Restored Grandma - a few questions

[Liketosmash]

Recently purchased a Grandma with the 76 star and I am wrapping up the restoration and plan to build a baffle plate next. I have a few questions I was hoping you could help me with:

1) The fires bricks, do you lay the bottom first then the sides? The previous owner installed the sides then the bottom which required two 1/2 bricks to line the bottom. Based on the diagrams I've seen the bottom should be done first but not sure I can get the sides to slide in if I do. Can someone confirm which should be put in first, sides or bottom?

2) Chimney opinions. I currently have an old Franklin stove that I am replacing that has a 10" chimney about 6 feet long on the interior before it goes into the attic and then through the roof. The Grandma is made for 8" but I have read many are running 6" especially if they are not using it for open fireplace viewing. I do not really want to mess with the 10" insulated part going through the attic and roof so I was thinking I would reduce the 10" to 8". Thoughts on if this is ok? Here are the options as I seem them

Option A- keep the 10" single wall in the interior of the house and reduce it at the bottom to 8" and connect the stove

Option B - Replace the 10" single wall in the interior with 8" and reduce it at the ceiling

Option C - Replace it all with 8" through the roof (Really don't want to do this)

Option D - Replace it all with 6" through the roof and reduce it at the stove for better efficiency although this probably isn't to code.

 

[coaly]

If a full brick set upright fits from under brick clip to stove bottom, set them across the back first, then sides, then fill in bottom.
If a brick laid flat on the bottom fits along with the upright brick it was made to put the bottom in first.

You will probably find there is only room for a full brick upright against wall. Here is why there is confusion;

The first drawings for the early stoves had the brick clips high for bottom first. They soon found out if a stove was bricked, during shipping they would crash and break a few, so fabricators made the change to lower the clips so the sides could be installed first, which allowed the bottom to hold them tight. By 1976 I believe all fabricators switched to allow the bottom to go in last to hold them tight.

I would personally chose Option D because I know how much better it works and saves tons of heat from escaping. Against NFPA 211 to reduce more than 1 inch (insulated 7 inch liner complies) and if you're under the ICC Mechanical Code, no reduction is allowed. (But if you're under the ICC Mechanical Code, ALL appliances must be UL Listed to comply anyway). Unfortunately the codes were written to avoid reducing a flue for a stove that already had the proper size outlet, but as you know these were made larger to be able to connect to a larger fireplace flue which isn't as efficient, but would work.

8 to 10 inch is "OK", just be aware the exhaust gasses will be expanding and cooling causing more creosote, more frequent cleaning, and allowing much more out decreases the available heat that could radiate inside. The larger the chimney flue, the more wood it eats.

 

[bholler]

Recently purchased a Grandma with the 76 star and I am wrapping up the restoration and plan to build a baffle plate next. I have a few questions I was hoping you could help me with:

1) The fires bricks, do you lay the bottom first then the sides? The previous owner installed the sides then the bottom which required two 1/2 bricks to line the bottom. Based on the diagrams I've seen the bottom should be done first but not sure I can get the sides to slide in if I do. Can someone confirm which should be put in first, sides or bottom?

2) Chimney opinions. I currently have an old Franklin stove that I am replacing that has a 10" chimney about 6 feet long on the interior before it goes into the attic and then through the roof. The Grandma is made for 8" but I have read many are running 6" especially if they are not using it for open fireplace viewing. I do not really want to mess with the 10" insulated part going through the attic and roof so I was thinking I would reduce the 10" to 8". Thoughts on if this is ok? Here are the options as I seem them

Option A- keep the 10" single wall in the interior of the house and reduce it at the bottom to 8" and connect the stove

Option B - Replace the 10" single wall in the interior with 8" and reduce it at the ceiling

Option C - Replace it all with 8" through the roof (Really don't want to do this)

Option D - Replace it all with 6" through the roof and reduce it at the stove for better efficiency although this probably isn't to code.

First off have that old flue inspected by a pro. It may be worn out and may not have been suitable for a woodstove to start with.

Next i know coaly says they work best on 6" but i have seen that cause smoking and performance problems many times. I find they work great on 7" and that conforms with code as well.

 

[coaly]

Listen to the chimney pros when it comes to your chimney.
My experience was fitting baffles to the different models using the same chimney. Insulated 6 inch Dura-Vent with no elbows, no spark screen and mid winter. I never had to light a wad of newspaper to preheat the flue to get it to draft and I have an air intake a few feet from the stove so air pressure is not a factor. Since the wood stove is my only heat source, I never left it die to a few coals and try to start with just a few coals with a cold stack. I'm sure there are times you could cause problems like opening doors fast and know enough not to do that again. I've never had a smell in here that anyone knew we only heated with wood and the house is situated just over the crest of a hill that the windward side builds pressure on the other side, it slips up and over the house without causing any downdrafts. No such thing as flat here in the Poconos. There's a lot of factors to consider without being there to look it over.

 

[Liketosmash]

Thank you both for your feedback. I wrapped up the refinish part of the stove this weekend and I have to say its been one of the most fun and rewarding projects I've done in a while. I can see how this can easily be an addiction. Attaching start and finish pictures for those that want to see the old stove brought back from the dead. Thank you to all the others who have posted their own pictures to give me ideas on the finished project.

The fire bricks do indeed go in walls first and then the bottom in my stove. A full brick doesn't fit any other way. Thanks for the clarification on that Coaly.

Now the Chimney, still not sure what I want to do there. I have 8ft of new insulated 6" supervent and 5ft of used insulated 8" on hand. Just wanted to get a project done for once so I was really wanting to just adapt the 8" to the 10". I'll have to take a look at the 10" and see what kind of condition it is in as bholler suggested and make a decision from there. I have used my old Franklin the past 2 winters without issue aside from getting the initial draft going so I know its functional at least. Once it is running it runs as well as can be expected from a stove that doesn't even pretend to be air tight.

An 8" to 10" adapter also seems hard to come by and a bit pricey for what it is so that alone is making me think putting my money into an 8" or 6" chimney may be the smarter move.

 

[Don H]

Very nice!

 

[bholler]

Thank you both for your feedback. I wrapped up the refinish part of the stove this weekend and I have to say its been one of the most fun and rewarding projects I've done in a while. I can see how this can easily be an addiction. Attaching start and finish pictures for those that want to see the old stove brought back from the dead. Thank you to all the others who have posted their own pictures to give me ideas on the finished project.

The fire bricks do indeed go in walls first and then the bottom in my stove. A full brick doesn't fit any other way. Thanks for the clarification on that Coaly.

Now the Chimney, still not sure what I want to do there. I have 8ft of new insulated 6" supervent and 5ft of used insulated 8" on hand. Just wanted to get a project done for once so I was really wanting to just adapt the 8" to the 10". I'll have to take a look at the 10" and see what kind of condition it is in as bholler suggested and make a decision from there. I have used my old Franklin the past 2 winters without issue aside from getting the initial draft going so I know its functional at least. Once it is running it runs as well as can be expected from a stove that doesn't even pretend to be air tight.

An 8" to 10" adapter also seems hard to come by and a bit pricey for what it is so that alone is making me think putting my money into an 8" or 6" chimney may be the smarter move.

View attachment 226284 View attachment 226285

I would probably put in a 7" if i were you. It meets code requirements and i have found the double door fishers run best on 7". Not to mention when you decide to go with a good stove most of them are 6" and will run fine on a 7" chimney. If you go with 8 they wont run well.

 

[Liketosmash]

Bholler you are probably right about the 7" inch. Keeps to code and splitting the difference between the 8" and 6" makes a lot of sense. The problem of course is I have 6 or 8 inch on hand and I'm a cheap guy or I would have that new stove already .... That and I do love the looks of these old stoves.

If I go to the 6 or 7 inch and I install a damper, should the damper be in a 8" section and then reduce to 6 or 7 inches after the damper? Seems like that is what Coaly hinted at in another post put I may be misinterpreting that.

I did some looking at my 10 inch chimney as you suggested and I think you are right... I should replace it. It seems like its only 1 ft or so above the where it exits the roof and definitely not to current code. I'm working to pull the old stove to take a better look but the more I see and learn the more I realize it should be replaced if I really plan to use the stove. Of course it rained all day today so I still need to do some more investigating. Thanks for the good advice.

 

[Frankdozer]

WOW Stove looks great ! What did you use to highlite the trees ?
Frank

 

[Liketosmash]

I used Rustoleum High Heat 2000 degree spray paint. It can be found for about $5 a can at Walmart in the auto section and many other places for a little more. The black is a nice flat matte black that looks a lot like the paint that was originally on the stove and dries to the touch very quickly. The silver is aluminum color of the same paint that I sprayed into a glass jar and put it on with a small artist brush. The brushing takes a bit of patience as the paint is very thin and likes to run. I realized half way through it's ok to be a little sloppy with the silver and then its pretty easy to do the same with a jar of the black and a very small brush to touch it up.and touch it.

The draft knobs I polished the edges with a buffing wheel. I tried scotch bright as was suggested but it just wasn't cleaning it up fast enough for me. Tthe aluminum of the knobs is a very close match to the aluminum colored paint.

 

[bholler]

I used Rustoleum High Heat 2000 degree spray paint. It can be found for about $5 a can at Walmart in the auto section and many other places for a little more. The black is a nice flat matte black that looks a lot like the paint that was originally on the stove and dries to the touch very quickly. The silver is aluminum color of the same paint that I sprayed into a glass jar and put it on with a small artist brush. The brushing takes a bit of patience as the paint is very thin and likes to run. I realized half way through it's ok to be a little sloppy with the silver and then its pretty easy to do the same with a jar of the black and a very small brush to touch it up.and touch it.

The draft knobs I polished the edges with a buffing wheel. I tried scotch bright as was suggested but it just wasn't cleaning it up fast enough for me. Tthe aluminum of the knobs is a very close match to the aluminum colored paint.

I hope the rustoleum holds up.for you i havnt had luck with it. If it doesnt use stovebrite or aw perkins

 

[Liketosmash]

Sure now you tell me

I saw that stovebright was recommended in many posts but I had some of the 2000 degree rustoleum on hand, liked the finish and it seems to be holding up well on my Jeep. I baked the doors and valve knobs in the oven per instructions and lit a fire in the stove to try and cure the rest. I'll have to post back after using it for a year and see if I run into any issues.

Be aware this is not the normal high heat rustoleum for grills etc but the higher temperature rated automotive product product for engine parts.