My little Potbelly on Anthracite

I saw one of these stoves in an antique store in Ball Ground, GA over the summer. It was in great shape, too. I think they wanted a couple of hundred for it. I didn't have my truck or I might have brought it home with me. I think it had been used for wood primarily. My first thought on seeing the stove was that I would put a gasket on the doors. It just seemed as if it needed to be done. I say do it. Lisa

Aubuchon used to sell them as well as others with no UL approval I think. Maybe they still do. They were made overseas. No UL approval I believe so I don't think you still can get them. I didn't see anything wrong with the one I had for what it was but UL might have some conditions that make them unable to meet being the stove they are. I sold it because I put my Cubby down the cellar.

ScubaSteve wrote:I have the exact same stove that i picked up at a flea market in PA about 4 years ago for $45 bucks. I have nowhere to use it right now, but for what I paid for it, I'm gonna hold on to her! I read that that particular stove was in A lot of turn of the century American Post offices. They were Manufactured from like 1890 onward. I post a few pics of mine in a few days

Here is my model 40 : It could use a restoration, What kind of condition do you guys think its in judging by the pic? Are they hard to restore??

i have two of these made by different companies . one is a sun 50 made by king stove Co . the other is #6 made by global foundary Co NY . any one interested ?

S.S.,
from the pic it looks like it is all there, if there are no cracks or busted castings then restoring it would be pretty simple.
take it apart and have it all sandblasted or remove the surface rust with a good scrubbing with a Scotchbrite pad and soap and water then reassemble using a good furnace cement on all the mating seams, I used "Rutland brand" I would suggest all new screws and nuts available at any hardware store then follow up with couple coats of stove ploish.
WHALLA ya done.
Tim

Thanks Tim, Yea, no cracks anywhere so I think Im good to go!! I appreciate all the info

Well ....after some fabricating closures and applying some rope gaskets..I am now enjoying 12 hr+ burns with no touching of the Ol" Pot Belly !!!
Here is what I have done to date:
1- drilled 2, 1/4" holes in the ash closure and fabed up to closure handles out of 1/4" steel rod that grasp the inside of the stove body and pull the ash plate closed tight against its mating surface and with the flat rope gasket makes it air tight.
2- rope gasketed the load door.so far that is enough but it needs a closure of its own to pull it closed and make a better seal..but right now it is OK ...
3- I was in the shop fabbin up a air damper/closure for the BIGGEST air leak in a Atlanta Pot Belly the BIG ARSE GAP AROUND THE GRATE HANDLE..I was beatin my head against the wall tryin this an that ...made like 6 prototypes of little doors tryin to attach a gasket to them ..an my wife came down an was lookin over my shoulder why I was test burnin a fresh fire and she looked an said ...hey lets TRY THIS ...an she just took a 10" long pc. of the rope gasket I had layin on the bench and folded it over an so gently stuck the folded end on one side of the hole and drapped it under the ash handle and tucked the loose end in the other side ...WHALLA!!!...no more leak!!!..I MARRIED HER FOR REASON! ...so far THAT IS WORKING PERFECTLY !
and I had to make NO MODIFICATIONS TO THIS ANTIQUE! in that area..that is great.
4-I have ordered a pc. of Mica to put behind the Pot Bellies loading door vent ...wich is for wood burning and I wil not need but will give me a view of the fire.
5- swiched from NUT ...wich was giving me a very HOT fire but no longevity ...this weekend I have been experimenting and making a hard wood fire / nice small layer lof NUT top get established ...the topping off to the top of the fire pot with Pea ..I now get a more controled burn and WAY LONGER fire!!!..that is AWESOME!..and NO OVER FIRING LIKE WITH THE NUT ALONE.
6-SORRY NO PICS YET AS THE ASH DOOR CLOSURES ARE WRAW YET AND I NEED TO MAKE HANDLES AND SUCH AN THEY ARE LIKE 4 INCHES LONGER THAN THEY NEED TO BE...after i get it cleaned up I will post pics.

OOOHHH ..almost forgot the most important thing I have done.
I have abondoned shaking the grate in this Pot Belly all together..I made up a nice poker with a 90 degree bend 2" long on the end and heated it with my Acetelanine torch and flatened it out to just a bit smaller than the grates slots so I can go through the air vents and manually poke down the ash from the bottem ..so far that is working GREAT!

Interesting, I can't wait to see pictures.

Good job Tim I was going to suggest the grate poker but I see you figgured it out. Ingenuity sure makes succeeding at a challenging task such as turning an old pot belly into a serious and efficient heater possible.

I have a Mode# 40 and use it in my 'Tree House' - room ( 14x14 ) off the back of my 3 story barn ( on the second floor ). The room faces the woods in back of my house ( 12ft off the ground ) and has 6 5x5 casement windows. It's like being outside, and this little potbelly keeps i nice and warm for us.

I bought it this summer ( $175) from an old gentleman who was using i for a decoration in his hallway! I cleaned it up ( it was in great condition) and fired her up about a week ago. Burns great ( not airtight of course ) but it seems 'happy' being put to work after those long years being 'idle'.

I had a Model#60 ( but it was a 'knock-off' ( probably Sears) not an Atlantic Stove. It did not have any of the markings of the Atlantic brand as my 'new' Model#40 does. This one has 1888 on the rim (back) of the top section and the brand name above the clean out.

Nice little stove that suits the purpose. My Harmon Mark 1 does the job in the main house

Here's some pictures of my 'new addition' heating my Tree-House' today. Model#40 Atlantic Stove Co. Conestoga 1888

Sorry! Here's pic#2 ( upright!)

COOL ARSE TREE HOUSE!.....nice little stove also~

Here is the load door gasket and Mica window installed ...the bottom ash door mods are working GREAT...will post pics after I am done tweeking.