Papa Bear, Needle In a Haystack

[Todd67]

Just picked up a Papa Bear. This is the only pic I have for now.

 

[coaly]

That's the kind you tell no one about until it's home.
Congrats
Original paint? Doesn't look used hard at all.

 

[Todd67]

I was almost half way home when I posted that pic, nearly a 3 hour drive one way. Now I have it safe and sound in my house. Even my wife agreed that this stove is too rare and too special to put in our detached garage.

Original paint, top plate is 3/8", the top plate sticks out 2.5" on the front, no markings of any kind (and I've seen all 6 sides), firebricks are brand new and original. Enough from me, I'll let the pictures do the talking...



















The hinge plates are also 3/8" thick.
The right front leg is rough cut on the angles. The other legs look good.

Front view, right front leg


Side view

 

[Todd67]

This stove was in a basement and never got installed or hooked up. None of this information was in the for sale ad. I didn't know until I inspected the stove.

Is this a 1975 stove?

 

[Todd67]

Thanks coaly! I'm absolutely speechless over this stove. I never thought I'd own an unfired Fisher stove, especially in a state with long cold winters (NY).

 

[Todd67]

These are some of the firebricks. I have the rest of them in another box. I don't know if these bricks were put in with the bottom bricks last, or first. I'll check on that another day.

 

[Todd67]

Here it is with the door on

 

[coaly]

I saw it, and the "want it gone" - "make an offer" scared me. I expect people selling things to do some research and know what their asking price is. They ask, I pay. So I didn't want to insult the guy offering $100 for the stove sight unseen. Had he simply described it as "new" or "never fired" it would be a different story.
Go ahead, give us the accepted offer so we're all speechless. I can handle it.

 

[SpaceBus]

What makes this one special?

 

[coaly]

You may be able to wet it down with WD-40 and hand rub the rust areas (A rag or Scotch Bright as needed) and get away with not covering the original paint. Surface rust coming though paint will often clean off to the point you can feel it, but it looks acceptable - the brown rust gone.
I WD-40 the inside of my unfired ones and it keeps them looking new. That's what WD-40 was originally invented for, aluminum exterior of military aircraft to prevent water and air from corroding the surface.

 

[SpaceBus]

You may be able to wet it down with WD-40 and hand rub the rust areas (A rag or Scotch Bright as needed) and get away with not covering the original paint. Surface rust coming though paint will often clean off to the point you can feel it, but it looks acceptable - the brown rust gone.
I WD-40 the inside of my unfired ones and it keeps them looking new. That's what WD-40 was originally invented for, aluminum exterior of military aircraft to prevent water and air from corroding the surface.

The story is heard was WD40 was invented to keep underground missiles waiting in silos from getting nasty.

 

[Todd67]

I saw it, and the "want it gone" - "make an offer" scared me. I expect people selling things to do some research and know what their asking price is. They ask, I pay. So I didn't want to insult the guy offering $100 for the stove sight unseen. Had he simply described it as "new" or "never fired" it would be a different story.
Go ahead, give us the accepted offer so we're all speechless. I can handle it.

I offered him $250 because that's the lowest price I've ever seen on a Fisher in this condition. I had a hunch it was lightly used, but I didn't bother to ask about the condition. I asked if the draft caps opened and closed easily, and if the stove has a door gasket. He answered yes & no, respectively.

The rust on the ash fender, rear and sides is worse than it looks. The left side is worse than the right side. Some of this rust looks like it's deep. It's hard to show it in the pictures.

 

[Todd67]

The bottom is worse than the left side. Here's a close-up of the ash fender

 

[Todd67]

If you look closely, you can see the brush marks from when it was painted

 

[Todd67]

@coaly , when do you think it was made? Did you see the foundry marks inside the door and on the door hinge (FF)? The patent was still pending on this one. The 3/8" top plate is unusual too, although that's what Bob's first stove was made with.

 

[Todd67]

What makes this one special?

Just the fact that it's about 45 years old and has never been fired.

 

[bholler]

Just the fact that it's about 45 years old and has never been fired.

Yes but it's still just an old Fisher. But at 250 it's a fair price.

 

[coaly]

No doubt one of the first from Cal Cotton after he was making them in Boise Idaho in '74 and opened shop in NY '75.
Too bad they didn't number them like his relatives in PA did.
Something tells me this is going to be the first time you brush a stove.

 

[Todd67]

No doubt one of the first from Cal Cotton after he was making them in Boise Idaho in '74 and opened shop in NY '75.
Too bad they didn't number them like his relatives in PA did.
Something tells me this is going to be the first time you brush a stove.

Thanks coaly! It will be my second time brushing a stove
I just finished brushing the 3pc Papa Bear tonight. Well, everything but the door. Tomorrow I will get some 1/4" thick bar stock and 1/2" bolts so I can do the door repair and make my pipe cap draft caps.

Speaking of brushing a stove, I prefer it over spraying, now that I've painted both ways. My 3pc Papa Bear was pretty rough from deep rust, but it covered nicely with the brush-on Stove Bright paint.

Speaking of the Pennsylvania Fisher stoves, my Coal Bear is # PA 0092 and my Mama Bear is # PA 84.

 

[Todd67]

All this talk about my new unfired Papa Bear, and no mention of the seller. He turned out to be a really good guy, down to earth, and seemed interested in some of the Fisher history that I shared with him.

I've met a lot of good people through Craig's list over the years.

 

[Todd67]

This door has no nuts on it for the draft cap bolts. The door is threaded for the pipe cap bolts.