Fisher Stoves in England - UK

[NicktheBrit]

Hello

I hope someone can help me with this stove (from reading this forum I think its a Grandpa Bear) - I am writing this from - Herefordshire the most rural county in England UK - This picture was taken in our local pub - the Pandy Inn in Dorstone Herefordshire (A great place to stay and serves a good pint of beer)! - I have been asked to carry out some maintenance on the stove and no one knows much about it, we think it was installed some time around 1980 (Not sure about this date) does anyone know if there was ever any UK licences to make them here or could it have been an import? - It still works great and sits in the restaurant / bar keeping it nice and cosy - but could do with some new bricks and if anyone knows how to get / make the Handel springs that would be great!

I am new to this forum (if fact I am new to forums of any sort - this is my first post ever - so hope i've got it right)! Thanks for you help - Nick

 

[webbie]

Welcome to the forums!

Coaly and a few other guys are the resident Fisher experts! I'm sure he'll be around to give you some history or info on it.
That's amazing....that these stoves are everywhere!

 

[NicktheBrit]

It's great to find out so much about the the stoves (I read the "Fisher Stove Story" last night) and all the stuff on this forum is just amazing!! - Thank you to everyone who contributes!! (I also have an interest in masonry stoves - I've experienced them first hand in Eastern Europe).

Thanks again - Webbie - regards to you all from this side of the pond!

 

[coaly]

Hi Nick,

For your first post you did great, even a picture that works. That's better than most !

That stove was made over there, England probably. They were also made in Austrailia and New Zealand. (where they are still in business today) It was mentioned in an old article about the licensee in the states that was going over to start fabrication there, and I can't find it. I know I have it, and I believe it's in one of the many news articles I have to go through.

The stove has Grandma doors, but the box is much larger than a Grandma. Normally the hinge plates are welded on the angle iron corners and the doors come almost to the angle iron.
Grandma stove top width is 25 1/2 inches. Grandpa is 29 1/2.
Stampings of stove numbers along with an abreviation of where it was made are on most US made stoves. Some are stamped on the back, near the top, or written in weld on the bottom. That's the only way I know to determine where it came from. Some are not marked at all.
The largest stove Fisher made was the XL that measures 33 1/2 inches across the top plate. 1978 is the earliest ad for that model I've found. They were made with a 10 inch flue. It would be interesting to find something made in the XL size over there. All the Fisher's that have surfaced in the UK have been a little different than those made in the states.

I have Fisher manuals from the US and Canada, but nothing from over there yet.

 

[NicktheBrit]

Hi Coaly

Thank's for the info - after your message I noticed the letters "GMR" on the back of one of the doors - Grandma? - It makes sense for them to have been fabricated here, we have quite a few good metalworking shops / engineers round here (we have a lot of agricultural machinery to look after) I will continue to hunt around and see if I can find anyone who knows anything more - as I've been writing this I just been told of another Pub locally who may have a Fisher stove installed - so I'll just have to check it out this week. Will get pictures if I can and keep you all posted!

Thank you again.

Regards to all Nick.

 

[coaly]

The other door should be marked GML; for Grand Ma Left and Grand Ma Right.
The handle springs are still common here. Available in plated nickel or brass. They are 3 1/2 inch long for 1/2 inch rod. Woodman's Parts Plus is a division of Woodman Associates Inc. in the US that has them in East Wakefield New Hampshire. They can probably send them if you can't order them at any stove shops there. Their part number is RH-LDN for the silver color (nickel) and RH-LDB for the brass.
(broken link removed)

The cover with Bob Fisher on it in the same picture with the British looking damper handle from the UK is a first !!

Is that a reprint, or the way they were printed there??

 

[NicktheBrit]

Thanks for the information & contact!

I will order some nickel spring handles from Woodmans.

The cover of Bob Fishers book is a copy of the front cover with a bit of information I found on the net about Fisher stoves and asking if any customers of the pub had any info on the origins of the stove.

The damper is another story!

 

[coaly]

I found it;
It was in this news article giving details of the first convention that the book ends with in June 1977, that the names of those responsible for overseas expansion are given. Henry Eaton, the first President taking over for Bob was sending himself to England and the Vice President John Lynn was being sent to "the Far East". These are the two men at the end of "The Fisher Story" that set up this first convention where Bob had to speak. Bob was only a director at that time. John Lynn is also the husband of the author Claudia Lynn.
The end of the article gives some history on Eaton, who would have been the guy responsible for production in England.

Manufacturers of Fisher Stoves to convene in Eugene Thursday
http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...7ITAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mdkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4303,5713689

 

[NicktheBrit]

Great - Thank you!

Interesting to read the article - I bet that was some convention!

Well i've been busy on the search for Fisher stoves here in the UK - last night I took a very wet trip down to another pub near where I live!!

The Bridge Inn @ Michaelchurch Herefordshire UK



There is a road under the water some where - anyway I made it over the foot bridge and into the bar to find this stove........... -




It was in full furnace mode and really kicking out some heat! - so only one thing to do - settle down for a pint, had a very good chat with the landlord (who has only recently bought the pub) and he was very interested to hear about the story of the Fisher stove. The only information I could find out was from a local who thinks it was installed about 20 - 22 years ago.

I was asked if I could get a new one by one of the customers!!

It has a back boiler fitted serving some radiators upstairs (I would be really interested to hear about any back boiler info / specs anyone may have - as the landlord said the existing set up did not work very well).

I will go back and try to get a closer look one morning when the fire is lower to see if I can work out whats going on.

Thank you Coaly for the info and also to Webbie for posting the book about "The Fisher Story" I found it an great read (very straight as it was talking - I Like) and in many ways very inspiring - just shows what can be achieved by one man and a good idea and a lot of hard work!! - I just hope Bob Fisher & his family are doing well! - I think the fact that we have this forum and I am writing this here in England discussing his stoves still working well after all the years - says it all

Regards to all - Nick

 

[coaly]

That stove is an old style box made up until 1980 with square doors available only. In early 1980, the angle iron corners were still in use, and the "Cathedral" arched style door became an option. These were designated Grandma and Grandpa III. Shortly after, the angle iron corners were dropped for a one piece bent corner box during 1980. The square doors were discontinued and by 1981 all Fireplace Series double door stoves were one piece box with Cathedral doors.
All hydro systems were added on by the customer here. Not sure if it was an option there. It's more common to find coils on the back in Europe. Fisher even made a wood boiler there.

Bob turned 70 last year, Carol hits 70 this year. His antique tractor collection is soon to be an agriculture museum, just up the road from where the first stove was built.