New Grandma

[Enplater]

I found a grandma for $200 in really good condition besides the rear legs that are cut down. It also came with bear feet. Now I have to sell my other grandma to make room. It’s weird, the new one is a little wider but not as deep as the old one I have, still 5 bricks across the back though.
Can someone guess the year based on the top level of firebrick?

 

[coaly]

The revised drawing for adding an optional upper row of firebrick is dated July 19, 1977. So it would be after that date and before handles were bent sometime in '78.
It's very easy to grind off the weld to replace rear legs.Front legs are a hassle with hinge plates welded to them.
Since each fabricator had their own way of doing things, variations exist. Is the flue pipe welded inside or outside on each of your stoves? One could be a Hesston box?

Note ** For anyone viewing this thread, the fireplace grate pictured above is not a Fisher part and should not be used in any controlled combustion stove. They are for open fireplace use only. **

 

[Enplater]

I sold the old stove today which had the exhaust hole welded on the outside. The new one has the exhaust hole welded on the inside, there is also an H stamped on the front of the ash lip. The new one is also 2” wider coming in at 27.75” and a little less deep.
Is there some significance to having a Hesston box? I tried searching and couldn’t find much.
Also the fireplace grate was the first thing to come out and I sold it with the old stove today for 5 dollars.
So Coaly if I understand right the new one was probably produced in late 77 to 78 sometime?
Thanks for the great info Coaly!

 

[Enplater]

So I searched again and am sure it’s a Hesston. Were they known to be quality stoves if they were Hesston boxes?

 

[coaly]

No difference in quality, just mass produced without doors to catch up since licensed fabricators were so far behind with back orders.
That's my guess on the year.

 

[Enplater]

Is the 27 3/4” width not normal? Seems like every add I see says it’s 25” width.

 

[coaly]

This is in reference to the I model without baffle, with angle iron corners;

24 inch box width (outside), and 25 1/2 inch top width is the normal size.

The back and bottom sheets should be cut at 23 1/2 wide. Adding 1/4 plate on each side makes the overall width 24.

Top cut size should be 25 1/2 x 27. Upper cook top 11 7/8 deep, lower cook top 8 7/8 deep, angled "step" 6 1/4 gives 6 inch rise.

You'll find what I call the "wide body" in Grandma and Grandpa. They are so wide, the hinge plates are curled or welded to front sheet instead of to angle iron corner to reach the same size doors used with both. I don't have drawings for the wide body.

 

[Enplater]

Looks like I have a wide body Grandma with normal hinges welded to the angle iron.

 

[Todd67]

Looks like your hinge plates are angled inward to accommodate the wider body. I don't recall ever seeing that on other Fishers.

 

[Enplater]

 

[Todd67]

Those hinge plates are a pretty cool and undocumented feature in the Fisher Stove story.

 

[Todd67]

Just for the sake of comparison, here is my 76 Grandma Bear, which measures 25 3/8" across the top plate. My hinge plates are turned slightly outward.

 

[Todd67]

I have 3 Fisher stoves to refinish this month.