Globe Ray Boy Wood Stove efficiency improvement

[DriscollFarm92]

I have an old Globe Ray Boy wood stove circa 1920's. I grew up with one of these and was lucky enough to acquire one, I remember it being a real workhorse in heating a home.

That being said, I have not installed this stove or used it yet. The fire box has no refractory in it and I am a little concerned about efficiency. Does anyone here have any experience with improving the efficiency of these old stoves or stoves with a similar shaped firebox?

 

[bholler]

I have an old Globe Ray Boy wood stove circa 1920's. I grew up with one of these and was lucky enough to acquire one, I remember it being a real workhorse in heating a home.

That being said, I have not installed this stove or used it yet. The fire box has no refractory in it and I am a little concerned about efficiency. Does anyone here have any experience with improving the efficiency of these old stoves or stoves with a similar shaped firebox?

Well its a coal stove not a wood stove. It will never be an efficient woodstove. And should not be used without the refractory bricks for either

 

[DriscollFarm92]

Well its a coal stove not a wood stove. It will never be an efficient woodstove. And should not be used without the refractory bricks for either

I wondered if I would get some reply's saying that. Pretty sure it can handle both fuels. 40+ years of burning wood in the Ray Boy I grew up with never created any issues.

 

[DriscollFarm92]

I should clarify that my main objective is to install some refractory to the firebox. But I have never done with a curved box or "pot". Does anyone have any suggestions on how best to add some refractory?

 

[bholler]

I wondered if I would get some reply's saying that. Pretty sure it can handle both fuels. 40+ years of burning wood in the Ray Boy I grew up with never created any issues.

Yes people burn wood in coal stoves pretty often. But they simply do not burn wood efficiently. Wood and coal need very different things to burn efficiently.

 

[bholler]

I should clarify that my main objective is to install some refractory to the firebox. But I have never done with a curved box or "pot". Does anyone have any suggestions on how best to add some refractory?

You will need to make forms and pour them out of castable refractory cement.

 

[DriscollFarm92]

You will need to make forms and pour them out of castable refractory cement.

Would this be for inserting inside of the firebox?

 

[bholler]

Would this be for inserting inside of the firebox?

Yes. These stoves always had refractory brick above the Shaker grates to protect the metal of the stove

 

[DriscollFarm92]

How should I secure the refractory once inside the stove?

 

[DriscollFarm92]

Yes. These stoves always had refractory brick above the Shaker grates to protect the metal of the stove

Do you think it would be ok to fasten some sheet metal to each shaker grate in order to allow coals to build up better?

 

[EbS-P]

Would this be for inserting inside of the firebox?

Yes. I’d be inclined to see if I could cut the corners off regular firebricks for a wood stove and then make a retainer of angle iron that would hold them in at their tops to make the back/sides

 

[DriscollFarm92]

Yes. I’d be inclined to see if I could cut the corners off regular firebricks for a wood stove and then make a retainer of angle iron that would hold them in at their tops to make the back/sides

Maybe this is naive but would it not work to just trowel on extreme temperature cement to the inside of the firebox?

 

[Murray01]

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Would this work?

 

[EbS-P]

Maybe this is naive but would it not work to just trowel on extreme temperature cement to the inside of the firebox?

no it’s really just ment to mortar joints. Again just stacking stove bricks and mortaring them in place would be better than just a coat of the high temp mortar/cement . One could just pour castable refractory in place with a cardboard mold. It’s going to be more fragile than stove bricks. That probably what i I would do. Using poster board and masking tape. Let it set and just fire it to burn out all the cardboard and tape.

 

[EbS-P]

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Updated Ceramic Fiber Blanket Insulation 2600F Baffle Fire Blanket for Stoves, Furnace, Kilns, Fire Bricks, Boilers, Kilns, Blacksmithing (white, S) : Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement

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Would this work?

Not really. It’s not very sturdy.

 

[bholler]

no it’s really just ment to mortar joints. Again just stacking stove bricks and mortaring them in place would be better than just a coat of the high temp mortar/cement . One could just pour castable refractory in place with a cardboard mold. It’s going to be more fragile than stove bricks. That probably what i I would do. Using poster board and masking tape. Let it set and just fire it to burn out all the cardboard and tape.

The problem with that is there would be no room for expansion and contraction. If doing that you should probably put cardboard down first. Then a layer of castable while its still somewhat soft lay stainless mesh in it then do inner forms and pour the rest

 

[EbS-P]

The problem with that is there would be no room for expansion and contraction. If doing that you should probably put cardboard down first. Then a layer of castable while its still somewhat soft lay stainless mesh in it then do inner forms and pour the rest

Good points!

 

[DriscollFarm92]

Good points!

I this idea but I'm not sure how I would go about pouring this inside the stove. I guess I'm a little unclear about how to make these custom forms unless they are in pieces and can be disassembled. I suppose cutting arcs in fire brick to fit my curved firebox would be what I'd try but I am a bit intimated by boring a hole in the firebox in order to bolt on angle iron to hold the brick in place.

 

[bholler]

I this idea but I'm not sure how I would go about pouring this inside the stove. I guess I'm a little unclear about how to make these custom forms unless they are in pieces and can be disassembled. I suppose cutting arcs in fire brick to fit my curved firebox would be what I'd try but I am a bit intimated by boring a hole in the firebox in order to bolt on angle iron to hold the brick in place.

You would basically be using the stove as a base for your forms. You would still put dividers in so they were seperate pieces or they will just break as one. Regardless you still have a 100 year old coal stove that was never meant for wood and will never be efficient burning wood.