Grandpa Bear with Grandma Doors

[woodburner44]

New member. First post. Hope I do this correctly.

Just bought Grandpa Bear stove. At least MOSTLY Grandpa bear.

The measurements 29 1/2" across top, 30 1/2" front to back including ash shelf seem to fit. One piece bent top.
Approximately 24 1/2" high at front and 30 1/4 high at rear.


The arched doors are GRANDMA Bear size. 20" X 15 1/2" high at the center of the arch. 14" at the ends.

The doors lift off and the rivets are loose. The door seal is square sectioned and there is a flat fabric seal in the groove
of the stove.

Firebox will take 24" log, but door opening is 17" wide and 11" high. Six bricks across the back.

There is a round baffle at the 8" rear exit and a smoke shelf is installed inside the firebox. It can almost be seen in one
of the pics.

The legs are 1 1/2" angle iron top to floor.

I think the stove was made in Pennsylvania, but I do not know the year. It does not match the measurements in the manual
that came with it.

Just would like to know what model it is and where and when it was made.

Thanks.

Pics are right side up on my cpu. Don't know why the uploaded upside down. Don't know how to fix the problem.

 

[coaly]

Welcome to the forum, I'll give you your own thread;

The seller of that stove originally listed it as a Grandma and I messaged him to let him know the measurements were of a Grandpa, but it has Grandma doors. Could have been out of GP doors at the time and used what they had to get a Grandpa delivered.

It was sold and the first buyer backed out, then relisted.
No gasket material was used originally on the door seal, that was added by owner as well as the paint colors. The picture of inside of door is cut off. The plate inside looks like it may be a "nickel shield" that would be used on plated doors. Below is a picture of those shields. If that is what yours has inside, they are plated doors. Don't know why they were painted unless rusted with ruined plating. The angle iron corners and 1 inch channel iron trim on ash fender was black to match the stove.

Nickel heat shield optional for plated doors.

The only factory baffle in later Grandpas would be a plate 27 X 3 1/2.

There was no bolts used inside the stove, and no round baffle or plates. (other than the 1/2" X 4" bolt for draft cap)

It's a Grandpa box with wider front plates than normal to fill the gap from door opening to edge at corner using smaller doors. (strips at sides of door fabricating stove front)
It would use a Grandma rectangular screen (chrome called Contemporary) with latches or the newer Cathedral arched top screen that sits on the door hinge ears, part # 237-585-1

The earliest it could be is 1979. That was the first year the Cathedral doors were offered as an option with the old style box like you have.

1980 started bent corners without the angle iron down corners with only Cathedral doors. That doesn't mean it's not newer. The old style box was made by many shops as a cheaper alternative to the newer box with bent corners designated with the III. They also had shields bottom and rear with UL tag attached to rear shield. I believe yours is a FS II with or without shields. Shields were not added if someone was installing on a non combustible hearth with no clearance issues.

Look for any weld marks on the bottom. (writing) NJ and NY stamped the back upper corners. The numbers usually have the state abbreviation as well. Door marking won't tell you where the stove was made.

If you replace rivets, the Cathedral doors use at least 1 3/4 long, not the shorter 1 1/4. I've posted a few times how to make your own from a 3/8 bolt if you have a bench grinder and drill to chuck the bolt in to form the head. They are quite easy to make. (If the hole isn't worn too large) Keeping the pins and bolt threads for draft caps greased with high temp grease or silver anti-seize prevents wear and the need to replace.

 

[woodburner44]

Thanks for the reply. I just took a look at the items you mentioned.

There are no large heat shields on the inside of the doors. Just a 4" X 3" shield centered on the draft cap bolts. The draft caps are aluminum. So, I do not think the doors are plated. Only 'GM L' and 'GM R' are cast on the inside.

There must have been a heat shield on the rear because there is a weld bead and metal edge remanent along the bottom and about 12" up each side of the rear of the stove. Looks like a PO cut the shield off.

Could not find any stampings on the back. The seller listing did show a welded 'GP-1-133' on the bottom. It is too heavy for me to try to turn over to verify. LOL

You are correct. There is no round baffle at the rear exit. Inside the firebox there is a bracket (about 4" x 8") welded to the back above the fire brick tabs. An 'L' shaped smoke shelf about 4" x 8" x 16" is bolted to the bracket w/ two bolts. It extends up to about an inch above the front part of the top leaving a 6" space between the top and the edge of the smoke shelf. That is what I saw through the rear exit and thought it was the round baffle. This may have been a PO addition.

I have a feeling this stove may not have been used a great deal. The doors do not sag. The hinge pin holes are not worn. There is a little rust to clean off. Don't think I will change the paint scheme when I repaint. I will apply anti-seize to the bolt threads and pins.

The manual has Factoryville, Pa. on the cover. Sold by Whitford Wood Stoves, Exton, Pa.

Thanks again.