rberq wrote:. I saw in another post you said you can idle the Mk II down to 10 pounds of coal a day, which is good. It is a little more than the Mk 1 -- I estimate maybe 8 pounds, which is ideal for early and late season here in Maine (October and May).
Yes, the Mark II idles really nice, and then it refreshes quickly for the evening. I brought it before I found the forum so I consider myself lucky that it more then meets our heating needs. Of course, I'm a lot further south then you are, too. Our average temperature is 27*. The only time I had a problem was when the temperature want all the way down to 12*.
rberq wrote:I wonder what else could be used instead of firebrick ... maybe steel or stainless square or rectangular tubing ... something readily available off-the-shelf?
I wonder if we could find something at the auto parts stove, some rectangle piece of stainless steel tubing. The Mark II has rectangle pipes running through the roof of the fire box for heat distribution. Maybe there's something out there that's not as big that could be cut to fit. Nay, it probably wouldn't last very long due to the heat. Can't do anything about it until the spring anyway.
rberq wrote:P.S. There is a bracket that hold the front firebricks in place. It bolts on just inside the door, at the bottom. Mine has burned out twice now. Yours?
I replaced it for the first time this year. I was thinking that maybe that piece could be modified to hold the higher firebricks in place. Maybe a longer strap could be welded on to reach the current screw hole on the stove body. It's certainly worth giving it some thought. It's on the back burner for now because things are just too hectic in my life at this point in time. I'll think about it some more over the summer. Lisa