Vermont Castings Vigilant Coal Kit Install Manual

The scale as a gauge is a great idea.

VigIIPeaBurner wrote:The scale as a gauge is a great idea.

Well I figured I needed some way to measure the setting and what better way to measure distance then with a ruler and then that give me a number to go by

hey that's a great idea for 'calibrating the themostatic control rod! I used a chalk mark on the rear edge of the stove last year, something like 200, 400 and 600 (balls to the wall heat setting!)

but it dissapeared this year after usind stove polish-haha

Vig peaburner, that 18 hr run is at warm outside tempc, internal damper closed, and baro is dead closed, (except if it's breezy outside)

my manometer reads 1-2 tick marks right of zero on those conditions. or .01-.02 inchs

as opposed to baro running 1/4-1/3 way open tonite, (flaps wide open in a gust) and the manometer reads between .05-.06 inchs

the draft doesn't go higher than it is right now, even in lower temps, the baro just runs open more

Now for my big bitch about the new 50 lb bags--- I poped out my navel hernia ( that i get maybe once a year) from bring in the 50 lbr's in bear hug style. the 40 lbs I had last year had handles, and didn't stress this old body-LOL

So now i have to put on an elastic belly wrap to bring in a bag or cut the bag and sump some in a 5gal pail . It sucks getting old! I'd make my wife haul in the coal, but she has a trick knee!

there done bitching!

back to the temp rod handle scale, how about a pair of magnets to hold the metal scale???

rewinder wrote:...Now for my big bitch about the new 50 lb bags--- I poped out my navel hernia ( that i get maybe once a year) from bring in the 50 lbr's in bear hug style. the 40 lbs I had last year had handles, and didn't stress this old body-LOL....

We are on the same wavelength here my friend . Just picked up 1000# of Blaschak nut.... 40# bags, and great coal...SWEET!!!!

rewinder: Your setup with the baro seems pretty good, I was thinking on installing one along along with the manometer but didn't want to spend the extra money at the time since I didn't know how well I would like burning coal, but I'm a convert now! So in the near future there will be one installed

I got 4 of those 50 lb bags of nut to try out before I committed to getting a ton (and just about busted mine..)

Magnets would work if I could find the proper ones and cut the ruler, I was thinking since there is a hole in the top just a wider ruler or even a straight piece of metal with more permanent marks and drill a hole in it and bolt it there or if I could find an old framing square (don't want to cut and drill a hole in the only one I have at the moment), cut it down to size and drill the hole as it is wide enough. Took a couple of photos to show what I was thinking below.

Awh, nobody wants to cut 10 good inches off a good tool. Got any flea markets around? I always see guys selling cheap tools and if I look close enough, I'd be sure to find a 6" rule.

Why not just scribe some marks** on the top edge of the stove near the adjusting rod. Then strap or slip a pointer on the rod pointing at the stove. Could slip on something arranged like the pot holder on a candy thermometer. This didn't fit too well but you could bend something to work better. Besides, that hole on top you're talking about is for the mitten rods. See mine? Granted, the scale looks better but can you read it when it's painted black to match the stove?

Hey, when I took the pictures I - for the first time - saw the 2310 has a graphic** cast into the top edge to show how the rod position relates to the flapper opening! Very modern! :lol

VigIIPeaBurner wrote:Awh, nobody wants to cut 10 good inches off a good tool. Got any flea markets around? I always see guys selling cheap tools and if I look close enough, I'd be sure to find a 6" rule.

No I wouldn't want to ruin a good tool either.

One of the reasons I figured to use a ruler, is that the thin ruler I am using is from a broken slide ruler and has mm's to give me easy numbers to put in my spreadsheet. If I had a welder I could just weld a tab /washer with a hole to the ruler. The steel rulers that I have the lines and numbers are engraved into the steel so I guess one could use like red, white, etc, and put it in the marks. Also using your idea with a pointer of a sort I could get away with the thin ruler, but still I hate to cut down a nice 16" straight edge.

VigIIPeaBurner wrote:Besides, that hole on top you're talking about is for the mitten rods. See mine?

I don't have mitten rods

Well I guess since I have a VC1 and yours is much newer, it has the "modern" graphic

rewinder wrote:hey that's a great idea for 'calibrating the themostatic control rod! I used a chalk mark on the rear edge of the stove last year, something like 200, 400 and 600 (balls to the wall heat setting!)

but it dissapeared this year after usind stove polish-haha

back to the temp rod handle scale, how about a pair of magnets to hold the metal scale???

I was at the local Harbor Freight the other day and they had some "welders magnets", so I picked up a pack of 4 small magnets for $1.98 or so, being a triangle shape they worked perfect to stick on the stove and hold the ruler. The only thing now I need a shorter steel measure, as I don't want to cut down the one I have just yet.

I was wondering if my fellow Vigilant users wouldn't mind posting a few close up pictures of a fire in the pre VII 2310 models with a fire going. I'd like to see what the fire looks like with the front doors open in the older models. Not too close, just within the door's opening. Do they all have hoppers except for the newest version?

VigIIPeaBurner wrote:I was wondering if my fellow Vigilant users wouldn't mind posting a few close up pictures of a fire in the pre VII 2310 models with a fire going. I'd like to see what the fire looks like with the front doors open in the older models. Not too close, just within the door's opening. Do they all have hoppers except for the newest version?

No pix just now (currently freezing in Fl). I believe that the coal kit is the only one with a hopper. Neither the 1400 (multi-fuel) or 2310 (coal) have a hopper. I believe that the coal kit should fit in any vigilant woodburner with a hole in front for the shaker rod. The newer Vigilants do not appear to have a hole pre-drilled, so you would have to do it yourself.

Here is a few of mine from this morning, after 10 hr. burn with Nut just before tending it and afterwards.


The next two are after tending the stove with the back vent open all the way after about 30 to 45 minutes later as I got side tracked watching the news... VigIIPeaBurner I hear Rt 46 is closed in or near Hackettstown... I normally just leave the back vent open only a couple of mins. the time it takes me to get water for the pots on the top...


Set timer on camera and open the doors just before it took the shot

cntbill, are you sure you didn't take a pic of my vigilant??? joking, mine looks exactly the same.

As far as i know, only the Vig's with the left to right 3 rocker grates are hopper stoves, if that is what you are asking.

rewinder wrote:cntbill, are you sure you didn't take a pic of my vigilant??? joking, mine looks exactly the same.

Well I guess that's good since I copied your idea of the gasket under the glass

rewinder wrote:As far as i know, only the Vig's with the left to right 3 rocker grates are hopper stoves, if that is what you are asking.

VigII... was asking, but good to know on the direction of the grates

Well.... back to shoveling snow

rewinder wrote:cntbill, are you sure you didn't take a pic of my vigilant??? joking, mine looks exactly the same.

Mine too!

stonyloam wrote:

rewinder wrote:cntbill, are you sure you didn't take a pic of my vigilant??? joking, mine looks exactly the same.

Mine too!

Well guess they do all look pretty much alike... Gave up on shoveling snow, wind just blows it back