A different Vigilant II coal stove

nortcan · By: **nortcan** On: Thu Aug 04, 2011 1:38 pm

Some photos showing details of the grates.
As you can see, some had few tests on them (weld, removed welding, grinding...) the results may seems rough but it's just better for grinding the ash depots. Not easy to see on the photos but the gap between each grate is much larger than originally. The top of each grate has been grinded to make it round and even pointed.
On the VigII, when shaking, one grate goes forward while the next one goes backward.

SteveZee · By: **SteveZee** On: Thu Aug 04, 2011 3:58 pm

Good idea. Did this improvment take away the need for the knifing between grates?

nortcan · By: **nortcan** On: Thu Aug 04, 2011 4:54 pm

SteveZee wrote:Good idea. Did this improvment take away the need for the knifing between grates?

No. It was my first wish but it din't. When in original condition, one thing I hated was to have to open the front doors, with ash dust ,pieces of ant falling on the floor...remove the lower plate having ash on it's back, to have access to the grates to be able to sclice them. But when I installed the articulated lower door for the grates access and the front steel plate, it became almost a pleasure to sclice the grates. Clean and fast. Nothing to remove.
But the grates modifs helped a lot. I don't like to shake the lever a lot of times but if wanted to shake more strokes, then the sclicing could be done just once in a while.
I will send photos of a sort of rake I made to replace the sclice work but it was installed over the grates. Worked fine a few times but...should have been placed under the grates... Always something to learn. There was a link between the left side grate connected to that rake so when the grates were moving the rake was making a sort of 120* rotation between the grates just like if you had a knife rotating between each grate.
Will be easier to understand with photos. I know that a photo is much better than my English. Hope I still have it again. I made so many parts.............

VigIIPeaBurner · By: **VigIIPeaBurner** On: Thu Aug 04, 2011 6:07 pm

Gnarly lookn' grates, dude 8-)

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Not anyplace for anatomical parts, is it?

nortcan · By: **nortcan** On: Sat Aug 06, 2011 5:45 pm

Looks like the VigII is much less popular than the Bride.
Well, the Bride gets another point. VigII = 0, Golden Bride = 2
That is torture!

SteveZee · By: **SteveZee** On: Sat Aug 06, 2011 6:24 pm

nortcan wrote:Looks like the VigII is much less popular than the Bride.
Well, the Bride gets another point. VigII = 0, Golden Bride = 2
That is torture!

Yes well, the VigII is a good stove that you made that way. The Bride was good from the begining! - Also, It's round

nortcan · By: **nortcan** On: Sat Aug 06, 2011 10:55 pm

I must admit that if the Bride performs like I want, I will be in the obligation to admit that the bride is..............but all I did on the Bride was only small changes like placing rope gaskets, seal the micas and other places to be more air tight. I could have made the doors more air tight in adjusting the hinges...but preffered to put seal gaskets, easier...
But I didn't changed the way the stove has been made originally like I did on the VigII.
For the round or rectangular question, I can prove it's not the fire pot form that is important. And for that, the VigII can fight any other stoves, new or antique, when modified.

nortcan · By: **nortcan** On: Fri Sep 30, 2011 10:35 pm

Time is very long for this contender, the challenge may be very hard but for which one?
VigII V/S Golden Bride. Both are full equipped for the fight!

nortcan · By: **nortcan** On: Sat Oct 01, 2011 3:33 pm

Just a note to come back on the grates modifs, since modif, the shaking needs less strokes and could works without scilcing but I like sclicing, very fast and clean with the front plate on. On the photos the details of all the changes on each grate are not all visible but there are much more than we can see.

nortcan · By: **nortcan** On: Fri Oct 07, 2011 9:03 pm

No cold, no fire, nothing to say but I would like to come back on with the VigII.
I may loolk unsatisfied with it but the VigII commend a great respect. One reason among others: last year for 6 months burning, 1.68 T of ant, nut size. 2,200Sq f. house, 3 stories at the same warm temp. 24/24. I think that the VigII makes a great job with a so small fire chamber. Burnt 6 monts and the glasses as clean as new without any cleaning. Thank to the 2 holes in the front lower part of doors.

nortcan · By: **nortcan** On: Wed Nov 09, 2011 5:30 pm

While the Bride (the stove one) is sleeping before the colder time, I continue to improve/test the Vig II.
The Vig is on for the past 19 days without problem. Except one time when the fire almost got dead. But I was the problem. With the intention to get a lower fire, I mixed some ant rice with the nut. Yes I got a low fire, in fact too low. When I realised the problem, I opened the controls and the ash door. After 1/2 Hr the fire was getting hotter...
After 12 days without sclicing the grates, I can say that the last grates modifs give good results. Plus I don't need as many shaking strokes as before to get the ash in the pan. The ash grinding is even better than before. I will send photos.
I also placed an angle metal bar inside of the stove, at the top level of the windows to direct downward the secondary air coming from the 2 holes I made in the front doors. Before the air coming from these hole was going directly to the top of the stove then to the 2 sides of the stoves' outlets, too high to help the over the fire gasses burning.

Yesterday, 8Am...Stove Temp = 325*F...4 Lbs with the 3 floors at an average temp of 23*C/73*F
8Pm...Stove Temp = 250*F...4Lbs warmer outs. temp. so adjust the air control more closed
Today, 8Am...Stove Temp = 150*F...3Lbs """ """ """ "" "" "" "" "" "" ""
Not too bad for a """new""" stove! The stove works good on low and high burning rates.

VigIIPeaBurner · By: **VigIIPeaBurner** On: Wed Nov 09, 2011 7:03 pm

nortcan wrote:...8<...After 12 days without sclicing the grates, I can say that the last grates modifs give good results. Plus I don't need as many shaking strokes as before to get the ash in the pan. The ash grinding is even better than before. I will send photos. ...>8...

Can't wait for the pictures. This is my bigest gripe about the shaking operation. It's just fine when I run UAE which is low ash and little bone. With anything else, it's a shaking excursion. Way too whimpy as designed with anything other than UAE ant..

nortcan · By: **nortcan** On: Wed Nov 09, 2011 9:01 pm

VigII PB, I really don't know why Vermont Castings is not more interested in making the Vig III. It could be so easy for them to take the VigII and improve little things here and there and that's it. The same exterior body, same interior long path for indirect burning draft... They have all what is needed to do that except the willing. Maybe not enough demand? But with a stove like the Vig III, the demand would come very fast...
For the grates photos I will send some in a short time. Like I told you earlier, the last grates modif is a simple modification and gives a better extraction of the ash in all the grate surface. When I make changes on my stoves, sometime they work and sometime don't but if the conceptors of the Vig had one in his home, I wouldn't have to do his job. Anyways I like to work on stoves.
Just an other nice thing on the Vig II = no MPD and no Baro!

VigIIPeaBurner · By: **VigIIPeaBurner** On: Sun Jan 01, 2012 3:29 pm

nortcan wrote:I will send photos of a sort of rake I made to replace the sclice work but it was installed over the grates. Worked fine a few times but...should have been placed under the grates... Always something to learn. There was a link between the left side grate connected to that rake so when the grates were moving the rake was making a sort of 120* rotation between the grates just like if you had a knife rotating between each grate.
Will be easier to understand with photos. I know that a photo is much better than my English. Hope I still have it again. I made so many parts.............

BUMP!

Nortcan - I know that, like anyone with a new Bride would be, you're a little busy.

nortcan · By: **nortcan** On: Sun Jan 01, 2012 10:51 pm

Hi VigII. When I wrote the post, I looked for the "slicer rake" but didn't find it. So I forgot about that dream :idea:

.
But I found that part and will send a photo of it.
Yes, the Bride (the metallic one) really changed my mind. Honestly, I forgot all my dreams :idea:

about making the perfect VigII shaking system. When you try the shaking system in the Bride and get used to it, you don't want an other system.
I know that it's not the best words for the V.C. fans but it's honestly what I think.

A different Vigilant II coal stove

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