Things I Have Burned

[Willhound]

It started as a trek to get some shots of homemade fire tools for Wahoowad, but unfortunately, I only had one worthy of sharing that I have posted in his original thread. While roaming around the property though, it suddenly hit me that I do have a pretty good collection of various wood burning appliances, so I took pictures of them instead. Before anyone has a heart attack looking at some of this, please realize that a lot of it was from back in the days when there was nothing else available, or there was just no money for anything better. Also, these are all in various buildings on an 80 acre recreational property I own that has been in our family for 5 generations. This property is in an unorganized area that does not fall under code. That being said, we do value our safety, so if I note that something is currently being used, it is with properly installed single wall to double wall insulated stove pipe as needed and with proper collars, caps, connections etc., and everything is checked and cleaned often.
The buildings do not have fire insurance, not because of stove issues, but because there is no fire protection and the age and construction of the buildings (mostly log with tin roofs) make them un-insurable, so no insurance inspections/issues either. If we burn it, we fix it ourselves. (If, heaven forbid, it ever happens).
Some might find these interesting, some might not, you decide.

The first shot here is of a barrel stove kit first purchased by my Great-Frandfather back in the '30's from the T. Eaton company catalogue (a Canadian Sears-Roebuck). Cast steel on a steel 45 gallon drum. Obviously no longer used, but we keep it for sentimental sake. I still have hopes of someday turning this into a double barrel outdoor smoker. I've got the leg kit someplace, and the rest consists of the door/damper/ash lip unit you see here and a flue collar that you can't see. This is about the 5th barrel that has been used, and I can remember this thing actually being in the farm house when I was a youngster, although I think as a temporary install while waiting for a new stove.

The writing says "Camp Heater, Adam Hall Corp, Sherbrooke Que., Made in Canada"

 

[Willhound]

This unit was in another cottage property we had, since sold, and was used regularly from about 1976 to 1995.
"Parlour Stove, Made in Taiwan" is cast on the back. No certification, cast construction. could be loaded from the top (after removing the decorative cover) from the side or from the front. Actually threw pretty good heat as I recall, but went through lots of wood. With a small firebox it also required lots of trips to the woodpile, which is mostly how we stayed warm. Looked nice when all the chrome plate was shined up. Will not likely ever be used again, except perhaps in an ice fishing hut.

 

[Willhound]

This brick fireplace is no longer used. It was built by a friend of my Grandfathers that said he was a bricklayer, but I doubt it. Never worked properly from day 1. It is being demolished soon.

 

[Willhound]

Since the brick unit never worked properly, my Grandfather installed this Quebec heater, and actually ran the pipe into the same flue (Yeah...I know....)

We used to use this quite regularly, but only under very close supervision. It was never left alone while lit. Once good and hot, the sides would glow and if you shut the damper down too far, the stove would make a "chuffing" sound and the sides would actually move in and out as it tried to pull in air.

It will also never be used again, although you do see lots of these around here still in hunt camps and ice fishing shacks.

 

[Willhound]

This little Timberline was used regularly until a few years ago in one of the cabins on the property. A previous owner had cut the legs off (don't know why), but I had it mounted up off the floor on concrete blocks, with a steel heat shield underneath. Worked well, but small firebox, so short burn times. Might get used again in another work shed we have.

 

[Willhound]

This Fisher (Mama Bear??) replaced the Timberline and is used regularly. No lab approval (same as the Timberline) and at any rate would not meet code regardless. Insurance companies will not insure anything with a rear facing flue, ULC approved or not. All units must now be top mount pipe only, so no elbows or tees allowed. I suppose to avoid creosote build-up.
This one throws good heat and gets pretty good burn times when dampered down, but yes, bad for the environment. Probabley gets used about 30 days a year.

 

[Willhound]

This unit is Warner Hersey/ULC approved and is used regularly in another cabin. It was manufactured by the GSW-Jackes-Evans MFG. Co. of St. Louis Missouri. It has a vented shroud surrounding it and a blower. Throws really nice heat and gets decent burn times. Has a neat chain driven damper with a control knob on the side and an ash drawer.

 

[Willhound]

This unit is also ULC/Warner Hersey approved and was manufatured by the Haugh's Manufacturing Company of Brampton, Ontario.
I took the firebrick out of it, and as you can see, I will be re-painting it soon. Once the brick fireplace/Quebec Heater fiasco is demolished in the spring, this will be going in it's place, along with a new double wall SS insulated chimney. Got this for free from someone that installed a NG direct vent fireplace.

 

[Willhound]

Last, but not least, this unit is in the Sauna that we use regularly. The writing on the door says "Northerner" but I think the door was bought by the manufacturer as they are a local machine shop. These were approved at one time, but the manufacturer decided to drop the approval, and sells them now strictly as un-approved for use like you see here. We just recently had a larger rock box installed, and longer legs too, so now needs re-painting. We had to re-install it without the paint because that was the day I had help to move it, but I can paint anytime by myself. There are also metal heat shields that go on the walls that need to be put back.
The idea of a sauna stove is a short, hot fire that heats the rocks so that as you throw water on them, they create steam. Usually while in the sauna, we let the stove go out, but we found that the original rock box was too small, and as a result the rocks cooled off too fast. Rather than having to keep the stove burning full blast while we are in there, we instead added more rocks.

And that's it. A collection of 9, of which 4 will not likely ever be used again, 3 are used now, and two others will be used in the near future. If you include the Summit insert in my house, that's 6 wood burners that I get to look after.

Willhound

 

[Mo Heat]

Will,

Thanks for posting those. Interesting, all. That parlor stove is my favorite. Looks like it came right out of a Popeye cartoon!

 

[HeatsTwice]

I know this thread is very old but I thought I put in shots of the fireplace I grew up around. It was installed in our remote cabin around 1955. The cabin itself was constructed in 1934 and is about to collapse, if a tree doesn't fall on it soon. Around 1969 "day glow" (florecent) paints first became available so my Dad thought it would be cool to paint the replacement flue that tacky orange. What the hey.

I usually fill the 3 foot hearth with many 2 foot diameter rounds (no splitting necessary) and it roasts the inside of the cottage.

 

[Jack Straw]

Geeze, those chains are something, my neighbor has a bigger one on his wallet! You wouldn't want an earthquake with a fire roaring!

 

[HeatsTwice]

Geeze, those chains are something, my neighbor has a bigger one on his wallet! You wouldn't want an earthquake with a fire roaring!

Yes but the rest of the forest would surely burn anyway. Its about time. The last fire we had up there was in the 1910's. It would be a good thing for the forest. Not for all the high priced houses now in the area though. We rarely visit that property. Those chains are over 60 years old.

Our family was originally from Oklahoma, but in California (close to the bay area) there really wasn't a good place to bring kids to teach them about the ways of the Ranch ( a contrast to the ways - misways of the silicon valley). My Dad realized the value of hard work, building fires to stay warm, and doing without most modern comforts.

Up til the '89 earthquake we never had a real earthquake, and it turned out that the property (about 12 miles from the Loma Prieta epicenter) was in a geotechtonically neutral zone. That is, everything else shook, but not that place, even though it was close to the action. So we still have it and its still standing - waiting for our kids to discover the same values.

 

[Eatonpcat]

Geeze, those chains are something, my neighbor has a bigger one on his wallet! You wouldn't want an earthquake with a fire roaring!

That's funny!