I believe it’s the Grandpa series of the fisher stoves. Double arched doors they are missing. Anyone know where to find replacement doors?
Grandpa Bear stove doors
- Thread starter Smakdosh8
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
I can direct you to the person that would have what you need, but I need more information about the stove to be sure of the model. A few people across the country have different doors.
First, I assume there is no UL tag that would have the model marked on the tag.
The door opening size for Grandma will be 17 wide X 10 1/2 inches high. (and uses 5 bricks across the back)
Grandpa door opening will be 21 wide X 11 high. (and uses 6 bricks across the back)
Did you have the doors at one time or what makes you think they were arched top?
Once we know if it is a Grandma or Grandpa, we can figure out if it is a Series I, II or III and which doors it had.
Pictures would help. Glass door stoves had air intakes on the sides of stove, XL is a brick wider than Grandpa and is the only stove body with an arched door opening at the top. If it needs arched top doors, you have a choice of black, nickel or brass plate.
If you never had doors;
If you give me the measurements from center of the top door hinge plate to the center of bottom door hinge plate, I can tell you if it had flat top or Cathedral doors. That is the only way you can tell what it had, the door opening and channel iron (door seal) is the same size opening for flat and arched doors. Only the hinge placement is different.
When you find doors for the correct model, don't expect them to fit on the hinges as welded onto the stove. You can't change doors from one stove to another. There were many patterns at many foundries for doors which are all slightly different. The stove was sat on its back and the doors are placed, centered, on the door seal, closed. The hinge plates were then tacked in place and the doors are tried for operation. If correct, the hinge plates were fully welded. So when changing doors you normally need to cut the hinge plates off and reweld in the proper position for different doors. This is due to the hinge ears on the doors being different from each mold. They will usually bind really nasty and not close, or not be centered on the door seal. Others may not contact the door seal at all. They must make contact in 3 areas all the way around to seal which can only be done by placing the door hinges exactly where they need to be for each door. (while also centered on door seal)
First, I assume there is no UL tag that would have the model marked on the tag.
The door opening size for Grandma will be 17 wide X 10 1/2 inches high. (and uses 5 bricks across the back)
Grandpa door opening will be 21 wide X 11 high. (and uses 6 bricks across the back)
Did you have the doors at one time or what makes you think they were arched top?
Once we know if it is a Grandma or Grandpa, we can figure out if it is a Series I, II or III and which doors it had.
Pictures would help. Glass door stoves had air intakes on the sides of stove, XL is a brick wider than Grandpa and is the only stove body with an arched door opening at the top. If it needs arched top doors, you have a choice of black, nickel or brass plate.
If you never had doors;
If you give me the measurements from center of the top door hinge plate to the center of bottom door hinge plate, I can tell you if it had flat top or Cathedral doors. That is the only way you can tell what it had, the door opening and channel iron (door seal) is the same size opening for flat and arched doors. Only the hinge placement is different.
When you find doors for the correct model, don't expect them to fit on the hinges as welded onto the stove. You can't change doors from one stove to another. There were many patterns at many foundries for doors which are all slightly different. The stove was sat on its back and the doors are placed, centered, on the door seal, closed. The hinge plates were then tacked in place and the doors are tried for operation. If correct, the hinge plates were fully welded. So when changing doors you normally need to cut the hinge plates off and reweld in the proper position for different doors. This is due to the hinge ears on the doors being different from each mold. They will usually bind really nasty and not close, or not be centered on the door seal. Others may not contact the door seal at all. They must make contact in 3 areas all the way around to seal which can only be done by placing the door hinges exactly where they need to be for each door. (while also centered on door seal)
Thank you for the information. I did measure the opening but missed the part about the hinges. 21x 11 roughly is the opening. I will have to get back to the stove to get the other for you.
So you definitely have a Grandpa.
I can't make out the door seal material in the door opening pic. It is either flat 1 inch wide channel iron or 1/2 inch steel round rod. The round rod was only used on the first 1976 and early '77 models. All later models used channel iron. That is the first thing to make sure of.
Round rod used for the first doors only. It is easier to replace rod with channel iron than to find '76 or '77 "Star" doors.
Channel iron used for all later doors. (shown on Grandma)
The flat top door will measure 12.63 inches from bottom of lower hinge ear to bottom of upper hinge ear. The hinge ear is 1 inch thick, so overall from bottom of lower hinge ear to top of upper hinge ear should measure 13.63. This is the exact measurement called for in drawings sent to the foundries. So each pattern and wear in molds varies slightly. Flat doors have hinge ears much closer, so you should be able to tell which doors were on it from those measurements.
Here's the variables of how different fabricators hung doors. Wish I could tell you they all made them by the book, the correct way, each hinge plate UNDER the door hinge ear to support door weight. BUT....... some welded the plates to stove in what I termed the "outboard" fashion, meaning the hinge plates were welded below the lower hinge ear to support door weight and ABOVE the upper hinge ear making them both "outboard" of the door. (not supporting door weight at the top) It was not correct, but yours could be welded there throwing off your measurement. Incorrect placement pictured below;
Not a normal Grandpa, this was made by the Dunn Brothers wider than the normal Grandpa, so these custom hinge plates used by them were used to make GP doors fit a wider stove. These were welded "outboard" so the upper hinge plates are welded 1 inch higher than they should be for these doors. The upper hinge plate should be below the door hinge ear.
Normal hinge plate position.
Either door set can be correct for your body style. Since you would have to move hinge plates for any door, the flat top doors were used from 1976 to 1980. In '79 the Cathedral Door was first made available as an option. So the old style box which you have, originally used the older flat top doors. In 1980, the flat top doors were discontinued and only Cathedral doors were available until end of production in 1988. The confusion comes from most fabricators making the box in the old style with angle iron corners for use on non-combustible hearths at a reduced price of $100 cheaper than the bent corner box that was UL listed with integral rear and bottom shield. So any stove made after 1979 can be of old or new style, but will all have Cathedral arched doors. (and be considered a Series III) ONLY the 1979 model was available in your style with either door. So using flat top doors makes yours look like it was an older pre 1980 model, (called Series I) and using newer arched doors makes it look like the unlisted version made after 1979. (Series III) The listed model with bent corners was also a Series III. Series II was built like the I with optional added shields as a drawing revision in 1977.
Cathedral Doors mounted on old style box like yours, could be 1979 with the "new" optional doors or the cheaper unlisted style made after 1980.
I can't make out the door seal material in the door opening pic. It is either flat 1 inch wide channel iron or 1/2 inch steel round rod. The round rod was only used on the first 1976 and early '77 models. All later models used channel iron. That is the first thing to make sure of.
Round rod used for the first doors only. It is easier to replace rod with channel iron than to find '76 or '77 "Star" doors. Channel iron used for all later doors. (shown on Grandma)The flat top door will measure 12.63 inches from bottom of lower hinge ear to bottom of upper hinge ear. The hinge ear is 1 inch thick, so overall from bottom of lower hinge ear to top of upper hinge ear should measure 13.63. This is the exact measurement called for in drawings sent to the foundries. So each pattern and wear in molds varies slightly. Flat doors have hinge ears much closer, so you should be able to tell which doors were on it from those measurements.
Here's the variables of how different fabricators hung doors. Wish I could tell you they all made them by the book, the correct way, each hinge plate UNDER the door hinge ear to support door weight. BUT....... some welded the plates to stove in what I termed the "outboard" fashion, meaning the hinge plates were welded below the lower hinge ear to support door weight and ABOVE the upper hinge ear making them both "outboard" of the door. (not supporting door weight at the top) It was not correct, but yours could be welded there throwing off your measurement. Incorrect placement pictured below;
Not a normal Grandpa, this was made by the Dunn Brothers wider than the normal Grandpa, so these custom hinge plates used by them were used to make GP doors fit a wider stove. These were welded "outboard" so the upper hinge plates are welded 1 inch higher than they should be for these doors. The upper hinge plate should be below the door hinge ear. Normal hinge plate position.Either door set can be correct for your body style. Since you would have to move hinge plates for any door, the flat top doors were used from 1976 to 1980. In '79 the Cathedral Door was first made available as an option. So the old style box which you have, originally used the older flat top doors. In 1980, the flat top doors were discontinued and only Cathedral doors were available until end of production in 1988. The confusion comes from most fabricators making the box in the old style with angle iron corners for use on non-combustible hearths at a reduced price of $100 cheaper than the bent corner box that was UL listed with integral rear and bottom shield. So any stove made after 1979 can be of old or new style, but will all have Cathedral arched doors. (and be considered a Series III) ONLY the 1979 model was available in your style with either door. So using flat top doors makes yours look like it was an older pre 1980 model, (called Series I) and using newer arched doors makes it look like the unlisted version made after 1979. (Series III) The listed model with bent corners was also a Series III. Series II was built like the I with optional added shields as a drawing revision in 1977.
Cathedral Doors mounted on old style box like yours, could be 1979 with the "new" optional doors or the cheaper unlisted style made after 1980.Attachments
That’s a lot to digest. It’s been some years since this stove had the doors on it. Was remodeling the house and someone took it upon themselves to take the doors. I have been looking for doors for years now. I will work on getting you better pictures and measurements. You seem to be the go to on the Fisher stoves.
Yeah, there's a lot of information there and it took me a long time to put the puzzle together. With dated drawings, patents, copyrights, brochures, price lists, and ads I was able to put a timeline together for most Fisher Stove models and changes.
Simply put;
If a stove has the rounded corners without angle iron legs (new style for 1980) it should have the new style doors.
The old style box would have flat top doors if it's an older stove, OR it could have newer arched top doors if it was made after the redesign for UL testing to the old standard using the newer doors, where a UL listed stove wasn't necessary.
There is always an exception to every rule and with close to 40 fabricators making the same thing, each one will find ways they like to do things so there are many variables of how they were built.
Simply put;
If a stove has the rounded corners without angle iron legs (new style for 1980) it should have the new style doors.
The old style box would have flat top doors if it's an older stove, OR it could have newer arched top doors if it was made after the redesign for UL testing to the old standard using the newer doors, where a UL listed stove wasn't necessary.
There is always an exception to every rule and with close to 40 fabricators making the same thing, each one will find ways they like to do things so there are many variables of how they were built.
Ok I had someone go measure for me. They said 12 3/4 “ and it was 28” from hinge hole to hinge hole across. It’s being stored in a barn.
The 12 3/4 is probably overall from bottom of lower hinge plate to top of upper hinge plate. It should actually be just under 12 3/4.
Grandma hinge pin to hinge pin across measures 24, Grandpa is 28. That again confirms what you have.
Either flat or arched will fit as long as you have 3 1/2 inches from center of door seal to top plate. That is pretty much standard on new and old box styles.
If this was a Grandma, you have much better chances finding doors. The Insert used Grandma doors as well as Grandma and Teddy Bear. Scrap yards set stoves aside and inserts can be found with good doors fairly easily. Grandpa doors need to come from a Grandpa only.
The guy who bought up all the old stock from Woodland Park CO has a few Grandpa and Grandma arched door left. He was looking to sell them all now very cheap, so you may get what you need from him very reasonable. I didn't buy the doors from there due to shipping at the time and not knowing how long I would sit on them before they were needed. They also weren't cheap years ago.
Doors show up on eBay from time to time, being very easy to tell the model they fit with flat top doors by the space between trees where they close in center. Grandma trees almost touch, Grandpa has a large space. Cathedral doors are more complicated, the space from tree trunk to draft cap is large on GP, tree trunk is against draft cap on GM. Most don't know what they fit, so you can only have them put them together and measure them to let them know what they have with pin to pin measurement.
Grandma hinge pin to hinge pin across measures 24, Grandpa is 28. That again confirms what you have.
Either flat or arched will fit as long as you have 3 1/2 inches from center of door seal to top plate. That is pretty much standard on new and old box styles.
If this was a Grandma, you have much better chances finding doors. The Insert used Grandma doors as well as Grandma and Teddy Bear. Scrap yards set stoves aside and inserts can be found with good doors fairly easily. Grandpa doors need to come from a Grandpa only.
The guy who bought up all the old stock from Woodland Park CO has a few Grandpa and Grandma arched door left. He was looking to sell them all now very cheap, so you may get what you need from him very reasonable. I didn't buy the doors from there due to shipping at the time and not knowing how long I would sit on them before they were needed. They also weren't cheap years ago.
Doors show up on eBay from time to time, being very easy to tell the model they fit with flat top doors by the space between trees where they close in center. Grandma trees almost touch, Grandpa has a large space. Cathedral doors are more complicated, the space from tree trunk to draft cap is large on GP, tree trunk is against draft cap on GM. Most don't know what they fit, so you can only have them put them together and measure them to let them know what they have with pin to pin measurement.
Just a thought. I paid $150 for a Grandma last year in excellent condition, it might be cheaper to just buy another stove. Of course if this one has sentimental value it might be worth fixing it. Finding and installing replacement doors will keep it from the scrap heap and that's a good thing!
The first thing I did was check craigslist for a Grandpa within a few states around him and found none to be had......... That and scrap yards are they way to find them. It's amazing how I find many older stoves at scrap yards for 40 and $50 and when it's a Fisher they're $200 !
Yes, those deals don't come around often but they are out there. I missed a free Mama by an hour last year!
I watch CL often and am ready to buy and pick up immediately. That's they key to picking up deals. Remember just because someone is asking a price doesn't mean they won't accept less.
I found 2 different Mama Bears today that look nice on CL listing for $400 and $350. Bet you could get them for $200 or so.
I watch CL often and am ready to buy and pick up immediately. That's they key to picking up deals. Remember just because someone is asking a price doesn't mean they won't accept less.
I found 2 different Mama Bears today that look nice on CL listing for $400 and $350. Bet you could get them for $200 or so.
Similar threads
