NC 30 Mods - thoughts?

[BobUrban]

I decided to make a small mod to the 30 in an attempt to preserve the one delicate portion of a perfect design - Baffle board strength. My goal was to go simple and just run it this way in 2014/15 as a test. If need be I will mod my mods but the plan is to limit the number of nicks and scratches(an hopefully any damage) to the exposed baffle boards and preserve their longevity. I try to be as careful as possible when loading and poking around in the stove but inevitable that one weird split or inadvertent jab with the tool will bump the boards so this was my first try at circumventing the issue. The material is just some 1/8" or so stainless shelving material I had at the shop plas cut to fit without much effort. It is in two pieces to get through the door and does not perfectly cover the whole surface but if it survives the heat it should do what I am asking without any compromise to design or performance. My only real concern is warpage - of which time will tell and it can easily be removed or changed out.

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

i'd be curious to see if that SS warps or not. Those soft baffles are one of the reasons i steered away from buying one. Doesn't seem like a very good design.

 

[BobUrban]

KS - I get your reluctance and it is a small price to pay in regards to longevity but to get a stove of this quality to the consumer at such a low price there are certain things that need to be compromised for sure and this is really the only area that I feel is not equal or better than the counterparts costing 2-4x as much - so a small price to pay. Most just leave them as is and never have much trouble but the replacements are not cheap and would be a pain mid-season so I just thought I would try this and see what happens. I am 50/50 on if the stainless will survive the heat but with the boards on top and 4 tubes I think there is a good chance it survives. If not - I will come up with some other trickeration to play with. I have run the stove for 2 seasons without any trouble but I am also a tinkerer so this was my summer mod.

 

[Highbeam]

The huge majority of non cat stoves, even the most expensive, have these soft baffle boards. Their use is not a compromise for cost savings as much as a design decision.

I too would rather have a more durable material up there. The boards seem to deteriorate even if you dont hit them and they are not cheap to replace.

 

[begreen]

I'll be curious to see how this works out. On the better stoves likeTravis (Lopi/Avalon) , some Jotuls and Morsos, PE, SBI (Osburn), etc. they go for more robust baffles made of c-cast, firebrick, or stainless.

 

[BrotherBart]

Throw the poker in the woods and the boards can last six or seven seasons and be ready to go for another one.

 

[begreen]

That and don't try loading the stove up to the tubes.

 

[BrotherBart]

I tried the SS a few years ago. Stuff warps and pushes the boards up. Then you get the privilege of having to let it burn down to take it back out.

 

[bholler]

regency's are cast to. But really most of the time they hold up pretty well and that ss plate will warp for sure like bb said i have a feeling it will cause more problems than anything else if it warps bad it could even break the board

 

[blades]

I have some 2000 deg insulation board left from another stove, 1/2" I think. I just might have enough to make two plates to put under the orginal set see how that works out. It should slow down the burn rate in the winter as it will restrict the flow to the flue, then again it might be to thick for both items. It is about the same as what is oem material wise just thicker than the oem boards. It did work well in the smaller stove. It was replaced by the NC30 because it was too small for this home. I would actually like to install it in another room that is adjacent to the 30's area, split ranch from the early 60's so same as a lot of folks movin cold to stove with fan to get heat back to bed rooms, for the most part that has worked out ok cept when this dump shluck trips over fan. Course if i would turn the lights on that likely wouldn't be so much of a problem. Don't think about the lights when the 30 is got the room so nicely lit up. Its the early morning when I am only partly functional that I mess up. Same fan same posistion for 3 years think I'd learn eh?

 

[BobUrban]

Well B Bart is the answer. Tried and failed -thanks for the update long before I melt those suckers.

 

[begreen]

Don't load the stove up to the tubes. There is no need for it and as long as you are not banging logs and a poker against the baffle board it should be fine. Also, be careful when cleaning the flue.

 

[BrotherBart]

And the "Early Bird Special" every year from ESW includes baffle boards, gaskets and stuff for a decent price and free shipping.