| Author | Message | ||
     Spdrxb |
Any of you guys into wood stoves? I have an old Vermont castings Resolute that was given to me. I put it in my fireplace works great heats just about the whole house. When I got it I noticed small crack on rear baffle running horizontally. I used furnace cement to seal it off has worked fine for 3 weeks. After last cycle noticed crack coming thru cement again. I'm not too concerned the because outside "shell is undamaged its only the rear baffle.stove temp is still controllable with inlet air damper. I figure it will just suck a little more air than it normally would have at a lower damper setting. Any insight or ideas from someone familiar with these models? keep using ? weld it ? | ||
| Sifo |
I would look into getting it welded. Wood is great if you have a good supply and want to deal with it. I grew up on wood heat. There were times we had windows open in freezing cold weather to let some heat out. The technology available these days is great. My brother has been heating with wood for years. His system heats a boiler in an out building (much safer having the fire in an un-attached building) and it has a heat exchanger built into his forced air furnace. It has a 2 stage burner that somehow pre-heats the wood so it turns to a gas that is burnt in the second stage, or something to that effect. Also if you care about CO2 it is almost carbon neutral. Wood heat rocks! | ||
| Spdrxb |
Yes it works great. I was just curious if crack would get bigger and possibly damage outside walls. Looks as if crack has been there for some time. The fella that gave it to me used it for 20 years trouble free. On the days I have used it, my boiler (natural gas) did not run at all. I did some clearing last year and have enough seasoned wood to last me a couple winters. | ||
| Metra6924 |
I'm not familiar with that model, but I really like the wood stove I have. A friend had a wood stove that developed a crack and he brazed it. That didn't last long, so I would recommend welding. You might also consider drilling a small hole at the end of the crack to eliminate the stress riser to slow the growth of the crack. | ||
| Spdrxb |
I was thinking of the stop drilling remedy but the crack is a hairline, no separation or gaps. Also the baffle is cast iron will drilling it make it worse by breaking it? is it that brittle? | ||
| Metra6924 |
Mark, cast iron is more brittle than steel. The cracked stove I saw was steel and the crack was more than a hairline. Welding class was a long time ago, but I do remember that cast iron needs to be treated differently when welding (pre-heating, special filler rod etc.) Have you looked for a wood stove board on the web? Tim | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I have gas logs and am seriously considering having a wood stove/fireplace put in instead. I've always liked having a winter heat source that isn't dependent upon electricity or gas working. | ||
| Crackhead |
i loved growing up with a wood stove.Last month i helped my dad replace the chimney pipes. | ||
| Metra6924 |
I'm with ya on independent from electricity. Last year the power went out and all my neighbors were without heat for a few hours on a very cold day. I lit the wood stove and life was good. It's nice to have 80 degrees inside on a cold day. | ||
| Two_buells |
In 2005 oil heat cost me $3500.00 to heat my old farm house. I bought a Coal Stove that fits against my fireplace. The burner and coal hopper are on the side of the stove. The Coal Stove is a Leisure Line, 90,000 BTU’s and uses rice size coal. 7000# gets me through the winter, upstairs is 65 and 75 downstairs. It all computer controlled and very easy to use. I just fill it and empty the ashes once per day when its below 45 outside. When its warmer I fill and empty the stove every other day. The Temp controller lowers the temp to 65 when I’m at work and heats up the house to 72 by the time I get home.  | ||
| Buellboiler |
Metra is correct. If you can weld, go to a welding supply store and buy rod that is designed specifically for cast iron. Clean and/or grind the crack to allow better penetration. Even if the directions don't require pre heating, I would pre heat the part with any means available, including your oven. Then weld and allow to slowly cool. Check periodically to verify the repair. | ||
| Spdrxb |
Metra,And Buellboiler thanks for the info. Havent looked for a stove blog on web yet figured I would ask fellow Buellers first. I personally am not a welder, but I work with a few guys that are. To the others the stove is way more effective than the open fireplace. And there is nothing like burning free wood. Two Buells nice set up! (Message edited by spdrxb on December 15, 2009) | ||
| Sifo |
Irony... Woke up this morning to a dead furnace! 2 above zero this AM!  | ||
| Jstfrfun |
Most cast iron must be glowing hot to properly weld, but then is indestructable. Back in the day I used to send fuelie heads to Arizona to get welded at a shop called Excels-Weld in Toucsan. They put them in a fire pit and heated them till they glowed white, then stick welded them through holes in a asbestous shield. A real crappy job but it paid well. | ||
| Cowboy |
jatfrfun is correct I have welded a plenty of farm tools on the farm most are cast if the broken part is not as hot as you can make it will not hold. I have never had a problem with repaired equip. if done proper, and I have worked them very hard with tractor. | ||
| Spdrxb |
Thanks for the replies fellas, looks like I will weld in the spring then unless it gets worse. | ||
| Richsm2 |
I had a exhaust mani welded ,he cross welded it (90degrees to)at both ends of the crack before preheating. | ||
| Rde48 |
Anyone else use an outside boiler? I attended our town meeting last night and they had received a letter from the county and the state recommending the town enact local law restricting the use of outdoor boilers. Our town will not be taking any action but I can only assume that it will happen at another level someday. | ||
| Just_ziptab |
"Anyone else use an outside boiler?" Yeah,I have a Central outdoor boiler tied into radiant floor heat. Works terrific! Simply throw wood into it and walk away. 2.5 months of continuous use this year, heating 3,500 sq feet to a toasty and constant 70 degrees.Cleaned the ashes out once(garbage can full). Smokes pretty good on the first burn on a fresh load and then you don't even know it's there. Smells GREAT compared to the lawn leaf piles that cloak the whole damned town in the fall. I can only hope that it would be grandfathered in if some sort of stupid law was passed. I'm not an evil person,but if I was forced to shut it down.......I may get into big trouble. | ||
| Tq_freak |
Off topic: Two_Buells what number is your windshield? I got number 12 on my desk | ||
| Two_buells |
#38 | ||
| Ourdee |
Drill a small hole at the end of the crack to relieve stress. |
