Picked up a Radiant Home Air Blast No. 264A...have some Q's?

Just got a stove today and trying to learn a little about it.

1.) Can the year of manufacture be determined from numbers on inside of shell, cast into castings?

2.) Will this only burn Soft Coal and Wood? Not Hard Coal?

Here is old ad featured in newspaper long ago... http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2 ... 83,5515380
The stove is different...but the fire pot is the same.

My stove is a "Diamond in the Rough" and I gave $75.00 for it.

Here is a couple pictures of one similar that sold on ebay a while back...

Provided that the bottom grate does not form a solid surface I think it will burn hard coal just fine. Fire box should be full though and if necessary those slots could be partly plugged.

Congratulations on finding a very interesting stove.

Thanks for the reply.

I have not seen the grate yet, as it has frozen ash in it that will need to be removed and the 2 bottom doors are rusted shut.

I said it was a "Diamond in the Rough"

Come on get your terminolgy correct "diamond in the rust " ! Lol

I am always amazed at the good finds on this forum!

Definatly cool and I look forward to seeing your rebuild !

If the numbers I see mean the year of manufacture...this stove was made in 1894.

McGiever wrote:If the numbers I see mean the year of manufacture...this stove was made in 1894.

Do you have any photos of some of the castings with the numbers ?

I'm very hesitant about buying a stove that needs a lot of work but that one I would buy just to see how that fire pot works out.

Please be extra patient on those doors.Let soak for a long time and remember vibration (tapping the hinge pins) is your friend in getting penetrating oil to soak in. I have read that acetone and auto trans fluid mixed fifty fifty is more effective than the commercial products but have not tried it. Years ago I used a very thin commercial tapping fluid on a stove and it was like magic.

PB blaster is also wonderful for Penatrating rust.

Radiant Homes, built by Germer are among the finest, most well designed stoves available. They had several designs of fire pots. This one is very unusual in that it supplies the heated secondary air right into the fire bed. I've always wondered how this fire pot configuration works. It is designed for high volatile Bituminous Coal, but; it should have no problem with Anthracite. You can control the amount of secondary air admitted to the fire on most of these models.
Your stove is fairly rare. The Radiant Model was sold in much larger numbers than the Circulator Model which you have. These stoves can provide volumes of heat if needed.
Be very careful as you take the stove apart. Patience and gentle persuasion is the key here.
Please keep us updated as you restore the stove and we really want to hear how it operates.

McGiever wrote:I have not seen the grate yet, as it has frozen ash in it that will need to be removed and the 2 bottom doors are rusted shut.

I started breaking down the stove, had to dig out the old ashes that remained on the grates. Grate was able to be removed as I had already removed upper stove body and grate could be lifted after I wiggled the shaker grate free of the stationery grate. Turns out the grates are in good condition. And to my surprise there was a ash pan still in place below where the grate was just removed from, although it was pretty well rusted out it will be good enough for my sheet metal guy to reproduce. Ash pan was trapped where it was until I would get the 2 doors loosened and opened.

Now with a good soaking and left over night I was able to not only free up and open the 2 bottom doors, and remove the trapped ash pan, but I also got the air spinners free and removed. Nuth'in to this old stove work.

Next will be my attempt to get a bunch of stove bolts removed...first bunch have been soaking...so we will see.

Almost forgot...a grate shaker handle for Radiant Home came up for auction at ebay and I won it, it came in the mail today. Located a Nickel Plater within an hours drive of me that does antique/restoration jobs. Wonder what that will cost?

Congrats on a good buy!! could you post a photo or two of the grates?

Greg L

Best $75 bucks ever spent! Congrats on the good find.

Excellent find

You may be ahead of the game to drill out the old nuts and bolts. I rebuilt an old in very bad shape Heatrola. I fought with rusted nuts and bolts until I said what the heck and filed a flat spot on the bolts and drilled them out. I ended up saving the skin on my other 7 knuckles!!

Rev. Larry

Smokeyja wrote:PB blaster is also wonderful for Penatrating rust.

I have had great success with PB Blaster heat and time. Basically spray the joint in the part and then heat it with a propane torch until it smokes and wants to flash into flames spray again and walk away. Do this 3 or 4 times with a cool down in between the times. The last job I did this on was an oxygen sensor that was on a V6 Pontiac sedan. They are notorious for breaking the manifold when being removed and the deal told this happens often. I sprayed it and started the car to heat it up for several minutes and spyed again after shutting the car off. Did this 4 times over the period of a day with one good soaking on the last run. The next day it came out like the day it was put in no pain or strain at all.

90 percent of the time, the best, easiest, most simple method is to get a chisel and cut them. You have to replace them anyway.