Wood Burner Advice

Well, here we go again ...

This morning when I went for my jaunt into the forest to get kindling to try and keep the concrete wood alight, it was 5 degrees. Yep, you heard me right. 5 degrees. It was cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.

Now, sort of a follow-on from my previous woodfire woes. The bodgied up glass on the front has fallen out. As a consequence, I'm getting a lovely, hazy smoke on a constant basis.

A further consequence of which, I'm having to break out the old Dover.

I'm thinking aluminium foil, my go-to to solve just about any dilemma. (I can hear you all laughing from here). Unfortunately, I don't possess my husband's metalwork skills and nor do I have any of his tools. Oh yeah, plus I don't have two brass farthings to rub together. So ...

Also, if anyone can offer any advice on the best way to use old Dover, feel free to enlighten me.

 

if you were in northern nsw i would come and fix it for you with some steel plate

 

Don't bloody tease ... how far northern is northern ...

In any case ... check it out ... *drum roll* ...

 

im in uralla , just north of tamworth

 

Captain Thunderbolt's territory. Hmmm. Yeah, okay, a bit far from me unfortunately.

The aluminium foil is working a treat anyway. A bonus - it looks very Christmasy.

 

the foil certainly does work in the mean time could you cut the ends out of a tin can, slit it up the side, flatten with a hammer. Tuck it on the backside of the door behind the hinge shown in the first coupe photos.

 

That's a brilliant idea randyt! I think I should be able to manage that. Thanks!

 

the foil is a great idea, the flattened tin can is sturdier though. could still leave the foil to aid in sealing.

 

Thanks randyt. I doubled the foil over to make it thicker. No more smoke and the fire's burning better with it sealed. I'll probably take it off if the tin can idea works. I don't have any tin snips though. It will be interesting working out something to cut it with. I'll have a Captain Cook and see what I can find.

 

Take the measurement and you can buy new glass. I'd try shop that specialises in wood stoves, possibly on the internet. You already have the metal idea.

A sealant like red RTV silicone should do fine for either the glass or metal. Black RTV is good but red is much better. Both can be had at automotive parts stores.

You'll need a good penetrating oil to get those bolts out. I like Kroil but there are others and I don't know what your brands are.

 

Excuse my ignorance Caribou but how do I attach the glass? Use the same hinge that's been bodgied before?

The other side has also been bodgied ...

 

Looks like you made the steel work, same way. Measure it, have it cut, secure it, seal it.

 

If smoke comes out the stove, you have a down-draft. Gotta stop that if you can. Sometimes it just happens.

Is the top of your chimney ABOVE the crest of your roof? Chimney MUST be taller that any place on your roof, otherwise downdraft problems could be constant. This is one of the very first things a building inspector looks for. Bought a house one time with inadequate chimney and wrote into purchasing contract that current owner needed to provide me with xxx amount of money to at least cover part of the cost of building a new chimney. I immediately had a huge chimney built -- most of the cost was on me. Couldn't ask previous owner to pay all of the cost of my new industrial chimney.

This current house of mine had huge fireplace and chimney, yet much work had to be done.

http://www.stoveshopcornwall.co.uk/woodburning_stove.html

https://www.thefireplacetechnician.co.nz/faq/downdraft-causes-fixes/

The asbestos cord insulation is gone off these doors. You can buy this sealant cord and attach with oven cement.





Replacing glass

Here's an Aussie link for sealant rope and stove glass on Ebay, Ebay Australia
https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_nkw=wood+stove+door+glass&ul_noapp=true



Is your stove lined with fire brick? I like stoves that are lined with oven brick. If the stove is too small then fire brick would take up too much space within the interior. I also use piping from outside leading into the air intake of the stove or fireplace -- otherwise the stove or fireplace actually sucks the warm air out of your house's living space. You'll have a hot fire and a cold room. Some large tubes with passive air-flow do NOT benefit you. What I did with a fireplace was to have my mason cut a hole straight through the brick to the outside. I had him put a regulator slide on the inside of the fireplace so that I could adjust airflow into the fire -- it does NOT take some big pipe or hole, I may open the thing to allow just a one square inch opening. Air SHOOTS into an inferno, but that doesn't mean some big opening at all, the air flow velocity will take care of that.
.

 

Thanks for the links Gold Geezer. You lost me regarding the "piping from outside". Yes, the top of the chimney is above the crest of the roof and yes, I bought some fire bricks and lined the fire, as it didn't have any when I moved in last year.

I wasn't feeling too flash today so haven't done anything yet. But hopefully I'll feel a bit better tomorrow so will have a look.

 

Cranked up old Dover. She's a ripper. Can't believe the extra heat she gives off, given the small firebox. I'm going to have a go cooking some tucker on her tonight.

 

Well, I have to say, after cooking dinner on the old girl, I was sweating like a ... oh no, I better not say that. Anyway, it was sooo hot in here, despite raging winds outside and 7 degrees. It's definitely worthwhile having both going when it's really cold but you have to keep Dover stoked up. As soon as I finished cooking and let her die, the room chill factor was significant.

All in all a culinary success though (Italian vegetables in wine and cream with fettucine) and didn't have to use any gas. An added bonus!

 

nice looking cook stove. I have one similar but it got a crack in it when I moved it from Kentucky to Michigan. I had it in my cabin and cooked on it back in ky. For some reason I can't junk it, my kids will have to deal with it. LOL

 

never baked in the oven that I can remember

 

Okay, thanks. I was intending to have a go today but just got back from jaunting in the forest, collecting some wood and have to get whipper snipping this arv. It will be an interesting exercise in any case, having to keep her stoked up. I'll try and get round to it on Tuesday, or tomorrow if I get time which will be doubtful.