Need advice for using old stove

[kenword]

I was recently given a small old wood burning stove. It has no brand or model information, just the word TAIWAN stamped into the top. It's crude cast iron box with a removable top, two removable round plates in the top, and a sliding cover below the door that serves as a draft control. It is very similar to the Voglezang BX26E. I want to use it to heat a workshop occasionally, and need advice on how to use it as efficiently as possible. I am sealing the joints between the parts with stove cement and am considering adding a gasket to the door. My questions are about installing and using the stove pipe damper and the draft control in the stove. How high above the stove should the damper be ? I have a magnetic pipe thermometer that should be 18"-24" above the stove. Should the damper be above or below that ? I'm guessing below. How should I control the draft and heat of the fire in this type of stove ? I have never done that before. I know I want maximum airflow to start a fire, then I want to slow the airflow down to prevent overheating and gain efficiency once the fire is burning well, but all the advice given is very vague at best. One source said to close the damper to about the 2 o'clock position or about halfway. What about the sliding draft ? That cover is not fastened at all, so it can be opened quite a bit. How far should I slide it away from the door and when?
I also have an old Magic Heat I'm considering using. I understand those go above the damper in the pipe and some claim they produce a lot of extra heat, but others say they are notorious for causing creosote and draft problems. Are these worth the trouble ? I could set up a fan to blow air past the stove pipe. That would likely gain less heat, but wouldn't affect the draft.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[begreen]

Skip the Magic Heat. The damper can go right above the flue collar. These stoves are often leaky so watch runaway temps. The castings aren't great, so also watch for cracks developing and seam air leaks.
Give away the Magic Heat to someone. else.

 

[Max W]

I’ve used two of this design, old US built, one in a warming shed and one when we lived in an old carriage house. As bgreen says they can run away. This is aided also by their straight through design. It’s unsettling to see a stove pipe glowing. Play with your sliding tray and pipe damper to see how they control the draft. If there is a space between the bottom of the door and the draft slide when closed you can sick in a thin piece of metal, folded over, for a little more control.

 

[kenword]

Thanks for your replies. I agree the Magic Heat should probably go. I found it in a pile of scrap metal and it seems to be in good shape, but it is made for 8" pipe, so rigging it in seems like too much trouble. It makes sense to put the damper directly above the flue collar as that's how Vogelzang did it. That means the thermometer (Mine is labeled Burn Indicator) will be above the damper. The manufacturer says having the Indicator above or below he damper will both work. Is one or the other preferred? I'll typically want a hot fire to warm the shop quickly, so I'll keep the indicator near the top of the green zone. The casting are crude, but most fit together pretty well with no sign of cracks so far. I plan to modify a couple of parts for a better fit. I have sealed most of the joints with stove cement. Would it pay to put a gasket on the door?
I wish I had a better sense of how to use the damper and sliding tray together for best results, but I suppose it's near impossible to give specific advice as situations vary so much.

Thanks again for your help!

 

[begreen]

The damper and air slider are wide open to start the fire. The stove burns front to back. Once the kindling has started the firewood load, and the stove + flue are warming up, use the air slider to reduce the air to slow down the fire, to the point where the fire is not roaring, but burning well. Watch the flue temps and use the air control to keep them below 400ºF (if this is a surface magnetic thermometer). How fast one turns down the air is going to depend on the wood species, split thickness, and moisture content. If it's dry pine, ash, or birch, this could be in 10 minutes. If it's 5-6" locust splits, it will be a bit longer. Once the fire is burning well, close the flue damper, observing the intensity of the fire and adjusting the air slider accordingly. On a cold day it could be necessary to have the air closed off almost entirely. Take a peek outside and look at the smoke coming from the chimney. It there is a lot of black smoke, give it some more air to avoid a smoldering fire.

 

[fbelec]

yes. you never want to smolder the fire. use the info that you have and go from there. turn it down until the air smells like smoke around you but keep that stove pipe thermometer around the high 300's then open it up a tad and that is all you'll get out of the stove