces, Quebec, Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont.

These were later broken up into smaller territories.

Here's a news article with some info and major names that influenced the Canadian market;
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...J&pg=2903,3563399&dq=fisher-stove-works&hl=en

 

[coaly]

Size and angle of baffle depends on your chimney, fuel, and other factors. (connector pipe, etc.)