Popular Mechanics People's Choice Award for Design Challenge Finalists

[mikeh]

Hello Woodstock Soapstone Family and Friends,

As you may already know, Woodstock Soapstone is one of the 14 finalists in the Alliance For Green Heat Wood Stove Design Challenge and we are busy here at the factory working on our entry and will update our company blog as more information comes in. In the meantime, Popular Mechanics has started a People's Choice Award voting challenge of their own. All fourteen designs are featured in a photo gallery and at the end, there is a page to vote for your favorite design. Below is the link to the Popular Mechanics page. The winner of the Green Heat Challenge will be announced in Washington, DC in November.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/hom...for-a-better-wood-stove?click=pm_news#slide-1

 

[Machria]

Cool stuff.

 

[begreen]

The Cape Cod is the standout stove in this group for me. It's big, it's beautiful, very efficient and available today.

 

[Machria]

The Cape Cod is the standout stove in this group for me. It's big, it's beautiful, very efficient and available today.

Yea, it's a nice stove, but what is "inovative" on it?

As far as innovative, I would say the Kimberly. That is different, innovative with features none of the others have, compact.... and, it is pretty darn cool looking.

 

[charly]

I'm interested to see how the auto draft will work on Woodstocks new stove,,, how nice will that be! Not sure exactly how that will work, but controlling your heat output as you need it would be sweet! Knowing Woodstock it will be a stove that was worth the wait, just like the Progress Hybrid was. Plus a 3.3 cu ft firebox! Well you know who'll be getting my vote.

 

[charly]

The Cape Cod is the standout stove in this group for me. It's big, it's beautiful, very efficient and available today.

I know it was asked but maybe I missed it... has anyone posted how deep the firebox is on the Cape Cod from the bottom of the door to where the coal bed would sit? I have a dealer 10 miles away,,, was going to look for myself if I was headed out that way..

 

[begreen]

Yea, it's a nice stove, but what is "inovative" on it?

As far as innovative, I would say the Kimberly. That is different, innovative with features none of the others have, compact.... and, it is pretty darn cool looking.

Both the PH and Cape Cod have innovative reburn designs that burn cleaner than any other stove, yet still provide a pleasing fire view with great efficiency. They both do this in an attractive package that keeps the glass clean. The Cape Cod also has the option for Lopi's innovative ignition system.

 

[begreen]

Yea, it's a nice stove, but what is "inovative" on it?

As far as innovative, I would say the Kimberly. That is different, innovative with features none of the others have, compact.... and, it is pretty darn cool looking.

I like the look of the Kimberly and it is a nice size for boats, but I don't see much innovation here other than the use of stainless. Godin innovated this design a long time ago.

 

[charly]

I wouldn't use the Lopi's ignition systems as I rarely ever have to relight either one of my stoves... I can even clean the cat on my Fireview with coals in the stove, just a quick lift of the lid and out comes the cat... I'm thinking the ashes would find their way into the auto light and that would be the end of that lighting some more wood again. Does look like a beautiful stove and I can't say I would never own one, after all the dealer is only 10 miles away.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Thanks for posting this Mike!

 

[Jags]

Mike - when are you guys gonna throw down some actual pics of the Union? Cook top?

Hmmm...no mention here of the twin fire. I thought that was a pretty neat design. Too contemporary for my visual liking, but I like the tech behind it.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Hey Jags, do you suppose we could wait until one is built for the pictures?

 

[Jags]

Hey Jags, do you suppose we could wait until one is built for the pictures?

No



I figured this late into it that they should have something if they are entering the "design" phase. November is just around the corner, don't you know.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Gosh, you are right. November is only 8 months away now!

 

[Jags]

Gosh, you are right. November is only 8 months away now!

Ya gotta understand my excitement, Dennis. This is the stove I have been begging for...

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Understand Jags. Just beware, it is much more than what has been printed so far. Even the pictures are not full on. The surprises that will come out I believe will open a lot of eyes and pocketbooks too! We're trying to figure out a way to put one in; that is how excited I am. Had a couple talks with Tom and he really got me pumped. He has some very good ideas for sure.

Keep smiling!
Dennis

 

[Jags]

Let me talk to Tom - I gotz some ideas on how to pimp this biotch out...

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Believe me, he gets lots of ideas.

 

[Machria]

I like the look of the Kimberly and it is a nice size for boats, but I don't see much innovation here other than the use of stainless. Godin innovated this design a long time ago.

You kidding? Besides the very cool look to it, what about the other innovative ideas in it:
1. Portable
2. Gasifier
3. Incorporates a Thermoelectric Generator and...
4. ...uses that power to power a built in blower! (who needs power for a blower!!)
5. Constructed of ALL Stainless steel except for the glass and gaskets

As for the small size, if it works as nice as it sounds like it might, it can surely be scaled up to better suit a large home.


Will be interesting to see what Woodstock has up their sleeve! It better not be soooooo good that I need to construct scaffolding to get my PH back out, and a new Union whatever up!

.

 

[Jags]

As for the small size, if it works as nice as it sounds like it might, it can surely be scaled up to better suit a large home.
.

Stainless can be fickle to work with in a hot /cold environment. Scaling it up may pose some engineering nightmares. If you keep your surface area small (or in this case, round) the expansion and contraction problems are not so apparent. Just info - nothing more.

 

[begreen]

You kidding? Besides the very cool look to it, what about the other innovative ideas in it:
1. Portable
2. Gasifier
3. Incorporates a Thermoelectric Generator and...
4. ...uses that power to power a built in blower! (who needs power for a blower!!)
5. Constructed of ALL Stainless steel except for the glass and gaskets

As for the small size, if it works as nice as it sounds like it might, it can surely be scaled up to better suit a large home.


Will be interesting to see what Woodstock has up their sleeve! It better not be soooooo good that I need to construct scaffolding to get my PH back out, and a new Union whatever up!

.

My stove is portable and a gasifier too, if you have 4 persons to lift it.

 

[NW Walker]

Both the PH and Cape Cod have innovative reburn designs that burn cleaner than any other stove

With all due respect, in my opinion this statement may need some qualifiers.

I love the Maeterlinck quote in your sig, I think we would all do well to keep it in mind as we look at these entries.

 

[flyingpig]

I think that the green start has good future, especially for milder climate that may need more cold start. Next step is to get timer on this. Imagine that I can set it to start at 5:30am and the room will be warm enough when I wake up at 6:00 and ready to reduce draft. Sure that several items that they need to make it right such as ash filling the green start unit or safety concern for auto start w/o people around. But it has a good possibility.

 

[begreen]

With all due respect, in my opinion this statement may need some qualifiers.

I love the Maeterlinck quote in your sig, I think we would all do well to keep it in mind as we look at these entries.

Both stoves use a combination of a catalyst and secondary tube combustion to more completely burn the outgassing bloom that can come from a large load of wood that is rapidly outgassing. These technologies have existed independently, but not together in a stove. It's a challenge to get them to work in a balanced fashion and both Woodstock and Lopi appear to have conquered this problem.