VC Resolute with single pane door glass?

[dbvanw]

Sorry about the number of posts lately, I just keep thinking of new questions and don't want to tag them on to one of my old posts.

My old Resolute I, with the single drop down door, has a plate that can be removed and replaced with glass (behind the "spider web" design). All the info I can find shows the glass kit as double paned.

Can I go to a glass shop and get a single pane of glass for this window or does it need to be double paned?

Once again, thanks in advance-

Dave

 

[Brian VT]

Don't use glass. You need clear ceramic.
Mine is single thick and has an IR coating on the outside. Not sure if it'd fit your model.

 

[elmoleaf]

Neoceram is the ceramic product that looks like glass.
I believe most of the early VC glass doors relied on two stacked panes with a gasket in between. They later switched the design to single thicker piece instead.

 

[dbvanw]

Just wondering... do all woodstoves use the clear ceramic product or do some use glass?

What is the advantage to the non-glass stuff?

Thanks

 

[michaelthomas]

I had an 84 resolute that had the plates in the doors. I took the plates out and went to the glass company, they traced and cut to exact size out of the pyro ceram glass. it was pretty expensive, maybe $100 for both. The problem that I had was that this model was not designed to have glass in it and therefore no air wash system. The glass required more cleaning than a newer stove would. It was nice to be able to see the flames and could monitor the fire better with it.

 

[Brian VT]

Glass can't stand the heat.
FYI my single pane is @ 14"w. and 8 3/4"h. at the top of the arch. Is that the same size that yours takes ?
I'm thinking the single may be easier to find than the double.

 

[Tech Dude]

The original glass door kit for that model had two pieces of ceramic glass butted up in the center. It was designed primarily for use when the stove was converted to coal. As mentioned in an earlier post, there is no air wash or air distributor in the ash fettle on that model. Glass will be beautiful for the first fire then you will likely never get it clean. It may prove to be a very expensive endeavor for a very small return.

 

[sandie]

Guys, I have a dumb question- I have the two door Resolute of 1985 vintage. Ash Fettle- what is that? I have no ash pan to my knowledge. The air that comes into the stove is from the "Thermostat" and the secondary air hole which is on the left side toward the back. So I am not sure how much ash to leave in the bottom of the stove, what is a fettle, does it have to be cleaned out? From what I can tell the secondary hole does not communicate to where the wood is and the ash build up is am I correct? I am trying to figure out a way to vacuum out the hole on the side since my stove sets between stone walls so there is 2 or so inches on either side of the stove and the walls so can not fit a vacuum hose in there to suck out any fine ash collected but think it is there. I fashioned a blow gun thing with 1/2" pipe that is normally used for sinks etc and took a 90 degree angle and put it at the end of this pipe and then put a small piece of some pipe I cut off and put it in the 90 degree and it in the hole and blew and ashes came out very fine ashes so I am thinking if I take cardboard, make a 1/2hole and put vacuum on that cardboard so it seals all but the 1/2" hole I might be able to suck this stuff out without making a huge mess? Other ideas how to clean out the hole for the secondary?
Fettle= stripes of mettle on floor of stove for holding wood? what is it for and how many are there and is it important to know?
As it is, when the stove is cold I have a small shovel and shovel out ash but never know how much should be in there and how much to take out. Should I leave the charcoal coals or remove them? What is the purpose of leaveing ashes in the stove? Insulation but how much is too much or not enough. There are holes at the back of the stove that are clear of ashes, I make sure but is that how the ashes get into the secondary pathway that I am trying to suck out ? Does a roaring fire suck those holes toward the fire so the ash come out of there on its own? Sorry for all the questions but I want to do this right and want to know the answers.

 

[fire_man]

Guys, I have a dumb question- I have the two door Resolute of 1985 vintage. Ash Fettle- what is that? I have no ash pan to my knowledge. The air that comes into the stove is from the "Thermostat" and the secondary air hole which is on the left side toward the back. So I am not sure how much ash to leave in the bottom of the stove, what is a fettle, does it have to be cleaned out? From what I can tell the secondary hole does not communicate to where the wood is and the ash build up is am I correct? I am trying to figure out a way to vacuum out the hole on the side since my stove sets between stone walls so there is 2 or so inches on either side of the stove and the walls so can not fit a vacuum hose in there to suck out any fine ash collected but think it is there. I fashioned a blow gun thing with 1/2" pipe that is normally used for sinks etc and took a 90 degree angle and put it at the end of this pipe and then put a small piece of some pipe I cut off and put it in the 90 degree and it in the hole and blew and ashes came out very fine ashes so I am thinking if I take cardboard, make a 1/2hole and put vacuum on that cardboard so it seals all but the 1/2" hole I might be able to suck this stuff out without making a huge mess? Other ideas how to clean out the hole for the secondary?
Fettle= stripes of mettle on floor of stove for holding wood? what is it for and how many are there and is it important to know?
As it is, when the stove is cold I have a small shovel and shovel out ash but never know how much should be in there and how much to take out. Should I leave the charcoal coals or remove them? What is the purpose of leaveing ashes in the stove? Insulation but how much is too much or not enough. There are holes at the back of the stove that are clear of ashes, I make sure but is that how the ashes get into the secondary pathway that I am trying to suck out ? Does a roaring fire suck those holes toward the fire so the ash come out of there on its own? Sorry for all the questions but I want to do this right and want to know the answers.

I had a 1979 Resolute - really great stove. I think your 1985 version is similar. You are correct, air enters from the Thermostatic damper (rear of stove) and from the secondary hole (left side of stove). The Thermostatic damper lets air flow to the row of holes in the lower rear of the firebox (directed at the firewood). The location of this row of holes is good because it helps burn the coal bed down to ashes since the air directly hits the coals. Its bad because once ash fills up too high it blocks the airflow. The secondary hole lets air into an inner chamber of the stove. This inner (secondary) chamber works when you close the bypass damper (click the lever down) and it forces the flame to take a longer path through the chamber of the stove and then to the flu instead of directly from firewood out to the flu. The air from the secondary hole is supposed to help the long flame path burn flu gases before they leave the stove. It was an early attempt at "secondary combustion" which is now accomplished more efficiently with baffles and air tubes in EPA stoves.

I always left at least 1/2 inch of ashes at the bottom of the stove. This serves two purposes: it protects the stove's cast iron base from intense heat and it helps keep the coals hotter by insulating them from the base. Not enough is less than 1/2 inch. Too much is when they start getting so close to the row of holes inside the firebox that it blocks airflow.

Ashes get into the secondary pathway because flu gasses are forced into this path when the bypass handle is engaged (lever in down position). The ashes enter the right side baffle slot. Over time the light ash particles build up. After every couple chords of wood I would let the stove cool then just reach into the right side baffle slot with a finger and rake out the ashes. I never tried a vacuum but that should work. I never bothered trying to clean out the secondary hole - on my stove there were no ashes in that pathway.

The ash fettle on a Resolute is an ash and log barrier at the base (outside) of the front door. It just helps keep things tidy by acting like a big metal lip to catch stray ashes and log chips that result from loading and cleaning out the stove. Hope all this helps!

 

[sandie]

" I would let the stove cool then just reach into the right side baffle slot with a finger and rake out the ashes." So is the right side baffle like a envelope slot on right wall about half way up?
I stuck my fingers in there and no ash but as I said I made the pipe thing and blew in there and ashes came out so got to figure out how to get the ashes out of there.
Thanks for you insights.

 

[fire_man]

" I would let the stove cool then just reach into the right side baffle slot with a finger and rake out the ashes." So is the right side baffle like a envelope slot on right wall about half way up?
I stuck my fingers in there and no ash but as I said I made the pipe thing and blew in there and ashes came out so got to figure out how to get the ashes out of there.
Thanks for you insights.

Yup, That's exactly how I would describe the right side baffle slot - its like a mailbox slot for an envelope and its about halfway up the right side wall. I'm surprised there were no ashes in there, mine often got packed. If you can reach up there with a couple fingers and not dig much out, I would not worry. It would be hard to get every last ash flake out of the chamber. Just because you force air into it and blow out ashes does not necessarily mean it needs more cleaning. You could always try making some kind of small-diameter hose attachment to a standard vacuum hose and try snaking the thin hose up there - but I think its overkill.

 

[Tech Dude]

The old VC Parlor Stoves were all designed, including the Resolute, with ribs in the bottom of the stove. These ribs were designed to make the bottom robust but they are also a guide for ash cleanout. always leave the ashes or sand in the bottom of the stove up to the top of the ribs. Shovel from front to back only with a shovel wider than the distance between the ribs. It is recommended you start every season after cleaning out the stove completely with a layer of sand in the bottom. The older Resolutes had the air horn for entry in the left side as you all have mentioned. Later models for the last two years had the side air plate send to air to the front and into an air distributor which introduced the air under the glass. The air distributor also acted as an ash fettle to keep ashes from rolling out of the stove. Most of the parts mentioned are no longer available from VC. To clean out the primary air passage, open the air shutter and blow vacuum air out the stove from inside or the reverse. It makes a mess so take care not to mess up anything.

 

[sandie]

I followed you until you said "To clean out the primary air passage, open the air shutter and blow vacuum air out the stove from inside or the reverse. It makes a mess so take care not to mess up anything." So to clean out the primary air passage you BLOW? air with the vacuum? Blow it or suck it and from inside the stove? Not sure I can see where the air come in from the air shutter at the rear of the stove from inside the stove. I am confused, anyone else? I would think if you reverse the vacuum cleaner and blow air from inside the stove you are right there would be a holy mess. Why not just vacuum it and where is the air inlet looking from inside out? Do I take the back walls off from the inside? That will not be happening, I can hardly put together the wood holder let alone take apart a wood stove back etc. Will leave to the chimney sweep or some other well informed person who cn not only take it apart but get it back together!