Things I learned today...

[Dalmatian90]

The magnetic thermometer falls off the stove pipe at around 800º

I have one of those cheapy Vogelzang Deluxe Boxwood stoves, darn near impossible to control the air on (although I've improved it with things like making up a bit of aluminium flashing for the bottom of the door I found on forums here).

With a thick bed of coals, I put in a bunch of 1" - 1.5" rounds of unseasoned ash. About an hour later then took off and man was the stove snarlin' and snortin' trying to suck more air in. Pretty sure if that didn't cause a chimney or partition fire, nothing will. Once she takes off though, there's not controlling the air supply and those little rounds had tons of surface area!

I've seen worse -- parents house growing up and my sister's when I lived there for a couple years I've gotten then stove pipes red hot but they had much larger stoves.

I like to run it up into the 600º range a few times a day, I'm no longer nervous around 700º. Seems to be a sweet spot for it to really pump the BTUs into the house at that point. I was a bit concerned after the therometer fell off though

I may poke around late spring / summer to see if I can find a cheap air tight stove to try next year. I only have 600 s.f. to heat so the Vogelzang does well since I essentially live in a cabin like they're meant to heat, and I've been given a lot of opinions an air tight, efficient stove would drive me out of the house. This one can get me from 55 to 72 at the far side of the house in two hours and maintain that all day and evening, it's just I'd like something that last better overnight, and if it used less wood overall that would just be a bonus. Figure worse that can happen is decide to sell the air tight in the winter when it would bring more money.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

Same stove here and had the same problem trying to control it for longer burn time.

For longer burn times, cut the wood 14"-16" long , move all the coals to the back and stand the wood on end in the firebox. The fire will light off in the back and progress foward through the wood more slowly. This gives a more even heat for a longer period of time. Works for me for 1200 sq. ft.

If it had a baffle that was within 3"-4" of the front you could light it in the front and get the same or better results without having to stand the wood on end.

Mine has been to hot to take apart and add the baffle I have been thinking about, most of this Winter. If I have to go one more season with this one I WILL be adding a baffle.

 

[avalancher]

I've got the same stove myself, and had the same problem with the gap at the bottom of the door.
I took the ash pan out to the shop and welded a bead along the lip where it goes under the door, then machined it down. Took several attempts, but I finally managed to get a flat surface on the beads to take up the gap under the door. It helped big time in controlling the air flow/burn time.
I had bought this stove just to get me by until the next year, but for several years now it has "gotten me by"
One day I will get a decent stove!

 

[streeter]

I don't have one of those stoves, BUT, I do have and old air leaking firepig One thing that helped me keep the house at a more stable temp was buying some soapstone. But, I have a concrete block house with a cement floor. I found a guy that had a few slabs break on him and told me load my mustang truck up with the pieces and only charged me $50 for @250 lbs. I layed them inback of the stove and underneath it. The next morning, I could tell the differance in the house temps, MUCH warmer

Just a thought, it helped me! I just wanted to pass it on.

 

[Zodiac45]

Good idea Avalancher, I'm not familiar with the stove but I wonder if the gasket material you can buy in rolls at the hardware store might work too? I understand that theirs no channel for it but it might be possible too fins some high temp adhesive too attach it? Just thinking out loud.

 

[yooperman]

The wife and I had the same stove in a small camp we lived in for a couple yrs. Had aluminum foil stuffed in every air leak but still sounded like a jet. Be 85 to 90deg in the camp around 3am then by 7am the dogs water bowl had a layer of ice more than once. Kind of miss living in the camp though.

 

[bump_r]

Same stove here but with a "Magic Heat" scavenger. The system can put out the heat, but I have the same problem - poor burn time and inefficiency (I suppose those would go hand-in-hand, eh?). I do need to upgrade. It's good to have company in the "I need a better stove" club.