King to the dungeon

[Cowboy Billy]

I got the king hooked up about a month ago. I'm getting 12-18hr burns with birch and some red maple. With as bad as this house is built it does have a hard time heating it from the basement. But if I don't heat from the basement my floors are ice cold. There was no easy way to get the stove down the stairs. My stairway is very steep and narrow. I had to cut the ash lip off to get it down. Plus with a 90 deg turn at the top there was no way to put it on a cart and take it down. The safest way I could figure out how to do it was build a lifting frame into the stairway and lower it with a come-along. While I am going to have to mud and sand some screw holes in the drywall it made it down safe and sound.

(broken image removed)


(broken image removed)


(broken image removed)


(broken image removed)


(broken image removed)


One thing I have learned so far is that dry wood is absolutely critical. My one year dried wood really isn't dry enough it really needs two that are in a good drying spot. And two that it works better with full loads of wood turned down rather than trying to burn a few splits. With a full load it seems to mostly burn across the front of the wood and what coals fall down have time to fully burn up while keeping the stove temps up. With a few splits it burns the whole split and quickly turns it to coals then I have to add more wood to keep the temp up. But while that is happening the coal bed keeps building up and can't seem to burn up.

Billy

 

[WoodpileOCD]

Great pics of an install that took lots of ingenuity. Did you have to literally CUT the ash lip off? Any way to put it back on or are you not concerned about it?

Thanks for posting. There was someone else recently in your predicament of trying to get a stove up or down basement stairs but I don't recall the resolution. I like this on.

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Thanks Rusty

I was able to grind the welds off with out hurting anything so I can weld it back on latter. I had though of drilling holes and bolting it on as I was afraid the door way would warp. But I haven't had a problem with it and I hope to move in a year or two and take it with me.

I run heavy equ for a living and am used to lifting and lowering equ. And thought I would show another way of moving something like that which doesn't involve getting a bunch of people to move it. Where their is a danger of it getting away and crushing someone.

What I didn't have a picture of was the second come-along that controlled the side load. That one held it so when I lifted it from the top of the stairs it did not take off sideways. So I was able to lift it with one then let the other one out until the stove was centered under the first come-along.

Billy

 

[weatherguy]

Pretty clever idea, too bad you had to take the ash lip off but doesnt sound like its a problem for you to fix it.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

That was interesting to be sure Billy, especially with the tight fit in the stairwall. Glad you got it down okay. The drywall fix is the easy part.

 

[begreen]

Great shots. I have a lot of respect for your determination and resourcefulness. Looks just like dropping an engine into a boat.

 

[jeff_t]

Yeah, my fancy two wheeler wouldn't have done any good. Let me know when you move it again. I want to come watch.

Right on with the full loads. I've also found it best to wait as long as possible to pull the coals in from the back and sides. It has been the season for cleaning up my wood stacks, though. I've been burning a lot of uglies, plus the cutoffs from the splits I have that are too long, during the days that I am home. It fills up pretty quick with ash and lots of little bits of charcoal. I've been cleaning it out once a week.

 

[SolarAndWood]

One thing I have learned so far is that dry wood is absolutely critical. My one year dried wood really isn't dry enough it really needs two that are in a good drying spot. And two that it works better with full loads of wood turned down rather than trying to burn a few splits.

I wholeheartedly agree on both. If you are using questionable stuff, you really have to cook it good at the beginning of the cycle and start it on top of some truly dry stuff. To me, full loads are the only way to run the stove. Fill it with the lessers when you don't need as much heat but still fill it.

 

[Freeheat]

Dude If My wife saw that going on in the house SHE WOOD GO CRAZY. I can't ever seem to pull something like that off

 

[bluedogz]

Dude If My wife saw that going on in the house SHE WOOD GO CRAZY. I can't ever seem to pull something thike that off

+1. Mrs. Blue would poop a Miata.

 

[WoodpileOCD]

Dude If My wife saw that going on in the house SHE WOOD GO CRAZY. I can't ever seem to pull something thike that off

+1. Mrs. Blue would poop a Miata.

Thats a new one.

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Thanks WeatherGuy

I hated to do it but my only other option was to widen the stairway and that wasn't going to happen. And its no problem to weld it back on when it gets moved to a new home.

Thanks Dennis

Just before my brother and I left to pick it up he ask if it would fit down the stairs. Well I guess it did with a little work.

Thanks BeGreen

That come-along has pulled and dropped a lot of engines in its time. It was my Grandpa's and has to be at least 40 years old.

Thanks Jeff

I don't know when I am going to pull it out but unless I hit the lottery it won't be this year. But I do have a 8' tall brush pile to burn and I'll let you know before I put it to the torch.

Thanks S&W

It sure does take a while to figure out how to burn a new stove. And everyone sharing their tips and experiences really helps out!

Howey Estang

Usually once I am done with a project like this it looks better after I finish than before I started. Patching and paintings no big deal. But then again being single makes it simple.

Billy

 

[thewoodlands]

Nice job on the moving Billy, looks like you have done it a few times.

Zap

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Thanks Zap

Its not my first rodeo. My Brothers and I are always getting into projects that need something big and heavy moved. Compared to moving a bridgeport it was a pice of cake.

Billy

 

[certified106]

Looks like alot of work to get that beast down there but in the end I am sure it was worth it. Nice job and congrats on the stove!

 

[wkpoor]

Billy, nice job. You said something about your next house in a couple yrs. Do your self a favor and make it a walkout hehehehehe. When we built our house it had to be a walkout. After having lived in one prior I couldn't imagine a basement any other way now.

 

[Loco Gringo]

Looks like Bills place.

 

[bogydave]

Good ole "American ingenuity" . Some serious "Install" pictures
Just love it.

Ash problem, rake the coal as bit up front & center, throw on 2 medium softer wood splits (E/W) & burn on 3 (high) for about 3 hours.
Should reduce the coals & put out good heat while burning.

Yep dry wood is key, then drier yet burns even better
I'm burning dry spruce now & it makes mostly ashes, not much coals. Try to mix some real dry soft under the dense stuff.
Also the drier it is, less coals too.