Grandma Bear Going Back Home

[SkyHavenFisher]

My off grid dream started over a decade ago. Only recently was I able to start pursuing it. I purchased a piece of land at 8,000ft. 15 miles off the highway. Since I'm 100% certifiable (you can ask anyone of my less than 5 close friends) I announced that I'm going to build a cabin instead of placing a trailer on the lot like most people. I have zero interest in posting up in a trailer. I want to have a wood burning stove. Back story: In 1993 my daughter was born and her mother and I lived in an A Frame. That year the heater went out right before we brought her home. For the next 6mo. I was hustling and gathering and clearing every log I could get my hands on. That pioneer spirt and the need to keep my new born from freezing was something that I felt helped to define the man that I am today. All that being said I felt an over whelming sense of accomplishment from cutting, splitting & burning all that wood. Today I have another daughter (7) and blessed with 3 stepsons. My daughter is my camping buddy and the boys are city boys but want to experience Mountain Life.
Which brings me to why I'm on this this forum; Since it is winter and there is nothing I can do on my lot. I'm preparing for next spring by scanning all the sites for things that can be repurposed and put back into use. I had never heard of a Fisher Stove before. I've seen them but never really put any thought into any brand ever. Last night I was doing research looking for things for the cabin. I see this post on CL Fisher Grandma Bear with Nickel on the doors, there was no picture but the price seemed reasonable for what a new stove cost these days. Hmmm Fisher? I started looking up photos on google. Then History of Fisher stoves and before you know it I am on this Forum and reading all these threads for hours!! I emailed the seller asking for a photo. Within an hour they said they would send me one in the morning. After reading for hours I could barely sleep, what year was it? What design was it? Concerns of if it seals and drafts correctly or if it had been abused. By the time I went to bed I was feeling pretty confident with all the info I obtained from this forum that I would be able to make an informed decision on if I should make an offer and be able to tell that my money was not going to be waisted on something so critical for my cabin.
At around 9am this morning I got the photo and by 10:30 it was on my trailer. Turns out I purchased this stove from the original owner who bought it in '82 and used it as his only source of heat until a few years ago when he was no longer physically able to gather and process wood for it. This year he remodeled his house (Henderson NV) and pulled it out.

I hope everyone finds my 24hr Fisher story interesting. I am completely emotionally invested in this silly stove and my new Fisher Fam.

Special thanks to COALY for all the Info on here.

I know everyone likes the photos so here she is including unloading by myself. and one photo of the Grandma Bears Future home. I will be coming back here for all the restoration tips and eventually the ever important proper installation.

 

[coaly]

Thanks for sharing your experience so far !

I too have an off grid cabin in the Poconos of PA with quite a history.
4 log cabins were brought to PA in kit form by a family in Finland. (I should call them homes since two are 2 bedroom and two are 3 bedroom) The logs came from above the arctic circle where growth is super slow with extremely tight grain. I count 300 years of growth to get these logs having the center core in each to prevent checking and cracking completely through. They are naturally water and insect resistant being so dense. Anyway, I looked at these when they were being built when looking for my first home with my first wife. We decided against it since I was an auto mechanic for VW-Audi at the time and had little experience with higher voltage electric, plumbing and connecting utilities. We needed something finished to move into. Plus the price was quite high for back then. I have since ran my own RV and propane company until retirement over 10 years ago, rent a few homes we pick up needing major renovations, so today building my own is not an issue. (I built my own home starting in 1987)
So these cabins were brought over in 1972, and one of them is on a full basement foundation. That one was far out of our price range when I looked at it being built. It was only roughly put together, unfinished, only a shell when the partners had an argument on the roof of the last one being built. They walked away, loosing the entire Scandinavian style development to Sheriff sale.
Fast forward 40 years, and I contact someone on Craigslist selling a log cabin in the area where I remembered them, describing the one on the full foundation. It was never finished. Boarded up all these years, used as a hoarders storage building, and I bought it on 1/2 acre for 12,000. So that's my pet project finishing without utilities. I found the new windows and doors in crates in the basement, had to backfill by hand since trees have grown up around it......... and of course pulled a Mama Bear from my collection for heat.

What square footage will you be heating with such a large stove?
Barring the need for any building codes, you can probably use a 6 inch chimney if the maximum heat output isn't needed all at once. For cooking and efficiency, the single door stoves are much better. Yours doubles as a fireplace for fire viewing which just as a fireplace reduces efficiency.
The Utah builder was big on the fireplace leg style you have, as well as designing the XL. It looks like you have the larger ball feet used on the XL as well.
Appears to be ready to go as is, no abuse for sure. Only polish the nickel plating with polish for precious metals such as silver, gold, bronze and brass, such as Maas Metal Polish. That also leaves a protective residue to prevent corrosion or staining.

 

[Todd67]

Thanks for sharing your story, congrats on your Fisher stove, and welcome to the forum!

 

[SkyHavenFisher]

Wow what a score! That sounds amazing.

My lot is a 5 acre parcel on a ridge with the top graded off. It is south facing. On the east side it is mostly shrub oak, juniper and some manzanita. (typical of Utah) the west side does have a fair amount of large pines. Unfortunately I wont be harvesting logs from the land. The only exception would be for a very special small project. I have a 5 year plan. Initial occupation with a small hunters cabin. Just a basic shelter. Hopefully I can get that accomplished quickly this next summer. I want to have an shelter in place so I can access by snowmobile next winter and be able to stay overnight. The lot has a decent step down about the mid point. This will give me the opportunity to do a partial subterranean basement/utility and workshop. The cabin will be on top of that with access to the cabin from the upper level & the workshop from the lower. In total I plan on about 800sqft living and 800sqft for the workshop once completed.

There is a small community of folks that have been forever there is only "house" built that was sold. everyone else has forgone any building permitting. All 12v solar and a community natural spring.

I'm 50 miles from the nearest lumber yard and 15 miles off the pavement. The last 5 miles are unmaintained and require 4WD.

If I get lucky maybe I'll find a Baby Bear for the hunters cabin.
If I'm really lucky I'll be able to grab the parcel that is in front/ below me.

In 15yrs my wife and I plan on being as debt free as we can possibly be; living out our days starring at the stars and giving names to all the wildlife.

What does one do with a collection of Wood burners? I collect motorcycles which I catch all kinds of hell every time a get another one, but my go to is there is a bike for every type of road. Or I'm only allowed one woman but there is no limit on motorcycles. Funny thing is it is not my wife that gives me crap!

I'm going to jump on polishing up the Nickel. I noticed the entire door is plated and the black painted on top of the plating. Does anyone ever polish the entire door?

If I understand correctly there were Baby, Mama & Papa Bear models originally, and the XL models (grandpa & grandma) were added by the Utah Manufacturer?

I was excited to find that the original owner had the screen. I would not have thought to ask had I not read how many people were looking for original screens. The owner had to think about it for a min and went to the garage. About 5 mins later he returned with the screen explaining that he had stopped using it because the screen material was falling out. I noted in my research that the original Grandpa Bears had a stainless steel screen with cross shaped cutouts. I'm thinking about replacing my screen with material like that. What are you thoughts on that mod?

We will enjoy using the stove as both, a fire place and a source of heat.

Thank you and everyone on this forum, for all of the info available. I sent a photo of the stove to my buddy that sold me the land and he was beside himself on my find. He doesn't even have one.

 

[Todd67]

Sounds like a good plan for your cabin.

The XL Fisher stove is bigger than the Grandpa Bear, and has a 10" flue. The Grandma and Grandpa are pretty common, but the XL is rare. Coaly has one, and every once in awhile you might see one on eBay for up to $5'000! No thanks.

 

[coaly]

Sounds like a good plan for your cabin.

The XL Fisher stove is bigger than the Grandpa Bear, and has a 10" flue. The Grandma and Grandpa are pretty common, but the XL is rare. Coaly has one, and every once in awhile you might see one on eBay for up to $5'000! No thanks.

Ah, but if you found someone selling a "Grandpa" for $200 and the picture was an XL, would you wipe that smirk off your face driving away, or tell him what he had?

In answer to what you do with a stove collection; I started picking up stoves when they were very cheap to free. (including Buckwalter antique stoves and antique dampers) When I find the same model in better shape, preferably new and unfired, I switch it out. This gives me a collection that is showroom worthy. It also populates my area with my old stoves from the collection that are turned back into users for friends and neighbors. At times I have a waiting list for stoves. I end up searching for them, and many times find what I'm looking for by accident for my own collection. I'm not in it to restore stoves for money, it just happens. Before Bob's death, he was working on plans of an Agricultural museum for his tractor and equipment collection. I visioned my stove collection going there so visitors could see his accomplishments. Now I have what looks like a Fisher Showroom with stoves and parts. What makes the hobby interesting is adding vintage signs, promotional items such as trivets, bears, hats, matchbooks, not to mention manuals and brochures that help many here online.

 

[coaly]

Yes, doors are plated inside and out. The plates on the inside of your doors are optional nickel heat shields. After painting, the raised areas are wiped clean with mineral spirits before firing for final paint cure.
New doors or re-plated before paint look like this. Ugly to me.



Black paint sets off the nickel or brass finish, including the draft caps.

Metallic Brown and Black solid brass, using the same paint, wipe, polish technique.

 

[SkyHavenFisher]

That's very cool! Historical Preservation. Do you have plans for a website to share your collection?

I have to agree about the polished doors. Mine will be a user so a full restoration is unlikely. However maintenance and up keep will be a priority. There are 2 fire bricks that are cracked along the back. They should be ok right? it looks like I would have to remove most of them to replace.

I took a photo of the flue its 8" Would it be best to get a reducer to 6" for the pipe or run 8" straight out? I writing this I realized a double wall would leave you with a 6" interior dia. is this what you mean?

I'm going to polish up the exposed Nickel and see how she looks (pictures to follow). I can see there are areas of nickel that have been completely worn off. Mostly on the coiled spring handles.

I see what you meant about the ball feet Looking on line I haven't seen many with those. Unique to the Utah manufacture I guess. I have family in OR not far from Rosenburg. I will be having a look around that area to see what I can find.


Wish me luck!

 

[SkyHavenFisher]

Sounds like a good plan for your cabin.

The XL Fisher stove is bigger than the Grandpa Bear, and has a 10" flue. The Grandma and Grandpa are pretty common, but the XL is rare. Coaly has one, and every once in awhile you might see one on eBay for up to $5'000! No thanks.

Yes there are some pie in the sky prices out there! Its not much of a hunt just looking on ebay. The chase no matter what you are looking for is the best part. Feels like you won the lottery when you are able to close the deal. I just picked up a 1993 Exciter ll SX Snowmobile with only 2000 miles for $300 in Las Vegas of all places. Talk about a garage find. Sitting covered up for over a decade and a half. It will be fun bringing it back to life.

sorry not stove related I just get excited!

 

[coaly]

Firebricks are fine cracked, ash will pack in the cracks and between them as well. Only when they are missing chunks, exposing metal is it necessary to replace them.

The 8 inch outlet is due to allowing more heat up a larger existing fireplace chimney and prevent smoke roll in during open door operation with screen in place when in Fireplace Mode. The firebox area physically works fine with 6 inch straight up, but codes are written to no longer allow any reduction of venting diameter to prevent anyone from making the vent area smaller than the stove opening. The larger 8 inch flue has more capacity, which you won't need in such a small area, and any newer stove you would want later would require a 6 inch as well.

Double wall pipe as well as double or triple wall chimney goes by inside diameter. So a double wall 6 would be 8 inch OD; 8 inch ID is 10 inch OD. Triple wall chimney 6 inch ID is 10 inch OD; and 8 inch ID is 12 inch OD. So you want double wall 6 chimney on a small building with the smallest OD possible.

Nickel gets harder when heated, so the springs will wear due to the nickel not hardening as it would on door or other hot running stove parts. Of course they are touched more than any other part wearing the finish off as well.

Someday I'll get my vintage Showroom done and share it here.

 

[Draft]

Hi guys! I keep blowing up these threads with my new stoves lol. It's safe to say I have an addiction. I bought this beauty today for a steal in PA from the original owners, and it had been in there home for 30+ years! Grandfather, son and grandson all present talking about this stove but they needed something easier to heat there home as they were in there 80's. They thought it was a grandpa They are looking for the paperwork on it. This XL is in nearly perfect condition. However, I can't find any tags on it, not even any rivets... nothing except the stamped numbers in the left top corner of the stove. Nothing even near the underside legs.
Which stove is more rare, the sun doors or the fir trees? What more info should I know?