I have only seen pictures of the stove pipes coming out of the rear of the Mama Bears. Any info ??
old mama bear that has the stove pipe coming out of the upper top plate.
- Thread starter newteripin
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They were available vented left or right side, (with matching left or right swing door) rear, and top configurations. You will even find special built single door stoves with 8 inch instead of the correct 6.
The early stoves were designed to set on a hearth, block the fireplace opening with a block off plate, and use a side vent (so the stove takes up less room sticking out into the room) or a rear vent so the outlet was low enough to get under the mantle. They were also available in top vent for straight up installations when metal pre-fab pipe chimneys became popular with a chimney support box above the stove. It was better for draft, but not as efficient since more was lost straight up the stack with no baffle in the single door Bear Series stoves.
Most of the top vents are found on the later stoves. Baby had the least amount, next was Mama. So I consider them rare. Smaller fireboxes don't have the capacity for the loss of top venting without a baffle.
Here is an example of a top vented Mama Bear. This is the new UL Listed firebox design that normally has the newer Cathedral arched top doors. In 1979 the old flat top doors were available on the old style box or the new UL Listed box with bent corners. The new Cathedral doors were optional on the old style box, (with angle iron corners) or the new UL Listed style box with bent corners. (The box was designed for the new 1980 model year, but a few late '79 exist) So that was the only year you will find the older flat top doors on the new bent corner firebox. For 1980 the flat top doors were discontinued.
This example from '79 also has Fireplace Legs (missing large chrome ball feet in pic), and is a custom nickel plated door, handle, hinge pins, damper bolts and dampers. Only later Cathedral style double doors were available with nickel or brass plate of those items.
![[Hearth.com] old mama bear that has the stove pipe coming out of the upper top plate.](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/281/281032-3d6b9b9c331297169971860271af9024.jpg?hash=yykMdFqoPJ "[Hearth.com] old mama bear that has the stove pipe coming out of the upper top plate.")
The early stoves were designed to set on a hearth, block the fireplace opening with a block off plate, and use a side vent (so the stove takes up less room sticking out into the room) or a rear vent so the outlet was low enough to get under the mantle. They were also available in top vent for straight up installations when metal pre-fab pipe chimneys became popular with a chimney support box above the stove. It was better for draft, but not as efficient since more was lost straight up the stack with no baffle in the single door Bear Series stoves.
Most of the top vents are found on the later stoves. Baby had the least amount, next was Mama. So I consider them rare. Smaller fireboxes don't have the capacity for the loss of top venting without a baffle.
Here is an example of a top vented Mama Bear. This is the new UL Listed firebox design that normally has the newer Cathedral arched top doors. In 1979 the old flat top doors were available on the old style box or the new UL Listed box with bent corners. The new Cathedral doors were optional on the old style box, (with angle iron corners) or the new UL Listed style box with bent corners. (The box was designed for the new 1980 model year, but a few late '79 exist) So that was the only year you will find the older flat top doors on the new bent corner firebox. For 1980 the flat top doors were discontinued.
This example from '79 also has Fireplace Legs (missing large chrome ball feet in pic), and is a custom nickel plated door, handle, hinge pins, damper bolts and dampers. Only later Cathedral style double doors were available with nickel or brass plate of those items.
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![[Hearth.com] old mama bear that has the stove pipe coming out of the upper top plate.](/talk/data/attachments/281/281045-bbddbe949e62f5b3144827ae3e999470.jpg?hash=-IZTMiwtwQ)
![[Hearth.com] old mama bear that has the stove pipe coming out of the upper top plate.](/talk/data/attachments/281/281046-7ef1136bd716e2a7c640f7ed6f919ef5.jpg?hash=aXng4T1zfk)
This was during the development stage. The Series 1 had no shields. II was a drawing revision in 1977 for a bolt on rear shield. (III was the new style double doors, and IV was double door with glass) This is an early VI. The finished tested, appVI has bent corners, a bottom shield that used the front opening under ash shelf as the intake, and a shield up the back. The rear shield stopped mid way up to allow the same shield to be used with rear vent.
Back then it was not necessary to be UL Listed with shields when installed on a non-combustible surface with no combustible materials within 36 inches of the stove. Most fabricators continued to make the old style box without shields that was not UL approved for $100 less.
This doesn’t mean the early stoves were not tested. There were testing labs for different areas of the US, but states didn’t recognize others testing criteria. UL became the standard testing that was adopted nationwide.
Back then it was not necessary to be UL Listed with shields when installed on a non-combustible surface with no combustible materials within 36 inches of the stove. Most fabricators continued to make the old style box without shields that was not UL approved for $100 less.
This doesn’t mean the early stoves were not tested. There were testing labs for different areas of the US, but states didn’t recognize others testing criteria. UL became the standard testing that was adopted nationwide.
Thank you so much for the information.
Your knowledge on Fisher and stove operation is much appreciated.
Your knowledge on Fisher and stove operation is much appreciated.
I have a late 79, top vent mama bear. (see attached photos) Have chalk drawn on side, position of exhaust pipe (pipe), firebrick line (FB), back wall interior line and horizontal line of lower top plate. I drew in the 9" baffle plate (PLT) at approx 30' . It's about 4 " above the firebrick line. If i'm understanding correctly, I just need to drop the baffle plate height (keeping the 30' angle constant) until it is approx 2 to 3 inches below the lower top plate. Is this correct ?? Thanks so much
![[Hearth.com] old mama bear that has the stove pipe coming out of the upper top plate.](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/281/281241-af49dcfe8f4b4c405a30cf57d892821a.jpg?hash=VakrxNv3GV "[Hearth.com] old mama bear that has the stove pipe coming out of the upper top plate.")
![[Hearth.com] old mama bear that has the stove pipe coming out of the upper top plate.](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/281/281242-801708dbf3268c72673ea129343d2fce.jpg?hash=W1z6a97gDK "[Hearth.com] old mama bear that has the stove pipe coming out of the upper top plate.")
Yes. Make the space the exhaust travels through the same square inch area as your chimney flue diameter square inch area. If you have more resistance due to pipe configuration, make it adjustable so you can drop the front of the plate slightly opening the space to allow more heat out.
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