Twin Spin fun fire project.

[webby3650]

I’ve seen these around a time or 2. This came available not far from me. It was in the barn of the original owner for the last 16 years, In kind of rough condition, but repairable. It seemed like a fun project and would be fun to have around. There’s almost no info out there about these stoves, so I thought I’d share. I’ve got all the glass out, cleaning it up and preparing for paint.

 

[bholler]

I’ve seen these around a time or 2. This came available not far from me. It was in the barn of the original owner for the last 16 years, In kind of rough condition, but repairable. It seemed like a fun project and would be fun to have around. There’s almost no info out there about these stoves, so I thought I’d share. I’ve got all the glass out, cleaning it up and preparing for paint.

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Very cool. I always wondered about those stoves

 

[begreen]

It's the first time I've seen one. Looks like a modified barrel stove with ovens on the output leg. What covers the firebox, blue steel?

 

[bholler]

It's the first time I've seen one. Looks like a modified barrel stove with ovens on the output leg. What covers the firebox, blue steel?

Glass. It's all glass

 

[begreen]

Curved ceramic glass? That's got to cost a bit.

 

[begreen]

Curved ceramic glass? That's got to cost a bit.

Got some background info.

Fun Fire Fireplace Is First Of Its Kind

Meet the Fun Fire - a furnace, cookstove, conversation piece and freestanding fireplace all wrapped up in one sparkling package.

www.farmshow.com

 

[webby3650]

I finally got it up and running. This has been so fun!

 

[webby3650]

Curved ceramic glass? That's got to cost a bit.

This predates ceramic glass. Or at least before it was affordable. It’s actually tempered, there’s enough air wash that it holds up. I hope anyway…

 

[Pinesmoke]

Looks great!
Congrats on a truly unique one webby.

 

[Pinesmoke]

Deleted double post.

 

[Outback101]

I finally got it up and running. This has been so fun!

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That is totally cool. Awesome! Very unique. I had never heard of or seen anything like this.

 

[begreen]

Does it heat well or is it mostly for show? Does the glass stay pretty clear?

 

[webby3650]

Does it heat well or is it mostly for show? Does the glass stay pretty clear?

The glass stays very clean. The air is introduced under the elevated firebox floor. The air circulates around the barrel forming an air wash. That’s where the twin spin name comes in. The fire spins back down to the outlet below the oven. It’s definitely a heater, not efficient, but is heating the whole garage.

 

[Apachedesert]

I’ve seen these around a time or 2. This came available not far from me. It was in the barn of the original owner for the last 16 years, In kind of rough condition, but repairable. It seemed like a fun project and would be fun to have around. There’s almost no info out there about these stoves, so I thought I’d share. I’ve got all the glass out, cleaning it up and preparing for paint.

View attachment 321492 View attachment 321493

I thought I would share info I found about this stove. I posted previously about buying this same model stove off of Facebook marketplace in early October, 2025 from a woman in Pennsylvania (I drove from NC to pick it up), and I have come full circle about the knowledge I have since gained. This one I bought has to be among the most well-preserved among this particular model, called the "Twin Spin Fun Fire." It was a stove whose design was patented by Harold Hannebaum, a creative inventor from Idaho. This is the same person who previously patented the carousel stoves anyone over the age of 60 surely remembers from the 60s and 70s, which are still sold today. They were the round colorful stoves (pink, orange, yellow) often put in the middle of rooms, restaurants, etc. The difference maker for the carousel stoves was that they relied on the patented "down draft" design to create a swirling pattern of fire that was supposed to not touch the glass due to creating a wall of air between the fire and the glass. He sold the carousel patent right away to Malm, a very well known wood stove manufacturer, that still exists today. Later in his life, he created this stove in the picture you see here. The "Twin Spin Fun Fire," named after a town where he once lived "Twin Falls, Idaho" and the fact the flames seemed to "spin." in the stove. The difference between this and the carousel was the "Twin Spin," had an updraft design, where the air is pulled in from the bottom ("allegedly" since I have not fired the stove up yet, and may not for years until I move), and also creates a wall of air in the the cylinder area where flames "allegedly" don't touch the glass, but do swirl around in a circle, even though the burn pit is literally surrounded by glass. Both of these stoves, Carousel and Twin Spin, were tested by independent labs (at a cost of $10,000 per stove in 1960s/70s dollars), and to the satisfaction of the US gov't, which deemed them safe to sell and use by the standards of the day. Anyway, Hannebaum wrote 5 or 6 books on his "inventing" life and talks a lot about these stoves, patent theft, and nasty, manipulative and lying manufacturers who cheated him left and right. By the time the Twin Spin came around, he was in his late 70s, and was so beaten down by it all, that this particular stove temporarily bounced through 2 separate manufacturers in a short period of time, and both business relationships ended up in court, and when all was said and done, Hannebaum died and left his fortune to a scholarship fund for native Americans in Idaho. He and his wife had no kids. His wife, considerably younger, died about 2017. In his books, he seemed to indicate very few Twin Spins were ever made, but the seriel number on mine is 1918, which leads one to think there were 1917 made before mine. But who knows. There are others who have this stove, and there are a few posts on this site. The bottom line is that few of these seem to exist today, and I've yet to see one in this shape. I am thrilled to death I have one. I am thrilled at its condition. I can tell it has been used, but the stove, glass and double walled pipe have hardly any residue in them. I was shocked how clean they all were. The glass is actually really clean! Hannebaum wrote about how this stove (which he actually called a fireplace) gets hotter than any wood stove he had ever experienced, with less wood, due to its "updraft" design (you can see in the pic on the bottom where it drew air in), and due to the use of glass to reflect and magnify the heat. He seemed like a really gifted man who taught himself a lot about fire and stoves. He was definitely not a quack. He did note that both of his stoves were "not" manufactured the exact way he wanted because the manufacturers made some changes here and there, changes Hannebaum didn't like. One such example was that he wrote where it was imperative to use furnace cement on the inside where the glass slats come together, and high temp silicone glue on the outside. Wheras on mine, I have black furnace cement on the inside and outside, making it less attractive. But I guess this makes it safer. Also, take note of the compartment in the rear with the rectangular doors on each side. This is a "stove enclosure," and in his books he talks about he and his wife using their initial prototype in their home to heat and cook food to learn about temperature and cooking conditions. Obviously, it's a somewhat crude method for cooking and baking, but isn't that the definition of burning wood? They said it was relatively easy to figure out how much wood to use to keep the "oven" at a steady 350 degrees. Overall, Hanebaum claimed he used less wood and got more heat to heat his home for an entire Idaho winter than with any stove he had ever used. I don't know if this was "ego" talking or reality, but his words seemed heartfelt. Anyway, I am in the process of selling 2 houses I own in NC, and in the next few years am planning to move to my colder weather, mountain paradise, wherever the hell that might be! Mountain property has gotten so expensive. Anyway, I will not be able to fire this stove up for a few years at least. But stay on me, and let's all stay in touch so I can let you know how well it works, and how safe it is. If anyone has any questions, just ask away.

 

[Dajolu]

Thanks for sharing! Very interesting

 

[Apachedesert]

I thought I would share info I found about this stove. I posted previously about buying this same model stove off of Facebook marketplace in early October, 2025 from a woman in Pennsylvania (I drove from NC to pick it up), and I have come full circle about the knowledge I have since gained. This one I bought has to be among the most well-preserved among this particular model, called the "Twin Spin Fun Fire." It was a stove whose design was patented by Harold Hannebaum, a creative inventor from Idaho. This is the same person who previously patented the carousel stoves anyone over the age of 60 surely remembers from the 60s and 70s, which are still sold today. They were the round colorful stoves (pink, orange, yellow) often put in the middle of rooms, restaurants, etc. The difference maker for the carousel stoves was that they relied on the patented "down draft" design to create a swirling pattern of fire that was supposed to not touch the glass due to creating a wall of air between the fire and the glass. He sold the carousel patent right away to Malm, a very well known wood stove manufacturer, that still exists today. Later in his life, he created this stove in the picture you see here. The "Twin Spin Fun Fire," named after a town where he once lived "Twin Falls, Idaho" and the fact the flames seemed to "spin." in the stove. The difference between this and the carousel was the "Twin Spin," had an updraft design, where the air is pulled in from the bottom ("allegedly" since I have not fired the stove up yet, and may not for years until I move), and also creates a wall of air in the the cylinder area where flames "allegedly" don't touch the glass, but do swirl around in a circle, even though the burn pit is literally surrounded by glass. Both of these stoves, Carousel and Twin Spin, were tested by independent labs (at a cost of $10,000 per stove in 1960s/70s dollars), and to the satisfaction of the US gov't, which deemed them safe to sell and use by the standards of the day. Anyway, Hannebaum wrote 5 or 6 books on his "inventing" life and talks a lot about these stoves, patent theft, and nasty, manipulative and lying manufacturers who cheated him left and right. By the time the Twin Spin came around, he was in his late 70s, and was so beaten down by it all, that this particular stove temporarily bounced through 2 separate manufacturers in a short period of time, and both business relationships ended up in court, and when all was said and done, Hannebaum died and left his fortune to a scholarship fund for native Americans in Idaho. He and his wife had no kids. His wife, considerably younger, died about 2017. In his books, he seemed to indicate very few Twin Spins were ever made, but the seriel number on mine is 1918, which leads one to think there were 1917 made before mine. But who knows. There are others who have this stove, and there are a few posts on this site. The bottom line is that few of these seem to exist today, and I've yet to see one in this shape. I am thrilled to death I have one. I am thrilled at its condition. I can tell it has been used, but the stove, glass and double walled pipe have hardly any residue in them. I was shocked how clean they all were. The glass is actually really clean! Hannebaum wrote about how this stove (which he actually called a fireplace) gets hotter than any wood stove he had ever experienced, with less wood, due to its "updraft" design (you can see in the pic on the bottom where it drew air in), and due to the use of glass to reflect and magnify the heat. He seemed like a really gifted man who taught himself a lot about fire and stoves. He was definitely not a quack. He did note that both of his stoves were "not" manufactured the exact way he wanted because the manufacturers made some changes here and there, changes Hannebaum didn't like. One such example was that he wrote where it was imperative to use furnace cement on the inside where the glass slats come together, and high temp silicone glue on the outside. Wheras on mine, I have black furnace cement on the inside and outside, making it less attractive. But I guess this makes it safer. Also, take note of the compartment in the rear with the rectangular doors on each side. This is a "stove enclosure," and in his books he talks about he and his wife using their initial prototype in their home to heat and cook food to learn about temperature and cooking conditions. Obviously, it's a somewhat crude method for cooking and baking, but isn't that the definition of burning wood? They said it was relatively easy to figure out how much wood to use to keep the "oven" at a steady 350 degrees. Overall, Hanebaum claimed he used less wood and got more heat to heat his home for an entire Idaho winter than with any stove he had ever used. I don't know if this was "ego" talking or reality, but his words seemed heartfelt. Anyway, I am in the process of selling 2 houses I own in NC, and in the next few years am planning to move to my colder weather, mountain paradise, wherever the hell that might be! Mountain property has gotten so expensive. Anyway, I will not be able to fire this stove up for a few years at least. But stay on me, and let's all stay in touch so I can let you know how well it works, and how safe it is. If anyone has any questions, just ask away.

Another interesting fact. Take note that the stove in the pic (the one I bought) is sitting on a rug. Pretty scary, huh? Well Hannebaum designed this thing so that it could sit on a rug in a typical living room. He claimed in his book that all the heat radiates out of the glass on top, and that this stove would be safe on any rug. He did state, though, that the door side rug should be covered with something to catch sparks. Anyway, when I do finally install it, it will be on a hearth of sorts so there is plenty of space to catch sparks and to store firewood. Additionally, a downside as far as I am concerned is that the stove requires smaller, well cut pieces. Sometimes you just want to shove a full log into a wood stove, right? Not this one. It is sort of "higher" maintenace.

 

[moresnow]

Another interesting fact. Take note that the stove in the pic (the one I bought) is sitting on a rug. Pretty scary, huh? Well Hannebaum designed this thing so that it could sit on a rug in a typical living room. He claimed in his book that all the heat radiates out of the glass on top, and that this stove would be safe on any rug. He did state, though, that the door side rug should be covered with something to catch sparks. Anyway, when I do finally install it, it will be on a hearth of sorts so there is plenty of space to catch sparks and to store firewood. Additionally, a downside as far as I am concerned is that the stove requires smaller, well cut pieces. Sometimes you just want to shove a full log into a wood stove, right? Not this one. It is sort of "higher" maintenace.

Can you provide details on the mans books? Titles or even a link perhaps. Sounds like good reading.

 

[Apachedesert]

Can you provide details on the mans books? Titles or even a link perhaps. Sounds like good reading.

I have attached a picture of the book, He wrote 5 or 6 books, and most of the subject matter was his life, not necesssarily his stove inventions. But this one has the most info on the Twin Spin and Carousel stoves.

 

[Apachedesert]

I have attached a picture of the book, He wrote 5 or 6 books, and most of the subject matter was his life, not necesssarily his stove inventions. But this one has the most info on the Twin Spin and Carousel stoves.

You can find this one and the rest of his books on ebay and/or amazon.

 

[Apachedesert]

The glass stays very clean. The air is introduced under the elevated firebox floor. The air circulates around the barrel forming an air wash. That’s where the twin spin name comes in. The fire spins back down to the outlet below the oven. It’s definitely a heater, not efficient, but is heating the whole garage.

It seems appropriate you live in Indiana. Hannebaun went by the nickname "Indiana Hannebaum." He was born in Indiana in 1910 before moving to Idaho. It seems appropriate a man such as you, who did a beautiful job rebuilding yours, and who seemed to figure out the updraft concept of air flow without even knowing about the book. I bet you and "Indiana" would have had a lot to talk about. Me? I'm just a rookie who happened to stumble upon on if his stoves on Facebook.

 

[Apachedesert]

The glass stays very clean. The air is introduced under the elevated firebox floor. The air circulates around the barrel forming an air wash. That’s where the twin spin name comes in. The fire spins back down to the outlet below the oven. It’s definitely a heater, not efficient, but is heating the whole garage.

Webby is correct. The "spin" part of the name comes from the spinning flames. The "Twin" part was named after Twin Falls, Idaho. "Fun" was added by Hannebaum's wife, and "fire" speaks for itself. "Twin Spin Fun Fire."