Unique antique stoves

[Shari]

In my continuing quest for a wood stove I found these two stove designs that really, really stand out to me. I love the style of them and just wish stove manufacturers of today could bring back some of the styling offered a century ago. These are not stoves I own, just stoves I found very interesting. If anyone has any history on them please feel free to share.

Sliding doors on a soapstone: (broken link removed)

Check out the detail photos on this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Franklin-Sunshine-Wood-Coal-Burning-Stove_W0QQitemZ260334170801QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item260334170801&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72:1205|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:50

It sure would be nice if there was a generic retro fit that would bring stoves like these into current EPA & UL inspection guidelines so a person could purchase something like these stoves and have no worries about homeowners insurance coverage, passing city inspections, etc.

Shari

 

[Todd]

Sweet looking soapstone stove! I wonder who the old manufacture was? I know Woodstock has refurbished old soapstone stoves.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

That Franklin belongs in a museum. Amazing.

 

[Peter B.]

Shari wrote:

>It sure would be nice if there was a generic retro fit that would bring
>stoves like these into current EPA & UL inspection guidelines so a person
>could purchase something like these stoves and have no worries about
>homeowners insurance coverage, passing city inspections, etc.

--

In my wildest (and fondest) dreams, I would have a small business out of my home retrofitting antique (and pre-EPA) stoves to improved efficiency, performance and emissions standards.

But, to say the least, the prospect is non-trivial when liability, insurance, building codes and etc. are all factored in... not to mention shipping/trucking the stoves to and from.

Because of the vast variety of stove configurations (both antique and modern) it would be - almost by definition - impossible to put together a generic 'kit' for all... though it's a(nother) pleasant dream.

Hope you eventually find a stove that suits you.

Peter B.

-----

 

[speyguy]

This site ((broken link removed to http://tinyurl.com/9buzsx)) has some incredible antique stoves with some very cool deco style. I use to drool over them when I was shopping for a wood stove.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

This site ((broken link removed to http://tinyurl.com/9buzsx)) has some incredible antique stoves with some very cool deco style. I use to drool over them when I was shopping for a wood stove.

what a great link! i love to lok at those old beauties! works of art from a bygone age. GAWD i wish we could make units like that. im sure there are some who could , VC could im sure. imagine what a stove like that with phase 2 numbers and the higher efficiency in newer stoves would be like.

thanks for the link , i thoroughly enjoyed it

 

[Todd]

There is one company out there that has that old time pot belly look and EPA certified.

http://www.thelinco.com/

 

[stoveguy2esw]

yeah , the parlour 3000 is a beauty! , im a huge fan of Thelin stoves

 

[larryhollenb]

I personally love old stoves. The most difficult part is to find one in yet good enough shape for safe operation. So many old ones are cracked, or leak air big time even when re caulked. I had two very expensive new stoves the past few years. A high end Jotul as well as Morso's largest Stove. Neither could heat anything like the old one I picked up at a sale this fall. It was from an old farm home and was almost unused looking. A very shiny porcelain wood type finish. Only needed a bit of caulk around the upper piece to put it in good working order. Its amazing the heat it will throw and is very easy to control now that I have the hang of it. It runs rings around the new ones. I knew that when I got the others, but people on some sites kept telling me that the new ones were so much better, blah, blah, blah.. Well they weren't and this one cost me a 10th the price of them.
As far as retro fitting a old one to new standards. Well good luck. It is the standards that cause no heat. If you an put a stove 4" from the wall you know what kind of heat it must be giving off. And the fire boxes are so tiny you have to split little wood that only last an hour or so if lucky. My old one sits 14 inches from the side wall and isn't but barely warm to the touch. Yet the amount of heat out the front and top is amazing. Good in zero weather like we are having now.
I had previously an box style stove, in fact I have another now I restored. But they were difficult to control due to the air leaking in those large re-moveable swinging tops and cook plates. If you get an old stove be sure it is a late enough design to have good air control, with out it you have a huge safety hazzard.