Everything Fisher

[BillsWS]

Did any of the Fisher manufactures transition to building stoves that were EPA certified? It would be interesting to see a "flow chart" of offshoots from the original Fisher manufactures, what companies they created and where they are today (or IF they are today).

 

[coaly]

I should say "it's beyond the scope of this thread", but it has crossed my mind.
Wayne would probably know a few off the top of his head; Since you read the book, these guys will be familiar to you; (broken link removed to http://www.northweststoves.ca/pdf/newsletters/02-07.pdf) They are still in business and hold the current trademark of the Fisher logo as seen on my avatar belt buckle. They actually pay to keep it current !

I only remember it being ironic that Fisher being the one who started UL and DEQ testing never had an EPA passed model.

Here's a list of EPA stoves made today. Much like geneology, you would have to research each company back to see if it's beginning roots were from one of the many Fisher clones. Who knows if someone like Sigman, (who worked for Barb Jorgensen, in Washington) who started the Sigman Stove later stayed in the business with an approved stove. And much like geneology, the females last name changes ! Barb is remarried with a different last name today, so what if she and her new husband were still in the stove business? (and you didn't know his name researching the stove company owners) Even the Huntsman was made by Atlanta Stove Works, so there were some big manufacturers copying Fisher. Remember Fisher International was not only in the US. Canada, England and New Zealand all produced the stoves.
(broken link removed to http://www.epa.gov/Compliance/resources/publications/monitoring/caa/woodstoves/certifiedwood.pdf)

If the EPA Certification is comparable to the Clean Air Authorisation #N0022 I guess you can call this company "related".

(broken link removed)
Fisher Stoves. An idea New Zealand is warming up to. :roll:

 

[gator]

Good afternoon, I am new to this posting however, i have just been given a Grandma Bear Fisher stove (but have yet to install it) and have a question. The stove is in very good shape only rust it had was surface from and old kettle or pan. My question is i have wire brushed it off and sanded the rest of the surface to apply high temp stove paint. With that said what is the best product to use after sanding to ensure my surface is clean of dust etc and will take paint well. This looks to be 70ties stove (after doing some reading ) it has no arch in the fisher name and has the two trees in the middle of the double doors close together as well as stars. Thank you for any help to this newbie

p.s. it looks exactly like BillsWS stove Thank you

 

[coaly]

Welcome to the Forum;
Grandma will also take 5 bricks across the back, Grandpa takes 6. 1976 if it has a 76 in the star on the right door. If only stars, '77 before the stars were removed.
I wipe them down with Mineral Spirits, or Coleman Fuel. (Naptha) Then just before painting Laquer Thinner. That evaporates any residue that anything may leave behind. I'd imagine the Spirits are good enough.
Here's the two comparison pics I should have posted to show the difference.

 

[gator]

Thank you very much for the quick response ! I am thrilled to have this stove...I know they are not the best as far as amount of wood you would burn however I love the look of them. If i wanted to have the fisher name in white would i still need to have the high heat or would the black high heat paint that i am spraying over the name be ok and I could put perhaps and enamel paint over the already painted letters. The stove is a top vented stove 10 inch, can i put a reducer on and bring it down to and 8 inch pipe that would run out of my roof... ( I have a lower room that has a cathedral ceiling that i want to go right out of, with maybe a 45 degree bend to miss the ridge of the roof. Thank you again for your response.

 

[CamFan]

I have to admit, as many square door grandmas and granpas I have handled moved or whatever I have never noticed the trees closer on the grandma. We just knew from the size of them what they were and did not have to look for something like that to tell the difference. I looked at the two posted and said....well I won't say what I said.
It is fun to learn something new every day. Thanks Coaly!

 

[coaly]

All paint on the stove must be high temperarture paint. You can get spray cans for engines and manifolds to do the high lighting in silver. Or spray it in a cup, and brush it on where you want it.

10 inch across the outlet ?? I've seen a couple Bear Series single door stoves that should have 6 inch increased to 8, but never a 8 in a Fireplace Series increased to 10. If it does measure 10 inches across the outlet, you have something strange. I'll PM you. Maybe you can get pics sent to my email address. Need to see this to identify it. We'll discuss proper pipe clearances as well. I try to keep this thread for Fisher Stove details, not installation and code info.

 

[coaly]

I have to admit, as many square door grandmas and granpas I have handled moved or whatever I have never noticed the trees closer on the grandma. We just knew from the size of them what they were and did not have to look for something like that to tell the difference. I looked at the two posted and said....well I won't say what I said.
It is fun to learn something new every day. Thanks Coaly!

It's easy to tell when you have the stove. That's the best way in a picture. A Papa and Mama can look the same in a picture since you don't know how far away the pic was taken. And the door's are the same......

Since receiving those prints, I learned why the cook tops, upper and lower are the same ! If one side gets marred in bending, or has damage, it's reversable and can be flipped over to weld together good side up ! That notation is on the prints.

 

[CamFan]

We could not make one cut pattern for the sides tho. If I was bending tops one day I could set a stop wrong and I am talking about 1/8" then the welders would complain and the stoves would not be as tight as they needed to be. Another guy could bend tops and there can be 1/8" difference in tape measures so when we cut tops we would cut and bend 50 or 100 and then the sides needed. Then we would set up a pattern torch for each set of tops and they would be fine. You are right about the metal and flaws or damage from the breaks. But to the best I can remember the grandma was the only reversable top. I think the lower level of the top was longer thant the top level. Now I have to look at a new top I have. It was bent using the sheet I talk about next. I have an original sheet that gave all of the measurements for each top and we kept them on the break. When one got messed up we put a new sheet up. The drawings you have are early ones so maybe along the way that changed. There is another thing to find out. When did the tops change on the forming? Or did Carl and Ed change it on their own. Or am I wrong cause I was a long time ago and I have not bent a top in 20 years? oh well

 

[coaly]

Looked up the prints for you. I saw the notation on a revision 7/18/77 Grandpa showing the same upper and lower surface dimension (10 15/16) noted to flip for best side up. Before that, the upper surface was larger than the lower. I thought it was the other way around too. All Bear Series drawings I have show a larger upper surface than the lower. Measuring the Mama and Papa I have here, both upper and lower are the same. So I have to assume they revised all models to be the same size later, and be reversible.
The 3 piece top is smaller in the rear, that's where it's stuck in our heads how a stove "should" be built.

 

[mla181]

Coaly, do u have a manual for my stove? Showing heat shields moving to the ul designation.

 

[coaly]

Already in HearthWiki at top of this page. Go to OLD manual; This should be the one for your stove.
Heat shields didn't start until later, on the Listed models with wrap around corners. The tags were attached to the shield. (not your model) See pictures below;
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/Fisher_Stoves/

 

[fordss]

I am just about to install my fisher mama bear stove as soon as I get the baffel plate and I was wondering if I should install a damper in the pipe or not?

 

[james1972]

Hello Coaly,

I'm James from Devon in the UK, I've acquired a Fisher Stove and can't work out which model it is! I initially thought it was a Grandma Bear, but not I'm sure now, as it seems a bit small for a Grandma. It's 23" wide 26.5" tall 18" deep and has 601 MH-L/R on the inside of the doors, it also has an single M on the inside of the doors.

I saw it on eBay locally, and got for £120 sterling. The chap I bought it off had no idea what it was. It was in the house when he bought it 20 yrs ago, he thought it came from Sweden!

I've cleaned it up a bit, and given it a coat of paint, I love the way it looks and it certainly belts out the heat.

In it's new home..

Thanks James

 

[coaly]

Manual says no, personal preference says yes. They covered themselves in case someone would run it closed constantly and load the chimney up rapidly. You have to use common sense and burn it hot with it open after idling down overnight. I have a very good drafting straight up insulated chimney. I feel I need one. Soon after starting with kindling, I close it half way. We cook on it a lot and I couldn't imagine using it without. If your chimney increases in size from the stove outlet, you may not need one. I built correct size chimneys for the appliances and run them closed overnight with no problems. They are required on double door stoves.

 

[coaly]

Hi James, and welcome to the Forum.
I'm only familiar with the North American stoves. England and New Zealand were a part of Fisher International and I only have some names of the licensees in the US that went abroad to start operations there. In the states, the control of the company went from Vic Construction to the Kings, and back to the Fishers. There were so many changes and additions to the line, I've only concentrated on the North American businesses.

The stove dimensions became smaller when they went to the bent corners in 1980. Is the 23" size the box , or the measurement across the top? The top plate should measure 25 1/2 and the box 23 1/2 for a Grandma III. (your doors and box style is III or after)
Door opening should be 17 wide X 10 1/2 high for a GM III.

Your door markings are the same as on a Goldilocks. "Mobile Home" is the MH in the US. But..... Goldilocks doors are only drilled for a 1/2" bolt, no air holes are cast in the doors like GM doors. The Goldilocks box is 21 1/2 wide with a 23 1/2 wide top plate. It looks like a Goldilocks or Teddy Bear box (both pedestal stoves) with legs.

It's difficult finding old license owners and distributers here, and I've found none overseas. I was extremely lucky to have Camfan find this site who married into the family that owned the Georgia fabrication plant. These original prints are the only documented measurements I've found. They could be completely different over there. Page 7 Post #239 of this thread shows a stove from Dorset, England similar to yours in pedestal form. There was one other poster with what looked like a Honey Bear with abnormaties to us. If you guys could start a thread for Fisher owners over there, it would be great. Same for New Zealand owners. It takes other owners to visit the thread and offer manuals and build on the info.

 

[james1972]

Thanks for the reply Coaly, 23" is across the top, and the box opening is 17" x 10.5", seems like a bit of a mixture! I saw the pedestal one from Dorset, not far away from me, very similar indeed, may well have originally come form the same supplier.

 

[warburtonplayer]

Has anyone ever done a ceramic coating on a fisher if so any pictures. Also How far away from the wall should a baby bear be to be safe?

 

[coaly]

If it's an unlisted stove (without UL tag) NFPA 211 Standard gives 36 inches for any untested stove. The standard also gives options for reduced clearances using a 24 ga. metal shield, cement board with brick facing or both for a total reduction to 12 inches. Stove pipe clearance becomes the factor with 18" to combustibles for single wall pipe, 12 inches for double wall pipe. So with a rear vent, you would be held to clearance due to pipe.

Stove Bright Satin is as high tech as I get, trying to keep them original. I have some early ads that called the finish; "Available in; Chocolate Brown or Charcoal Black". That's 'Bark Brown' or 'Satin Black' today.

 

[webbie]

Has anyone ever done a ceramic coating on a fisher if so any pictures. Also How far away from the wall should a baby bear be to be safe?

An enamel finish would probably not hold up on the heavy steel stoves.....

However, a powder coat using the proper powder would. Stove bright makes some high temp powders...so if anyone has a good friend with a large powder coat oven and want to try...it should work!

 

[BillsWS]

I notice on the inside of the right door, there are two protruding cylindrical projections into the firebox (with the door closed). Anyone know what these are?

 

[coaly]

Door handle stops. They prevent the handle from spinning all the way around on the early doors. They were dropped later allowing the doors to lay flat for easier shipping too.
Another later type stop is shown below welded on the handle.

Later a worker for Bob; Harold Bitler designed the newer latch requiring the upward motion, open the door slightly, contacts back of latch, then lower the handle to fully open. This motion gives a second or two time lapse in opening the door to allow air to move toward stack instead of spilling inside.
Patent is found here; http://www.patentbuddy.com/Patent/Profile/4236501/4861600

The amazing thing about Bob is as others perfected his invention, he would allow them to patent their own inventions to further advance themselves instead of taking credit for it. (and allow them royalties on their invention) This latch design is referenced in other patents such as door latches, tailgate latches, grills, ovens, all due to making a latch with a natural time lapse in opening.

A latch for a door of a substantially airtight solid-fuel stove, whose operation requires that before full opening of the stove door can be accomplished the door be positioned in a partially opened position while the latch is being manipulated. A latch dog normally engages a wedge to hold the door fully closed, and a limit stop allows a first rotation of the latch mechanism to disengage the dog from the wedge but prevents rotation sufficient to allow the latch dog to clear the edge of the doorway opening. A space defined between the wedge and the front of the stove permits the latch dog to pass between the wedge and the front of the stove during a second rotation of the latch mechanism, in the opposite direction, to a position allowing full opening of the stove door. During this second motion of the latch mechanism the door is partially opened, allowing sufficient air to enter the combustion chamber to establish normal convective draft currents and prevent backpuffing and expulsion of smoke and flame.

 

[BillsWS]

Thanks Coaly. When I see handles that are not level (symmetrical) with the doors closed (double doors) has the rod bent (from heat) or is there some other reason?

 

[coaly]

Yes, the 1/2" rod needs to be bent slightly inside to tighten against the door wedge so the handles stop at the same angle. Wear of the rod or wedge can change the angle over time. It should be heated to be bent, otherwise it may not hold the adjustment and relax back to where it was.

 

[BillsWS]

"otherwise it may not hold the adjustement and relax back to where it was."

LOLOLOL I must say this a hundred times a week I'm a chiropractor!