Trip to Lebanon NH

[Oldhippie]

Took a nice little 240 mile round trip from my place in north central Mass to Lebanon NH today and decided to drop into Woodstock Soapstone. It was a perfect day for a ride.

We stopped at the 4Aces diner before we got there as we arrived around noonish in Lebanon.

The front door seems to be always open for visitors.. and the first room you hit is the show room. First time I had seen the Keystone in real life, they really are classy looking.

Didn't take long before I found Jaime hard at work on his big flatscreen.

The showroom isn't large but it is full of goodies!

We also got the grand tour...

Raw soapstone as it is mined.

The R&D dept.

The Union... apparently the most recent Prototype is off on a road trip someplace, but I can't remember exactly where, but I believe it has to do with some of the EPA testing.

Looking inside the Union is like looking inside a very big cave!

We finally found my stove. I loved that it had my name on the box.

Since I had the scooter today I wasn't going to take it home... but Jaime wanted me to look at it.

Pretty exciting!!

This is my riding friend Mark on the left.. he doesn't burn but was very interested in the whole build process.

Kinda' like Woodstove porn, ain't it?! Below is the test station used to emulate the final testing that happens for the EPA. The actual tests are done by a specialist company they contract with.

This is a new machine they got for much of the casting work they'll do in house for the new Union stoves.

So we had to run along.. I'll be back up there week after next with my tow vehicle, and a trailer and well get more pics of the pick-up..

I hope you enjoyed my trip report.

 

[HollowHill]

Loved it! Thanks for sharing. I keep hoping I'll get up there, but, alas, the last time I tried the car broke down Excellent job of picture taking and narrating.

 

[rkshed]

Wait! Does this mean you have retired the Garrison?
If so, I must be the only person burning a Garrison left in the nation.

The new stove is a beauty. My brother had the same stove while he lived in Winsor, VT. worked great and he loved it.
Good for you.

 

[Todd]

Thanks for sharing, did you have more pics of the Union?

 

[Tenn Dave]

Great pictures - thanks for sharing.......the stove you selected is a beauty ! and that bike isn't bad either......

 

[Oldhippie]

Wait! Does this mean you have retired the Garrison?
If so, I must be the only person burning a Garrison left in the nation.

The new stove is a beauty. My brother had the same stove while he lived in Winsor, VT. worked great and he loved it.
Good for you.

Actually old Garrison's never retire, they just move to other homes to keep other families warm. My pristine Garrison soapstone top goes to another riding buddy, who already has a 1 without a top piece of Soapstone (that was a $60 option in 79) and then the Garrison itself goes to another riding friend to heat his home in Rindge NH.. so the "Smoke Dragon" lives on.. and well it should, it works perfectly, I just wanted pretty and a bit more efficiency.

 

[Oldhippie]

Thanks for sharing, did you have more pics of the Union?

Todd, the latest Union was out on a road trip, so this one was the only one I saw and it it was tucked into storage. I think they have a newer proto that they had taken up to their EPA test lab partners.. or some such thing. We did talk a bit about the Union, and Jaime emphasized that they have been "listening hard" to all of our input and one of the key points on the Union is not so much as pretty as some of the other stoves, but a real Utility Workhorse that hits a particular price point.

But the neat thing is that, as you may know, they are very accommodating to custom work, and with the new machine they have they will be able to custom cut nice design emblems to make you Union unique.. you just send them the design.

 

[Oldhippie]

Great pictures - thanks for sharing.......the stove you selected is a beauty ! and that bike isn't bad either......

Thanks Dave, I'm looking forward to the winter.. my house is a New England chalet built in '79 when we were waiting for gas at the pumps in line for over an hour.. (I know that is dating me) and so the woodstove hearth I have is really the centerpiece of the house. So having something as nice as the Fireview there will be a real treat for us. It's a pretty sweet "man-cave" and with the stove going and some of my favorite music on the 5.1 surround system and some of my gourmet coffee.. I'll be "Stylin".

 

[Oldhippie]

Actually old Garrison's never retire, they just move to other homes to keep other families warm. My pristine Garrison soapstone top goes to another riding buddy, who already has a 1 without a top piece of Soapstone (that was a $60 option in 79) and then the Garrison itself goes to another riding friend to heat his home in Rindge NH.. so the "Smoke Dragon" lives on.. and well it should, it works perfectly, I just wanted pretty and a bit more efficiency.

Speaking of recycling stoves... the Fireview you see in the pics, with my name on it is actually Charley's old stove that he recently traded back to Woodstock to upgrade to the Progress. So my new stove is actually a "refurb" previously owned stove that was living out in Upstate NY at Charley's beautiful home for all of last season.

Woodstock has a no questions asked buy-back program if for whatever reason, you don't like the stove or want a different one or whatever.. so they do get situations where people actually send them back. So then they refurb them and sell them with a full warranty.. they only thing I don't get is the "buy-back" guarantee.. which I didn't need at all, because the Fv is perfect for my house and it saved me a nice chunk of change.

If you're on the fence about Woodstock and if you're on a budget, call Jaime and get on a waiting list. They do come in, and when they do, you can't beat the deal you'll get.

Another very interesting piece of news is that the Progress actually outsold the Fireview last year. Previously the Fv was the top seller. Weather that continues to be the case is unknown.. could be there was pent up demand for a larger state of the art hybrid stove, but boy they sure are impressive when you see one in real life. The Progress is a gorgeous piece of art, and an all business heater all at the same time! When you see one a state of semi-assembly and all of the inner steel casing and then realize this then get's wrapped in a outer soapstone exterior and has both combustion technologies built in.. plus top or back exit, left or right feed door etc.. it's just Impressive!

 

[mellow]

Ahh man.. more Union pr0n. Wonder if they are ahead of schedule if they have a prototype getting EPA tested already, I was under the impression that wasn't happening until this Fall.

If this is the case then maybe the Union will be in production the last quarter of 2013 or the first quarter of 2014, time to start saving up.

 

[charly]

Steve,
Glad to see you went to Woodstock... Nice to see my stove is going to bring you some enjoyable heat.. I'm sure you can realize now why you have to see their stoves in person... They are just like you said, works of art! You can see that they are built to last a life time.... Nice Harley! Such a nice place to visit.. Great pictures and info.....

 

[Oldhippie]

Ahh man.. more Union pr0n. Wonder if they are ahead of schedule if they have a prototype getting EPA tested already, I was under the impression that wasn't happening until this Fall.

If this is the case then maybe the Union will be in production the last quarter of 2013 or the first quarter of 2014, time to start saving up.

Don't read anything into what I said about the Union.. I think they were maybe prepping for future EPA testing.. but I could even be wrong on that. I have a lot of dead brain cells from my mis-spent youth.

 

[Oldhippie]

Steve,
Glad to see you went to Woodstock... Nice to see my stove is going to bring you some enjoyable heat.. I'm sure you can realize now why you have to see their stoves in person... They are just like you said, works of art! You can see that they are built to last a life time.... Nice Harley! Such a nice place to visit.. Great pictures and info.....

Charlie I couldn't tell your stove from the new ones. ...although it's really better than the new ones because it is all broken in and completely tested by you!

 

[charly]

Charlie I couldn't tell your stove from the new ones. ...although it's really better than the new ones because it is all broken in and completely tested by you!

Yup, I already got rid of all the paint smell for ya

 

[Oldhippie]

Yup, I already got rid of all the paint smell for ya

Exactly! Totally broken in, field tested, it's perfect!

 

[charly]

Exactly! Totally broken in, field tested, it's perfect!

Nice thing is, it was never over fired, you know what your getting... Just watch when you start it up,,, that thing can run away on the chimney in a minute when your getting her going... The stoves by pass is right at the back , so it goes right out the chimney quick. I loved it that it was a nice stove to get going. I've seen the flue gases on the chimney go from 300 to 800 in less then a minute when the fire is starting up.. Something to have a heads up on.. Nice having a good draft though..

 

[Oldhippie]

Nice thing is, it was never over fired, you know what your getting... Just watch when you start it up,,, that thing can run away on the chimney in a minute when your getting her going... The stoves by pass is right at the back , so it goes right out the chimney quick. I loved it that it was a nice stove to get going. I've seen the flue gases on the chimney go from 300 to 800 in less then a minute when the fire is starting up.. Something to have a heads up on.. Nice having a good draft though..

Good to know. I'm also going to install and external damper even if it stays vertical and unused all the time, I like the extra control.

 

[charly]

Good to know. I'm also going to install and external damper even if it stays vertical and unused all the time, I like the extra control.

That's fine.. Once the Fireview is in the Cat mode I never really saw internal flue pipe gases over 500, most of the time 350-425..if that... All the heat stays in the stone for you to enjoy Can't wait until you can experience thinking the stove is out and you look up through the glass and see that cat glowing away.. Your going to love the stove,,, set it and forget it, no fooling with the draft,, so nice to run... Cleaning the cat, let it get to coals, get your stove gloves on, lift the top quick, fetch out the cat, close the top . Clean the cat and drop her back in.. Sooooo nice not needing one tool.. I just used my shop vac to suck of the dust on the cat.. just go easy.. not dragging anything on the cat surface. I'd like touch it with the hose end then lift and move the hose to set it back down on another spot going easy... Cleaned it out good.. Or just use a small trim brush...You'll love how easy the stove is to run... Makes burning wood enjoyable,, your not a slave to the stove... You'll see

 

[Tenn Dave]

Thanks Dave, I'm looking forward to the winter.. my house is a New England chalet built in '79 when we were waiting for gas at the pumps in line for over an hour.. (I know that is dating me) and so the woodstove hearth I have is really the centerpiece of the house. So having something as nice as the Fireview there will be a real treat for us. It's a pretty sweet "man-cave" and with the stove going and some of my favorite music on the 5.1 surround system and some of my gourmet coffee.. I'll be "Stylin".

indeed you will..

 

[Tenn Dave]

Charlie I couldn't tell your stove from the new ones. ...although it's really better than the new ones because it is all broken in and completely tested by you!

Steve, if that is Charly's Fireview, you know you got a good one............

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Excellent picture tour of the place Oldhippie. Brings back memories for sure. Did you notice the dog kennel? Looks like Jamie did you well with the tour.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Todd, the latest Union was out on a road trip, so this one was the only one I saw and it it was tucked into storage. I think they have a newer proto that they had taken up to their EPA test lab partners.. or some such thing. We did talk a bit about the Union, and Jaime emphasized that they have been "listening hard" to all of our input and one of the key points on the Union is not so much as pretty as some of the other stoves, but a real Utility Workhorse that hits a particular price point.

But the neat thing is that, as you may know, they are very accommodating to custom work, and with the new machine they have they will be able to custom cut nice design emblems to make you Union unique.. you just send them the design.

The EPA testing has to be done. When they did it for the Progress they sort of drug their feet so hopefully they will get right on this new stove. They have some nice neat new machinery in the shop now too that will help a lot.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Ahh man.. more Union pr0n. Wonder if they are ahead of schedule if they have a prototype getting EPA tested already, I was under the impression that wasn't happening until this Fall.

If this is the case then maybe the Union will be in production the last quarter of 2013 or the first quarter of 2014, time to start saving up.

Mellow, there is still lots of unknowns as to final production and it surely would be nice to have that thing go on sale this fall. Not sure it will happen but if not, it won't be too much longer.....I think.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

If you're on the fence about Woodstock and if you're on a budget, call Jaime and get on a waiting list. They do come in, and when they do, you can't beat the deal you'll get.

Another very interesting piece of news is that the Progress is actually outsold the Fireview last year. Previously the Fv was the top seller. Weather that continues to be the case is unknown.. could be there was pent up demand for a larger state of the art hybrid stove, but boy they sure are impressive when you see one in real life. The Progress is a gorgeous piece of art, and an all business heater all at the same time! When you see one a state of semi-assembly and all of the inner steel casing and then realize this then get's wrapped in a outer soapstone exterior and has both combustion technologies built in.. plus top or back exit, left or right feed door etc.. it's just Impressive!

By all means, call Jamie, or Ron, or Mike, or Lorin or Penny or Tom or......etc, etc. They all are a great group.

 

[Oldhippie]

Excellent picture tour of the place Oldhippie. Brings back memories for sure. Did you notice the dog kennel? Looks like Jamie did you well with the tour.

Yeah.. I walked into Jaime's office and got greeted by 100 pounds of black lab! LOL! tied to the dog kennel, but not that the rope was going to stop him/her from checking me out.