Simple Baffle Solution for your old FISHER ! More Heat Less Smoke under $25

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You have the angle iron going longwise, did you do that to help with the warping?
Yes. But I have plenty of scrap and can weld up any design, even grid it, if I want - so messing around is no big deal. Not much matters, it seems, except bulk. Beefier bits don't warp as much, if at all, or rust very fast.
 
I would like to say thank you for the baffle specs. I found a mama bear on market place cheap. So i had a weilder cut the top and weild two brackets to support the baffle plate. Good thing, i can take the plate out if i desire. I used your exact measurements. I took out my epa stove because of cost of fire brick and combustion box. Now i have a life time stove. A shorter burn time, but cheaper to maintain!!!!!
 

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I just picked up a Papa Bear. Looks like the baffle plate is limited to 17.5" wide by 14" deep. The limitation being the 14" deep because that's the diagnonal measurement of the door opening. Does this sound right? Just trial running this with a piece of cardboard, you must slide it in long ways, then rotate it inside the firebox before setting it in place. Angle this plate upwards towards the lower bend of the top, that leaves a smoke opening of roughly 4" x 17.5" -- that's more than twice the opening size of the 6" pipe. Mine does have the factory baffle welded to the back, roughly 4"x6" and sitting at an angle. I might be able to prop my 5/16" plate on that, what is the optimum angle up towards the lower bend of the top?
 
14 being the max works for Mama Bear. The deeper Papa Bear depends on the second course of side bricks when they are in the way, or rear/side vent that may or may not have the short plate below the outlet pipe you’re describing. That was normally flat, below pipe, that the new baffle can set on.

A square 8 inch call size flue is normally 7.5 square totaling close to 60, so I use a 14 in them. I have been able to cheat a baffle out toward the front and cover the opening in back with a brick on top. That brings it out to about 18 inches. They can only go up to the pipe, and don’t seal well, but the little that leaks past only adds a little get up the stack. The flow is forward.

I never had to make one larger than would fit through the door since everyone near me is too cheap to install a 6 inch liner and uses the original 8 inch existing flue.
 
Thanks Coaly. I'm guessing a baffle coming out 14 inches from the back on my papa bear would probably work though. I need to replace most all of the firebrick in there, right now I don't think there's even a second row in it. You do recommend the front of the baffle being higher than the back right?
 
Thanks Coaly. I'm guessing a baffle coming out 14 inches from the back on my papa bear would probably work though. I need to replace most all of the firebrick in there, right now I don't think there's even a second row in it. You do recommend the front of the baffle being higher than the back right?
Yes, aim it toward the lower bend in top.
 
Set baffle on sideways brick on rear wall. Make cardboard the inside width angled upward toward lower bend. Then wider at front the width of stove walls. If you set bricks on sides to support plate, you can bolt or weld angle iron to plate sides to prevent bricks from falling in, or drill holes at edges and insert long enough bolts pointing down to keep bricks against walls.