New Papa

[Curdog]

Just wanted to chime in and intro myself. I've been watching for one of these stoves for a while now. This one turned up on local CL this past week , was listed as a Mama but when I got there I discovered otherwise! Gotta say I was an easy sell. But anyway I stumbled on this site and have gained a wealth of info. I cleaned it out and replaced the fire brick that were cracked or broken and made a baffel and now its fixing to move into the old Ashley's spot for the remainder of the winter. This spring/summer I intend to give it a fresh paint job. The plate on back is dated 08/79, I know it looks a little rough but it has potential.

 

[Curdog]

Not sure I'm on the right track with the baffel. I rested it on the plate at the back of stove and leaned it forward till it hit retainer for the top run of bricks and cut the brick to match the angle. I had read on here that I needed two inches of gap between top of stove and baffel. That made the baffle like 17 1/2 by 6 3/4. Have I got this all wrong ?

 

[Curdog]

Here's a pic.

 

[coaly]

You did good. It has to be where it is due to the top brick retainer. Otherwise remove the rear retainer and clip brick more to lower the baffle at front making it larger so it still has the same opening. Then it will be more directed to the bend in the top. You're fine with what you have and will have a hotter upper cook surface than the lower surface. That can be a good thing if you need the front to simmer.

A trick CamFan pointed out to tell a Mama from a Papa by a frontal picture only, is to notice the space from door side edges to angle iron corners. Papa has a space, being a wider stove. Same door used on Mama almost touches the angle iron pictured below;

 

[Curdog]

Thanks Coaly , I can't tell you how impressed I've been with this stove. The old Ashley wasn't as air tight as this one and ate a lot more wood and was a lot smaller. Now if I can stand to look at this one till spring, at some time in its life somebody had the bright idea to paint it with primer. That's not all rust your seeing in the pics.

 

[coaly]

Looks like Bark Brown. (Stove Bright) You may have an original brown stove there like my Mama. It has a very primer dull look after years of use. Mine was black and when cleaned off, I thought it may be primer too. I've found when you wire wheel the sides, near the bottom you find the best original paint where it stays the coolest and is a good indication of what it was. Look for original paint on the back next to corner angle at bottom as well. If it was brown, chances are there will not be any black paint under the brown unless it was blasted. They tend to not lose paint there and get painted over.
Someone did the door of mine with stove polish which is difficult to remove, so I kept the door black polish and painted the caps to match stove. This is not the metallic brown. "Bark" is still available. It takes two cans.



Some (Dunn's) offered the five models in 10 different colors shown on this advertising match book !

 

[Curdog]

Thanks coaly, I didn't think of it may being original. But I do believe by looking at the ash shelf , knobs and heat shield it was black. Or am I mistaken?

 

[coaly]

Can't tell. Try sanding some black off the legs to see if it has brown under it or what appears to be down to bare metal. Never hit primer under black. Makes sense that the ash fender and leg bottoms that don't take heat would still be original. Is it painted between shield and stove back? The oldest brochure and ads are all black and white, so I don't know about knob color. They were painted brown on the metallic models later.