Good deal on a Lopi?

[fbh31118]

Here's a few pics of my latest purchase, It's a Lopi 'The Answer'. I guy I know at work pulled it out of his house and set it out side this summer. Hope it didn't hurt it, it looks a little rough but I think it can be cleaned up. Needs a new door gasket of sure but all the brick was intact and seemed to be solid other than that. Any comments or suggestions on it would be great. It was built in 1984 so its not new by any streach of the imagination. Oh, it's kind of interesting, it lists its site of manufacturing as Albion, Michigan by KDI industries, for what its worth. Only gave $75 for it so I hope it's a good deal.

 

[WidowMaker]

Depending on the Sq. Ft,and insulation package of you home you may have gotten a helluva deal...or not. The answer is a rather small stove best suited for around 1200 square ft...


by the by you pictures didn't hatch...:greenchainsaw:

 

[woodguy105]

You scored!

It's a great stove. I've been heating with an Answer for over 5 years. Bricks, gaskets, ceramic glass and baffles are all easy to replace if need be. The only thing I had/ have to do is replace the gaskets every year or so. Add a blower and you'll be toasty.

 

[Echo-man]

You scored!

It's a great stove. I've been heating with an Answer for over 5 years. Bricks, gaskets, ceramic glass and baffles are all easy to replace if need be. The only thing I had/ have to do is replace the gaskets every year or so. Add a blower and you'll be toasty.

yessir. Mine's been running for over 10 years now.

 

[fbh31118]

Depending on the Sq. Ft,and insulation package of you home you may have gotten a helluva deal...or not. The answer is a rather small stove best suited for around 1200 square ft...


by the by you pictures didn't hatch...:greenchainsaw:

I looked from another computer today and had the same problem but I came home and can see them now. Is WidowMaker and my outside ip the only ones that can't see?? Please let me know, thanks, I'll leave my attachement links just in case.

The inside is pretty dirty, as you could imagine, but there is nothing inside other than fire brick and a few pieces of angle iron welded to the side. Does the 'Answer' have any converter or other interier devices that I need to make this work correctly? I'll try to post some interior pics. It is an 1984 so it maybe missing some pieces and parts.. Here's a look at the interior of it.

Looking Left

Looking Right

Bottom Center
http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=79620&stc=1&d=1223532464

 

[WetBehindtheEar]

Just from observation on what you just posted:

"Looking Left" shows what appears to be a firebrick sitting in the upper corner on two 'ledges' of angle.

"Looking Right" shows the end of another piece of angle on the side.

"Bottom Center" shows what I assume are a couple of bricks and a piece of angle. Is the angle just laying loose on the bottom?

Is it possible that the angle was originally across the top of the firebox and the fire brick laid down resting on the angle iron and the small 'ledge' that runs across the back a little lower?

So then you would have a row of firebrick across the top that touches the back of the firebox and tilts toward the opening - prevents a direct flow up the stack but allows for pretty good flow (I assume) given there's a good gap from the angle across the top to the very front of the firebox.

Does that make sense? I can picture it in my mind but I don't know if my mind is very clear to the rest of the world.. :monkey:

OK.. I've got to get caffeine and get to work.

 

[woodguy105]

After cleaning her out you should be good to go. Check out the brochure for an idea about the set up or go to Travis Industries web site (Lopi) for a look at the interior set up so you can replace baffles and fire brick. It looks like the brackets/ mounts are still intact so you should be able to get her together fairly easily. The insides of mine consist of fire bricks on sides and bottom. On top, 2 angle braces one in front one in back to hold the fire brick on top and then underneath the top fire bricks, 3 baffles that provide air wash and combustion air.

Sorry-could not get the brochure to attach...it's on the Lopi web site!

 

[woodguy105]

http://www.lopistoves.com/TravisDocs/98800200.PDF

Here's the brochure link-

 

[fbh31118]

Thanks Wet and Woodguy! I appricate the insight. I downloaded the pdf on the stove but unfortuately it didn't give a layout of that particular stoves interior. It did lead me to find out that there is a dealer near my house thought. That should be helpful for parts and such. Lopi sure had some neat add on's and upgrades for it. Can't wait to get the flue in and get my surround built for it.

 

[T-Ford]

I picked up this used LOPI a couple weeks ago for $250.

It had been out in the weather for maybe a year. Some oil mixed with a rotary brush, followed by a good burn, then a new coat of high temp rustoleum and another burn.

I think it's an older vervion of the Endeavor model. Two doors and an air intake from the bottom up the middle to the secondary chamber and twin intake tubes to the upper fronts (see selector knob on right rear).

It seems to shut down too much with the doors closed so I'm getting ready to drill out some 5/16" or 3/8" holes along the bottom front below the doors and make an angle iron (3/4") slide for adjustment. Similar to the intake on the what must be a newer model and modification on the pics below.

Anybody know of any problems this might make?



It's going to be nice to get rid of the worthless, ancient, rusted out heat-a-lator in the external fireplace and go with central heating.
I'll demo that stuff out next summer.

$250 Stove
$30 bucks for ~ 5 cords
Borrowed my neighbors splitter in exchange for swaping out the engine & cleaning it up
A couple or five gallons gas
$300-500 for pipe and fittings
$150 hearth floor work
A minor modification to the "fan" setting/switches on the forced air furnace system to circulate the heat around the house (think AC setting)
Time and elbow grease

= I'm almost all set for winter and much lower propane bills - right on time.

 

[WetBehindtheEar]

Nice Work!

Nice refurb on that stove!

I like the idea of adding air flow. You might consider (you probably already have) drilling only a couple of holes first and seeing how she fires. Too much airflow would be disadvantageous.

 

[T-Ford]

Thanks WBtE.

I am making a sliding vent plate, so I will be able to shut it down. I also plan on starting with smaller holes - maybe 1/4" - and working up to 3/8" after I try it for a while. I'll put them on 1" centers. Should be about 6-7 holes per side leaving a gap in the middle and both ends.

Am making a drill jig out of a chunk of steel that I can clamp to the stove so the holes won't be all over the place like in the pic above. We all know how fun walking drill bits are, right? The jig'll be predrilled on my Bridgeport to the size drill bit I'm using and have an offset from the side so as to use the last hole as a stop to keep the 1" centers and maintain height/straightness.

The pics I put up above are a buddies LOPI where he did the mod. When I burnt the oil residue and paint off the stove did shut way, way down when I closed the doors. Had to leave them cracked to keep it burning good.

Maybe it's a combination of the altitude (thinner air) and the pine, aspen, cottonwood & willow I have available around here that could make this stove burn differently than some other places.? Need to try to round up a little pinon if I can. It burns almost like coal but has lots of pitch in it.

 

[rbtree]

While both of those old Lopi's were good stoves in their day, they are old models, and, thus, uncertified. I've had my Endeavor for about 10 years. I think it had been out for a while when I purchased it. Before the current crop of certified stoves, which have a series of tubes which allow for reburning the gases, there were stoves with catalytic chambers, which were not as good, as they needed replacing periodically, and required careful fire building and running. While the new stoves may not put out more heat, they are many many times cleaner burning, and burn much less wood. It is awesome to watch a proper fire at work...when banked down. The reburning gases will flare up and die down repeatedly, seemingly in slow motion.

I'm not up on requirements around the country, but it been years now in our area that only certified stoves can be marketed and sold, new. In the event of a stage 1 burn ban, only certified stoves can be used. Stage 2 bans are rare in the PNW, which means even cert stoves can't be used, unless wood is the only source of heat.

 

[fbh31118]

My stove pic disappeared! Maybe this will work better.

 

[fbh31118]

While both of those old Lopi's were good stoves in their day, they are old models, and, thus, uncertified. I've had my Endeavor for about 10 years. I think it had been out for a while when I purchased it. Before the current crop of certified stoves, which have a series of tubes which allow for reburning the gases, there were stoves with catalytic chambers, which were not as good, as they needed replacing periodically, and required careful fire building and running. While the new stoves may not put out more heat, they are many many times cleaner burning, and burn much less wood. It is awesome to watch a proper fire at work...when banked down. The reburning gases will flare up and die down repeatedly, seemingly in slow motion.

I'm not up on requirements around the country, but it been years now in our area that only certified stoves can be marketed and sold, new. In the event of a stage 1 burn ban, only certified stoves can be used. Stage 2 bans are rare in the PNW, which means even cert stoves can't be used, unless wood is the only source of heat.

I'm all for common sense and technoligy but some of the laws and rules that are getting passed are getting out of hand. I'd love to own a new stove it just not cost feasiable at the moment, maybe down the road. Maybe they'll say that I can't cut my wood with my old homelite due to it's age (pre 1970) and by the way it's illeagal to own it because of the noxtious fumes that it produceses or it's lack of spark arrestor . I understand that things need to progress forward but ban the install of a used stove because it's not epa certified? Seems a little excessive to me. Sorry RB I'm not trying to pick on you, just all the regulations to get any thing done. Sounds like a letter in the making to my rep and senator! Let those folks know that were watching. hehehe

 

[fbh31118]

A few interior pics after cleaning

Here's a few picks and I hope I understood you guys correctly. Please feel free to correct me if I've put this together wrong. How does this look? A few replacement bricks and I should be ok, right?

Looking left

Looking right

 

[fbh31118]

Update

Looking a little cleaner now. Glass looks good, no cracks or scratches amazingly

 

[super3]

I picked up this used LOPI a couple weeks ago for $250.

It had been out in the weather for maybe a year. Some oil mixed with a rotary brush, followed by a good burn, then a new coat of high temp rustoleum and another burn.

I think it's an older vervion of the Endeavor model. Two doors and an air intake from the bottom up the middle to the secondary chamber and twin intake tubes to the upper fronts (see selector knob on right rear).

It seems to shut down too much with the doors closed so I'm getting ready to drill out some 5/16" or 3/8" holes along the bottom front below the doors and make an angle iron (3/4") slide for adjustment. Similar to the intake on the what must be a newer model and modification on the pics below.

Anybody know of any problems this might make?



It's going to be nice to get rid of the worthless, ancient, rusted out heat-a-lator in the external fireplace and go with central heating.
I'll demo that stuff out next summer.

$250 Stove
$30 bucks for ~ 5 cords
Borrowed my neighbors splitter in exchange for swaping out the engine & cleaning it up
A couple or five gallons gas
$300-500 for pipe and fittings
$150 hearth floor work
A minor modification to the "fan" setting/switches on the forced air furnace system to circulate the heat around the house (think AC setting)
Time and elbow grease

= I'm almost all set for winter and much lower propane bills - right on time.

Plenty enough area with the existing holes,just keep ashes from blocking them.

 

[T-Ford]

The 3rd and 4th pics are two other LOPI stoves - all along the same series I believe. Mine is in the 1st two pics. The 3rd I think is older than mine, with holes drilled in the front. The 4th I'd guess younger with the factory version of the mod I will do.

Also, if it doesn't work the way I want, I can always just weld up the holes.

 

[excess650]

I picked up this used LOPI a couple weeks ago for $250.



It had been out in the weather for maybe a year. Some oil mixed with a rotary brush, followed by a good burn, then a new coat of high temp rustoleum and another burn.

I think it's an older vervion of the Endeavor model. Two doors and an air intake from the bottom up the middle to the secondary chamber and twin intake tubes to the upper fronts (see selector knob on right rear).

It seems to shut down too much with the doors closed so I'm getting ready to drill out some 5/16" or 3/8" holes along the bottom front below the doors and make an angle iron (3/4") slide for adjustment. Similar to the intake on the what must be a newer model and modification on the pics below.

Anybody know of any problems this might make?

T-Ford,
If you burned that stove without being attached to a flue, that may be the perceived "lack of draft" problem. You might want to check out the manufacturer's site, but I think you'll find that they'll recommend 16' rise in flue pipe. Once attached to a flue, and the flue is hot, you may well have enough draft.