New to Forum, Just Picked Up a Baby Bear !

[No Neck Shrek]

I just recently found an auction site online in my area, while looking a came across a wood burning stove. I had no idea what it was ( apparently neither did anyone else) but my wife wanted me to bid on it. I won the auction for a bid of $65.99 for a Baby Bear. It wasn't until the next day when I actually found out about Fisher Stoves. It's in GREAT condition, everything works and all items are not worn.

Any way, I wanted to say THANKS to Coaly for all the information that has been shared ! I've learned so much about these stoves, I'm going to pick-up A Grandma Bear this Friday . The Grandma is going to need some clean up work, I'll keep you all posted. I'll post some photos first chance I get !

This is on Ebay right now - (broken link removed to http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fisher-Baby-Bear-wood-stove-/162139604593?hash=item25c0460671:g4AAOSwiO9Xi9fV)

It has the 3 piece top !

 

[Lake Girl]

Congrats on the Baby Bear ... their loss your gain! But you seem to be on a Fisher run ... good luck with the Grandma. Learn all you can from Coaly...

 

[coaly]

Welcome to the Forum;
That side vented Baby Bear is an early one, 1974. No doubt a Dunn Brothers stove in that area (VA.) plus the legs are tapered as they were made to the drawings by them. The only ones before that had no trees on the door. It should have leveling chrome ball feet. That taper does not work well with the later bear paw feet. The correct balls are extremely hard to find.
Made for a small cabin or home under 1000 s.f. with a fireplace so you can block off the hearth face with a plate and sit the stove sideways across the opening so it doesn't stick out into the room taking up space in the small area. Also used when you have an exterior chimney that comes in sideways on the side wall and not behind the stove. That installation requires double wall inside for proper draft.

Sold quick for $650 this time of year.

 

[No Neck Shrek]

Here is the Grandma I'll be picking up tonight. Its going to take some work but, it should be nice when I'm done. Do you think PB Blaster will work on most of this ? or Should I have this sand blasted ?






My Baby Bear is much better shape !

 

[royrizzle]

The pictures are of a '' Grandpa Bear " . I would get that stove sandblasted , in my area cost would be around $ 75 bucks inside and out .

 

[No Neck Shrek]

Grandpa ? Awesome ! I just check some more photos, I do believe you are correct ! I'm going to pick it up in about an hour, I hope the vents aren't seized.

 

[coaly]

'77 Grandpa if there is no 76 within the star on right door. (Grandma had the smaller tree style)
The picture is hard to tell, but I think it has "Fireplace Legs".
Ask if they have the black screen to go with it !!

I personally only sand blast when they are left outside with no paint left and fully rusted. This one won't take much to wire wheel. I like to soak them with PB or kero / oil mix at least overnight to keep the dust down. This is only spotted with rust, and sand will change the surface texture. Walnut shells or glass beads are not as aggressive. By the time you load them up to take to a shop, drive back and forth twice, load and unload again I could have it done much easier. But I do it as a hobby, not for resale. If I had a couple to do and get them out the door it may be different. I have my own blasting equipment and still wire wheel.

Grandma trees on a '76;

Grandpa star doors had the old style trees like yours. After the star doors, ALL models used the new smaller Fir tree style.

 

[No Neck Shrek]

Here is a side photo, ball feet on it. What's the best paint? I can have it blasted & ceramic coated for about $450. (too rich for my pockets)

 

[coaly]

Yes, they are Fireplace Legs and those balls are larger than what are used on angle iron corner stoves.
What you have is a newer box made with bent corners and not welded angle iron corners that become the legs. In 1979 this box was designed for model year 1980 to be UL listed. The newer Cathedral doors were available as an option in 1979 along with the older flat top doors. In 1980 the flat tops were dropped. This is a Model III body with older doors and not your average Bear.
Stove Bright Satin Black and don't you dare sand blast it !!

'79 Manual showing both doors. Your stove body is the one in front with the old style doors, plus someone had an OLD set they threw on. Unique.

 

[coaly]

If those draft knobs are seized, you don't want to screw around with it. I'll be right over for it

 

[No Neck Shrek]

Ok, so I have it home now, I just have to figure out how to get it off the truck ! The guy I bought from just wanted it out of his garage so he can tear it down. He was asking $100 obo, I bought this one for $60 !

Coaly, I promise not to sandblast it and thanks for the paint information. Yes, the vents are seized, thanks for the offer, I'll figure it out !

 

[royrizzle]

Good deal , Wow . Farm fresh find .

 

[coaly]

Remove doors, then I lay them on their back and use a couple planks from 2 X 6 or 2 X 8 and "walk" it down. Then sit it up the rest of the way when the back feet are on the ground. If you have a furniture dolly that works best, other wise a handcart with some blocking to lift on the entire bottom works well. I do steps the same way with planks. An entire stairway I lay them on their back and winch them down with come-along with a 4 X 4 across the door way to connect cable, chain or tow rope and winch it up or down.
I see those old doors they had when put to use many years later were put on when the 5 fin draft cap was in use. Luckily the older spring handles were on that old door or it would have the newer loosely wound plated springs.Those doors that year would have 4 fin caps.

PB those draft caps through the back holes in door and lay them on their face to gravity flow down the threads all night. Wire brush the thead through the door hole (a small wire brush shaped like a tooth brush) if they won't budge, hair dryer to the draft caps as hot as you can get them. They will expand the nut insert in the cap and keep the stud in the door cold. It shouldn't take much. I find it easier to loosen them on the stove so it holds the bolt solid for you. If they don't move, the 4 fin draft caps from Barr Castings are from the original molds and are time period correct for those doors.

The first use of the bent corner stove body was the XL in Utah in 1978. That was the first model to have that style box. GM and GP started that box style in 1980 but many fabricators also offered the old style with angle iron corners $100 cheaper if it was going on a no-combustible hearth and didn't need to be UL Listed at the time.
The first doors with the stars are the only ones with the round door seal rod. That was a Jack Jackson thing when the first double doors were made. He continued that design on his own Frontier brand and Fisher went to the channel iron door seal like they were using on the single door stoves.

It will take 2 cans of paint. Use that Stove Bright outside and don't breath any of it. Burn it off outdoors - nasty stuff, but good paint that stays black !

 

[No Neck Shrek]

Well, I got Grandpa off the truck, neither one of us got hurt.
Here are some pictures of my Baby Bear.
Any idea what year this was made ?

 

[No Neck Shrek]

If those draft knobs are seized, you don't want to screw around with it. I'll be right over for it

https://seafoamsales.com/deep-creep/

This is the best penetrating oil I've ever found, it took about an hour to free up the draft knobs !
I used this once to free up an engine on a '53 Chevy, I'd been soaking the engine with PB Blaster for 2 days, the Deep Creep took abut 4 hrs for the engine to spin freely.