VigIIPeaBurner wrote:Hey Matt - thanks again for the positive comments. I did a lot of trial an error until I figured out either what was wrong with how my stove was set up or what I was doing wrong
If you are where I think you are (add it to your profile!), I've spent a fair amount of time up your way in the past. Wife's roommate owns a campground (Hidden Pond) not too far south from you near Brant Lk. Cut some wood near Schroon Lk, visited Peckham Ind. plants and not to mention a few watering holes too. It's been a while
Hey VigII, you are welcome, yep I am about 50 miles north of Brant Lk. It's really is beautiful up here, but employment is tough to come by... so we eke out a living.. no complaints
Ok big turn of events today. Wadhams came by and made a closer inspection of my older VigII. See his stove kicks out more overall heat. There had to be a problem. Well he found numerous air leaks around the stove. Where ever there was a cemented seal, there a leak could be found!!! Basically the entire stove was leaking
Now this stove is old. Not sure how old, but it is enameled model. So I missed a big step, I never checked to see if the stove was air tight. But you know what? The stove has been running for nearly 3 months and was kicking out some serious heat even with the leaks.
Any rate, we had to apply cement from the outside by forming narrow beads. It ain't so pretty, but hey it works.
The improvement is very dramatic. The stove is kicking more heat. The couch had to be moved back away from the fire (again). The air inlet had to be set at about 1/8 th of an inch opening last night. Before I had to keep it open 1-1.5 inches. This morning there is plenty of coal left to burn , so she's got quite a ways to go. I have been burning pea only. I just laid a thick layer of pea on, and it took about 10 minutes for the blue ladies to arrive. No need to open the
ash pan to revive the fire.
Wadhams showed me how to gently remove ash from grates. No hard slicing, but just a gentle upward push to allow the ash to fall through. The
angle brick Wadhams cast is just tall enough so the top can be sliced through the front grill. ( Or is it referred to as a fettle?). So I am learning.
I am 12 ft from the stove, and I can feel the waves of heat... life is good!
Matt