Hi ,new to this forum. I just picked up a BK ktj304 from a neighbour who ran it for years. He bought a new one. When I look into the stovepipe opening in the top (8”) you can see right into the fire box. What’s missing? Is there a baffle I can install or can I run it like this. Thanks
Blaze King ktj304
- Thread starter dave dunaway
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Blazzinghot
Feeling the Heat
Thank you, that’s some good information I didn’t have. It still doesn’t show what is directly below the flue opening. I’m sure something is missing, however my friend ran it for years like this.
Blazzinghot
Feeling the Heat
If the stove had a baffle there would be some sign of an angle iron shelf on the back side of the stove. Or some old welds where it used to be. It would not hurt to install a baffle of 1/4 inch steel. It would keep the fire from going straight up the flu. Many of the older BlazeKings did have baffle installed.
Ok , I think I’ll put a baffle in. If anyone has a picture of one inside their stove I’d love to see it. Thanks for your response
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Most here probably have no idea what a KTJ304 is, as (I think) they're about 40 years old now. This is a pre-catalytic stove, and the cross-section in the manual does indicate it's just a wide open box, open to the chimney, if we put any faith in that sketch.
Do note the manual calls out inspecting the chimney TWICE per month, and cleaning if necessary. The capitalization of TWICE comes right from the manual, that wasn't me. By comparison, most of us today are running stoves that could go a few years between cleaning, although a yearly inspection is always recommended.
Paging @BKVP, he may be able to help, but I'd really consider ditching that antique and finding something better, if you can swing the budget. They've improved an awful lot in the 40 years since that model was popular.
Do note the manual calls out inspecting the chimney TWICE per month, and cleaning if necessary. The capitalization of TWICE comes right from the manual, that wasn't me. By comparison, most of us today are running stoves that could go a few years between cleaning, although a yearly inspection is always recommended.
Paging @BKVP, he may be able to help, but I'd really consider ditching that antique and finding something better, if you can swing the budget. They've improved an awful lot in the 40 years since that model was popular.
Thanks for all the replies. I would love to have a newer model, but my budget is tight at the moment. The stove is going into my shop so it won’t be running full time like a house unit. I’ll just light it up in the morning and let it go out when I’m finished working. I’m retired so not in the shop everyday.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
It could actually work pretty well, in that scenario, as you'll likely be running it a little harder to bring a cold shop up to temperature. It's when you damp these old things down that they foul up a chimney, as they don't have any secondary burn system to clean up the exhaust. Burning a little hotter and faster is ideal, for these.
Aside from checking for completeness, you may want to start watching and reading threads in the Classics part of this forum. The guys hanging out over there are the ones who can tell you how to set up and run an older stove like this, for best efficiency and least chimney fouling.
BKVP
Minister of Fire
Overseas, sorry. No baffles were in that model. You can see brick through flue collar.
BKVP
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