I have my base burner (BB)

What surprise me is that these hinge pins are only 1/8" in diameter. I saw 3/8" on the web but 1/8" is like that stove=rare. Maybe if I remove these small ones I could drill oversize and replace the 1/8" with 3/8" ones but as you can see on the photos there is not much place to drill between the pin supports. I sanded the top of the hinge supports to see if I could see the other end of the pins but nothing there. Still in reflection.
Thank for the help
nortcan

I would clamp the cast part in a vise so no bending stress is placed on it. I would then drill a hole in the end of a 3/8 or 1/2 inch piece of round stock, about 6 inches long or longer that is a close fit on the pin. Heat the pin then place the rod partially on the pin up to the point where the bend is. If it is a close fit it will stick at the point of the bend. Heat the exposed part of the pin while placing stress on the rod in the right direction until it moves.

1/8 pins are probably strong enough for such a small door, but if you want to go bigger then maybe 3/16 or 1/4 inch tops. I would stick with the original pins since they are not worn. Going over size there would be a problem in getting the over size holes in line with each other.

Thanks Franco. Goo informations I got here. After a close inspection and re-inspection, it seems that the pins were bent voluntary so the door could close with the minimum of play. The holes are not round but more oval. What I realized is the oval holes just command to rise the end of the door when closing them. I have one door having a gap at the bottom, on the latch side, when it is closed but I try to pry it with my hands, play with the door to simulate a better hinge pins fit but the gap is about 1/8" and stay there. All around the door seal perfectly so I don't want to remove some metal to remove the gap.
What I tried is to fit a gasket rope where the door stops. It fills the gap and makes a good seal. Not in the antique tradition but can be remove it if needed.
In the same door is a slot but the flapper was missing so a "new" one is almost finished.
Thanks again Franco and all others for all the good suggestions. I didn't used them this time but I always like to learn new ways to do the things.
nortcan

Outstanding & simplistic fix my Quebec friend. What a cute little flapper you put together damn, it even fits.

freetown fred wrote:Outstanding & simplistic fix my Quebec friend. What a cute little flapper you put together damn, it even fits.

Thanks my USA friend. Now I just need to bend the flapper so it fits the round shape of the door rest. I think that stoves are a very goog hobby plus a good way to heat a house. Having so much help here, when having questions makes me more confident with the hammer...
Salutations from Qc
nortcan

Nortcan...... take your time for the little ajustments and fixes you are doing on the Golden Bride. You have all summer to get her ready for next heating season. I will bet she will even burn better when you are done with her. I can't wait to see her fired up in the future.

Nortcan, since those pins are small, 1/8" or so [3mm?] I'd try bending them to do what adjusting you need to do. What I'd do is find a piece of 1/8" or 1/4" pipe and slip the pipe over the pin, and use the leverage of the pipe to bend the pin.. But the suggestions of heat are correct. The pins will bend easier if they are heated to almost red, a dull red, then gently bend the pin, using the leverage of the described pipe/pin extender.

Now, I think you covered this, but I want to make sure.. Does the door fit perfectly to the stove opening when the door is NOT on the pins? Said anotherway, is the door warped? or is the door a perfect fit, and the hinge pins causing the miss-fit ?? Is the curve of the stove a different curve [radius] than the curve [radius] of the door? If so, your gasket seal is the way to fix it.

I think you said you decided to use some gasket material [rope gasket] to fill and seal the remaining gap in the door, to me this implies that the door doesn't fit the front of the stove correctly.. and I think your use of rope gasket is the best and correct way to seal the door.

As for your heat shield, spaciing it out from the wall like you describe is correct, but you mentioned a lower heat shield sitting on the floor.. you want to leave a 1" or so gap at the floor, this will provide better airflow behind the shield.

I like your little stove, and am looking forward to the heating/opperating reports next heating season..

Greg L

buck24 wrote:Nortcan...... take your time for the little ajustments and fixes you are doing on the Golden Bride. You have all summer to get her ready for next heating season. I will bet she will even burn better when you are done with her. I can't wait to see her fired up in the future.

You'r right buck24 but ideas don't stop in my head... you all know what is it with a new BB. And I did thought I wouldn't touch this stove LOL. At first I didn't care about the antique side of the stove. My main goal was to heat the house. Well, I mean a part of the house cause the VC is doing its job now and if the BB works correctly I will run both stoves at a low Temp. So I realized that these antique stoves were so well engineered I couldn't go on and scap the antique side of it. I'm making a flapper from a steel flat bar but one day I can have it from cast iron like the original one.
Actually it still too cold to install the chimney sooooo
nortcan

Greg, thanks for the good words and for the infos.

The door doesn't look to be warped and has a perfect fit excepted for the left lower side. All the other sides fit perfectly. No play at the right side in the hinges/pins/holes when trying to move the door at the hinges side. The top pin has a play in it but not the lower one. Just as I'm writing this, it makes me think that: because the right lower pin is bent it could takes the play out and maybe also doesn't help for the left side lower gap? I think I will try to get the pin straight and see what happens. Anyway, the rope gasket can't be a negative add.and I can remove it anytime.
salutations Greg
nortcan

I know how it is to get obsessive with things. I am exactly the same way. I will mess with something until it is fixed or I go too far. That fit is very important to be perfectly tight as it is right at the bottom of the fire pot. I wonder why the door is off just a little? When they put the stove back together did they make sure everything was replaced properly? I see nothing wrong with putting some gasket there. It is an easy solution to a small problem.

Once you get it all installed and ready to go. You will begin a whole new process of learning how the stove operates. It will be an entirely different experience than the Vigilant and how it operates. You will be amazed at how much heat you can get on just a few pounds of coal with the base burner. There's a big difference in a stove that has the potential of 90% plus efficiency versus one that can produce 60 to 70% tops. It will be up to you to learn how to run the base burner to get that 90%. I know you will master it. It will take you a good while to learn all the little secrets this stove has to tell you about itself. You will have a few surprises in store for you.

wsherrick wrote:I know how it is to get obsessive with things. I am exactly the same way. I will mess with something until it is fixed or I go too far. That fit is very important to be perfectly tight as it is right at the bottom of the fire pot. I wonder why the door is off just a little? When they put the stove back together did they make sure everything was replaced properly? I see nothing wrong with putting some gasket there. It is an easy solution to a small problem.

Once you get it all installed and ready to go. You will begin a whole new process of learning how the stove operates. It will be an entirely different experience than the Vigilant and how it operates. You will be amazed at how much heat you can get on just a few pounds of coal with the base burner. There's a big difference in a stove that has the potential of 90% plus efficiency versus one that can produce 60 to 70% tops. It will be up to you to learn how to run the base burner to get that 90%. I know you will master it. It will take you a good while to learn all the little secrets this stove has to tell you about itself. You will have a few surprises in store for you.

The gasket rope was not my No.1 solution but I couldn't find the solution. The rope can do the job but I can try to work the lower hinge pin to see if it helps. I sent an email to Bryant Stove and wait for an answer from them. They probably didn't see that gap cause when the door is closed it seems to be thight. I saw the gap accidentally when looking in the stove from the left side windows. Lot of windows are good for air leaks and also good to see all around inside of the stove.
William, do you think that the "fingers" and "slots" at the bottom of the fire pot can be a problem to jam with hard parts or clinkers in the bottom of the fire bed when rotating the outer grate? Did that happened to you on your's? I mean if some hard things can go into these openings of the fire pot and block the outer grate from shaking?
Thanks, nortcan

I have never had a problem with the shaker on my Stanley Argand jambing up. These type of fire pots are really good at keeping a exact amount of ash on the bottom of the fire. The thing you have to watch is over shaking them. All that is normally required is a light rotation of the circular grate to shake out the outer edge of the fire. the center shakers are for a total clean out of the firebed. To keep a low level fire at a constant rate in the stove all you have to do is learn how much to shake out of the outer edge of the fire. There will be enough air coming all around the outer ring to keep the fire lighted even with a fairly heavy layer of ash on the grate.

wsherrick wrote:I have never had a problem with the shaker on my Stanley Argand jambing up. These type of fire pots are really good at keeping a exact amount of ash on the bottom of the fire. The thing you have to watch is over shaking them. All that is normally required is a light rotation of the circular grate to shake out the outer edge of the fire. the center shakers are for a total clean out of the firebed. To keep a low level fire at a constant rate in the stove all you have to do is learn how much to shake out of the outer edge of the fire. There will be enough air coming all around the outer ring to keep the fire lighted even with a fairly heavy layer of ash on the grate.

Nice to read that William. Supposed you burn your Stanley Argand all days long, do you need to shake both grates on cold days?
Is it your Stanley Argand I saw on a video you made and finish with antique music? Short vid. but nice...
nortcan

Hi, today I relaxed on this Sunday. I finished the slot flapper and for the FUN tryed to seal some loose micas. Wow. Not as easy as I imaginated. Having some curve in the windows frame doesn't help. Tryed stove cement, no way, tryed red high temp. silicone, no way, so I tryed clear rope cement and it worked better than the other ones. Anyways, I have time ahead for that windows hobby...
I also played with the doors hinge pins. Just tryed to get them more straight according to the comments from this forum. Well, the more I tryed the worst the door was closing. So the rope gaskets will be the "Antique" modern solution. In 100 Yrs +, the next owner could remove the gasket ropes if he wants an original antique stove.
nortcan

Nortcan,

You are very artistic in the way you take pictures. Perfect example is the first set of pictures you took of the stove. The stove itself is gorgeous but your pictures make it look even more so. You are doing an incredible job with the restoration. But I do have to ask, was the stove that clean when you picked it up or did you clean it? Because, either way. That is impressive with how clean that stove is.