Bought a Grandpa Bear Today

[Todd67]

I couldn't pass it up. It came with a full cord of seasoned firewood for $350. Real nice couple sold it because of the rising cost of cordwood in their area.



I rented a 6'x12' utility trailer with ramp because there was no way to get the stove and wood home in one load in my pickup truck.

They gave me a Vonhaus 4 blade woodstove fan, which is working like a champ on our Mama Bear right now. It came with the round thermometer as well.



This Grandpa Bear has an odd (odd to me) one-piece bottom plate that extends from the rear of the stove to the front of the ash fender. How common is this design? Could it be a Hesston-made stove? I haven't found any markings on the stove yet. I can't check the rear because it is still resting back down on my cart.



I was getting ready to leave their house when they yelled for me to wait, "We almost forgot to give you this..."

It wasn't listed in the for sale ad with the stove, so it caught me completely off guard

Insert drum roll here...
Fade to angels playing harps here...
Fade to coaly here...

 

[CamFan]

Great buy! Are the legs tapered at the bottom? 2-3 inches. I’ve never seen that and Heston made them for us too! They always tapered the legs.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[coaly]

I want to know what you said when you saw that screen.

I wonder if Timberline is built like that with a one piece bottom?
Is the vent pipe welded inside or out?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Todd67]

Great buy! Are the legs tapered at the bottom? 2-3 inches. I’ve never seen that and Heston made them for us too! They always tapered the legs.

The legs are tapered about 3". This pic of the bottom plate near the left front leg shows a saw-cut on the bottom plate. This type of cut is also near the right front leg.



It's the best pic I could get last night with my cell phone.

 

[CamFan]

That is different. I’ve never seen one done like that. Where I worked they welded “boxes” spring and summer. They stacked them about 8 high until orders came in. Then they hung doors, vented and finished them. Ready for shipping. With the ash pan built like yours they would not stack like they did. Interesting!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Todd67]

I want to know what you said when you saw that screen.

I wonder if Timberline is built like that with a one piece bottom?
Is the vent pipe welded inside or out?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When I saw that screen, my mind was racing with many thoughts, such as,
"is this really what I think it is?
"Am I daydreaming?
Should I tell coaly? Yes, I have to tell coaly!
Oh crap, my wife will want this Grandpa installed in the house so she can see the fire!
But my Mama Bear chimney is only a 6" class A stainless chimney. It needs an 8" for using the screen."

All of these thoughts and more, in just mili-seconds. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. In my mind it sounded like a group of people all trying to talk at the same time

Then, when she was close enough for me to see that it was in fact a screen, I thought (as if answering my own question, "it's a screen!"
Then she handed it to me and I said "thank you."

As I stood there, looking it over it (now speechless), she said, "this goes on the front of the stove so you can see the fire." (Insert angels playing harps again)

I told her "thank you" again.

I put it on my back seat of my truck, and put the seat belt around it (kidding).

I was in a state of shock and disbelief when I saw that screen!

I have to look at the stove later this morning to see if the vent pipe is welded on the inside or outside.

Changing gears here, my 76 Grandma bear doesn't have a one piece bottom, and it has the welders initials on the bottom. The ash fender stops at the inside edge of the legs.


On the Grandpa, the ash fender extends to the outside edge of the legs, which is also strange to me.

 

[Todd67]

That is different. I’ve never seen one done like that. Where I worked they welded “boxes” spring and summer. They stacked them about 8 high until orders came in. Then they hung doors, vented and finished them. Ready for shipping. With the ash pan built like yours they would not stack like they did. Interesting!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the insight into how you guys built these in Georgia! Stacking them 8 high makes it sound like you built a LOT of stoves, which I'm sure you did.

 

[Todd67]

The couple that sold me this Grandpa Bear had it for 20 years. It was sitting on their fireplace hearth with a chimney liner up through their chimney.

The stove and firewood filled up this 6'x12' trailer.

 

[Todd67]

I just replaced the pic of the front left leg above with a clearer picture (in post #4).

 

[CamFan]

Thanks for the insight into how you guys built these in Georgia! Stacking them 8 high makes it sound like you built a LOT of stoves, which I'm sure you did.

During t cold months they built 100 per shift and ran 3 shifts at times. They would get 120,000 lbs of steel a week when busy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Todd67]

Wow! That's a very large number of stoves, considering how "mild" the winters are there compared to the colder northern states.

 

[Todd67]

The stove appears to have a one-piece back & front.

The stove is still laying on it's back on my cart, but where the back plate meets the bottom plate, it is one continuous bent piece. There are no heat shields on the stove.

Has anyone ever seen or heard of the back and bottom being one piece like this? I worked all day today, and I work all day tomorrow. I won't be able to stand the stove up until Wednesday at the earliest.

I haven't found any markings on the stove yet, so I am very curious to know if there are any markings on the back, which is the only side I haven't checked yet.

The rear vent in not welded on the inside.

 

[coaly]

I didn't think it would be welded inside making it a Hesston stove. It would have matched everything they made there.

I'm interested to find out if the Timberlines were made that way. I'm guessing it could be one of their ideas while they were still producing Fishers and when they lost their license (Cal Cotton NY) and became Timberline, they very well could have continued to make them the same way. Then you'll know if it was one of their stoves.

 

[Todd67]

I didn't think it would be welded inside making it a Hesston stove. It would have matched everything they made there.

I'm interested to find out if the Timberlines were made that way. I'm guessing it could be one of their ideas while they were still producing Fishers and when they lost their license (Cal Cotton NY) and became Timberline, they very well could have continued to make them the same way. Then you'll know if it was one of their stoves.

That's a good point about Timberline. I will post on here as soon as I can inspect the back of the stove for markings, which should be no later than wednesday.

On another note, my Papa shipped out Friday (2 days ago). YRC has my contact info and is supposed to contact me when it arrives. I don't have any tracking information (I wish I did).

 

[coaly]

YRC shipped both of mine from the West Coast and was very fair.

 

[Todd67]

I hope YRC didn't charge him more than they quoted him. He was asking a fair price for the stove, and he didn't mention how much the shipping actually was. Sometimes it's different from the quote.

Do you have any idea if the stoves that we're made in Bob's shop had any markings on them? I'm curious to find out if the Papa was made in Bob's shop in Springfield.

 

[Desmond]

Jeez Todd.. What will you do now? Doesn't the papa bear complete your set ?

 

[Todd67]

Jeez Todd.. What will you do now? Doesn't the papa bear complete your set ?

If you asked me that question two months ago I would've said yes. But it's starting to look like my "Fisher Family Tree" might branch out to include another one with a 3-piece top (slim chance, I know), maybe a pedestal stove (Teddy or Honey Bear?), maybe a 76 Grandpa to match my 76 Grandma, but no fireplace insert.

Maybe I can open a Fisher Stove petting zoo

I might be suffering from a rare condition called Fisheritis

On a serious note, I would consider a Papa Bear with a square door and 1-piece top, but not anytime soon. I like the pre-1979 Fisher's. I haven't paid more than $300 for any of my Fisher stoves, and I've never asked the sellers to lower their asking price.

 

[Todd67]

I took a picture of the back of the stove while it is still laying on the cart. But it shows the bend from rear to bottom. The rear vent is at the top of the pic. The rear/bottom bend is at the bottom of the pic.

 

[Todd67]

The previous owners of this Grandpa Bear confirmed with me that the stove was never modified or repaired during the last 20 years when they owned and used it.

Which begs the questions, who made it, and where?

 

[CamFan]

I have no clue. We made one where the back and bottom and ash pan were one piece. It was a TF-88 designed by ken something in Eugene Oregon. It was an attempt for an Epa approved stove.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Todd67]

I have no clue. We made one where the back and bottom and ash pan were one piece. It was a TF-88 designed by ken something in Eugene Oregon. It was an attempt for an Epa approved stove.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's exactly what this Grandpa Bear has, one solid piece that makes up the rear, bottom & ash fender. The rear plate is bent 90 degrees at the bottom to form the "bottom" plate, and continues forward to form the ash fender/tray.

I'll get the stove off the cart tomorrow and on it's legs so I can check the back of the stove for markings.

 

[Don H]

Could be a rare prototype. Don't chop the back off!

 

[CamFan]

Could be a rare prototype. Don't chop the back off!

Could be a prototype or a fabricator that made his own stove with stolen doors.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Todd67]

Could be a rare prototype. Don't chop the back off!

Funny you mention that... I was planning to make an XL out of it. Go big or go home