Packing and preparing a wood stove for shipping?

[DanTwin Sisters]

After considering driving across the country for one of a couple of desired stoves, I'm looking into shipping / freight companies. What are best tips and practices for preparing a stove to ship? What needs done inside and with the stove, and how to wrap or crate? I will need it strapped to a pallet, I know that much.

It will be in the size range of 33" wide, 22" deep and 32" high and run around 530 pounds.

Thanks!

 

[begreen]

That would depend on the stove construction. At a minimum the stove legs should be solidly through-bolted to a heavy duty palette. It should be padded, then jacketed in heavy cardboard with strapping to hold it in place.

 

[DanTwin Sisters]

Thanks. Looks like it'll be a 3 year old Hearthstone Manchester. Any point in taking out the firebricks or taking off the door?

 

[begreen]

Go to the Hearthstone Tech website for service manuals.

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hearthstonetech.com

 

[clancey]

Just a question here--cannot you take off the legs and door and ship it that way? clancey

 

[Murray01]

Blaze King ship their stoves with the pedestal and/or legs and door off packed in separate boxes sitting on top of the firebox strapped to a pallet. The pallet has a 1”X4” frame built around the stove and boxes then wrapped in a heavy duty plastic. The firebricks are in the stove in their proper locations, none were broke. I removed them to minimize weight before moving the stove into the house and cleaned up about 1/2 cup of granular bits from the brick, I suspect if the bricks were packed separately I’d still have some granular bits in the box from shipping.

 

[begreen]

Just a question here--cannot you take off the legs and door and ship it that way? clancey

It depends on what is on the bottom of the stove. If there is an ashpan and air controls, then possibly no.

 

[4x4prepper]

> Any point in taking out the firebricks or taking off the door?

No, but, if you are worried about breakage, pack the inside of the stove with a wood frame and stuffed with foam or bubble wrap to protect the glass. This side up sticker with the bubble level would not hurt.

I just bought a stove by mail order from Canada and the frustrating thing was it was not on a standard 40x48 pallet so my pallet jack would not fit in to move it!

Good 3/4" plywood on top of a pallet makes a very sturdy platform. What is even better is if you fill in the slats/spaces with good wood for a solid surface for the plywood. I have made my own pallets before so they would be super duty.

As for using a standard pallet, I have shipped heavy things with USHIP including oil field chain bought at auction ( grauctions). if you list it as being on a pallet and ready to go, even if you do not have a pallet jack yourself, many shippers do and will show up with one. Less hassle for them means less cost for you!

If you do not have strapping, just use a cheap HF/NT ratcheting cargo strap and use links on the hooks so you know it will not loosen up and fall off in transit. I have done that before.

 

[DanTwin Sisters]

Thanks everyone for the good advice. It didn't turn out well... I used a U-ship type company and between whatever they did with it, combined with the seller not supporting well enough under the legs, the stove broke through plywood on pallet.

I've seen different opinions on welding cast iron.... anyone had experience with these, Hearthstone Manchester, 3 years old?

I would consider cutting the legs off and placing it on a stone hearth but I can't yet tell what that would involve. At a minimum it means the blower kit won't attach.

Dang... was already in love with this fine beast...

 

[4x4prepper]

> I've seen different opinions on welding cast iron.

No doubt on that, I was going to leave a longer post on what real cast iron is and how the last place to make it in England was 25+ years ago ...

FWIW: I never would have packed it with just the skinny legs supporting the stove like that. Which is why I go for pedestal stoves.

Just MIG weld it and if you are worried about it breaking away while lit with a fire, put a support right next to it after the break, placed so that it basically just slips on and held in place by a tall U shape and weight. You will not see it from the front of the stove. I would do a test run just with the bracket and no broken leg to make sure it was taking the weight and the stove was level.

It does not look like the break effects the firebox itself and the front and rear legs are separate attachment pieces. I would weld it off the stove if possible, front and back sides, if possible. I have welded cast steel car exhaust manifolds without a problem.

 

[DanTwin Sisters]

Thanks. Agreed on the way it was packed. A local welder asked if it is cast iron.

Anyone know what this metal is used on Hearthstone - a composite of some sort?

 

[begreen]

Bummer, sorry to see that. AFAIK, it's cast iron. I like the idea of reinforcing the backside with a leg of pipe or square stock.

 

[4x4prepper]

There are many types of what people refer to as "cast" iron. If you do a hardness test and look at the structure under a microscope (magnifying glass might be enough with a break) you can narrow down the type.

> a 3 year old Hearthstone Manchester

I would call them or a dealer and see about getting a new side panel. Though looking at how they are constructed inside their workshop, it is possible it is welded in place.

That being said, as long as the break did not compromise the air channel under the stove, which just looks like an air break under the air tube for the door opening, I think welding the leg on AFTER you put on a sliding support with a U channel that can not slip off would work. You might want to put a loose brass locating pin drilled through the support and side panel, BUT, I would avoid bolting it and producing stress on the hole you just drilled.

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[DanTwin Sisters]

Excellent ideas, thanks everyone. I'm very grateful and a little blown away by all the great mentoring and wisdom on this forum.

I'm hoping to see what the freight company says about the claim i submitted before moving on to attempting to fix.

 

[4x4prepper]

In the FWIW category, the pallet was probably let down hard by a forklift, it pulled out, stove went to the cement/floor, then another forklift came in to move it, possibly the truck driver, and broke off the leg off at ramming speed because the stove would not move with two legs through the plywood. $0.02

In my younger days I used to work in a warehouse and I was a warehouse manager, plus worked in parts at stealerships, and have moved thousands of pallets by hand. Seen more then one pallet and stuff damaged by people just dropping stuff straight down just quickly pulling the handle, double bonus points doing it while still moving and tipping over the pallet, instead of gently easing it down while stopped.

Then someone else comes in at ramming speed instead of easing it over the bottom piece of wood, hits product someone actually carefully packed and either destroys it or comes to a sudden stop on an immovable object.

It would be interesting to see if there are impact marks on the broken leg.