Union Stove Works Invader 2 Parlour Coal Stove

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badlegdave
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Post by badlegdave » Mon. Sep. 23, 2013 1:09 am

At the end of last heating season I managed to acquire a Union Stove Works Invader 2 Parlour coal stove. It is beautiful and in what I consider to be remarkable condition. I have it set up in my basement at our lake house in the Pocs but only was able to experiment with it twice early last spring. I was able to get a coal fire going to which I filled up the chamber from the top with stove coal. It burned all night but most of the heat must have gone up the chimney because it was not toasty warm in the 700 sq ft basement with 90" ceiling.
I have purchased a barometric damper to install into the pipe before it exits into the chimney. I am completely new to coal and coal stove operation. Does anyone have an Invader 2 (also)? If you could provide me with some insight on proper operation I would be most grate-full.

Dave


 
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wsherrick
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Post by wsherrick » Mon. Sep. 23, 2013 4:48 pm

We need a lot more information about your stove and how you've got it set up.
Some nice detailed pictures of the stove and installation would go a long way to helping us help you.
If you have an Invader Base Burner complete with a magazine, you should be able to go longer than a 24 hour period without having to put more coal on the fire.
These are very efficient stoves of excellent design.
It shouldn't be too hard to figure out what is happening with it.

 
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badlegdave
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Location: Wyckoff, NJ / Paupack, PA
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Coal Size/Type: Pea/Chestnut
Other Heating: Electric baseboard

Post by badlegdave » Mon. Sep. 23, 2013 8:21 pm

Excellent. I will take pictures of it this weekend and post them as you suggest. Not to get ahead of you but I still have the barometric damper in the box uninstalled; am I on the right track with such a device?
:|

 
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dcrane
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Post by dcrane » Mon. Sep. 23, 2013 8:49 pm

sounds like #2 is the same one coalnewbie got! Union Stove Works Invader No. 2 Base Burner on Ebay
It looks like a fantastic quality and incredible design with 3 sided mica! this thing should heat 700sq' like "Butta" :dancing:

 
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badlegdave
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Location: Wyckoff, NJ / Paupack, PA
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman Mark II
Baseburners & Antiques: Union Stove Works - Invader 2 Parlour Stove
Coal Size/Type: Pea/Chestnut
Other Heating: Electric baseboard

Post by badlegdave » Mon. Sep. 23, 2013 9:00 pm

dcrane:
You are correct. It is the same stove that someone else has posted and included a picture of along with his old unit.
That is my exact stove. So cool to see it somewhere else also. Stoves made back in the 1890's lasting this long is very exciting. Now I just have to figure out how to use it properly.
How do I include a picture?

 
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dcrane
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Post by dcrane » Tue. Sep. 24, 2013 3:12 am

take some photo's of the stove (inside & outside... grate, liner, doors opened, rear flu area, etc.) then load those photos onto your computer (put them on the desktop or someplace you know), then click on "reply" to this post of mine and you will see a tab below that says "upload attachment"...click on it, then click on the "browse" button and locate each one of the photo's we just saved onto your desktop and click "upload" after you browse for each one. then click submit and those photos will then show on the thread for us.

 
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Coal Size/Type: Rice,
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Post by coalnewbie » Tue. Sep. 24, 2013 3:41 am

Yes, DC and all, I love my Invader #2 and it is sitting next to my Hitzer 50-93. I selected my Invader model as it has a chute and I make a very grumpy stove mistress. BG, does yours have a chute as I am confused at the different Invader models? No sweat BG you will get there and there will be plenty of heat.. The problem with mine is just laziness.... here I sit at 3:25AM (I don't sleep well) and it's 35F and the room is cold. I have my Hitzer lighting technique down to a fine art (I am an ex one match club member and it's still September :cry: ). I only have a flexible 5.5" pipe (no damper, baro, manometer or even a tee clean out) to the back and could change it over as I have the Invader adapter. I could do it, I really intend to do it, I also want to learn Farsi..... instead I think I will drink some tea, pick my nose and play computer games. That damned Hitzer is soooo easy.

OTOH, I could sell it to a good home that would love it and use it to stay warm. With a 10" fire pot it's not your local church warmer however. As we have cancelled TV just the sight of that mica stove going could keep me warm. -- love mica stoves... imagine a cold winter night, a mica stove and some candel coal :) :) .... It was restored in 1971 so a 40 year sleep is enough yes? Just as soon as I am finished with this round of angry birds I am going to install it....... perhaps.

The new CN motto is wait for BG/WH to sort it out and I will copy them. I have converted to liberalism, it's a new Amerika we must all adjust.


 
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dcrane
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Post by dcrane » Tue. Sep. 24, 2013 4:34 am

coalnewbie wrote:Yes, DC and all, I love my Invader #2 and it is sitting next to my Hitzer 50-93. I selected my Invader model as it has a chute and I make a very grumpy stove mistress. BG, does yours have a chute as I am confused at the different Invader models? No sweat BG you will get there and there will be plenty of heat.. The problem with mine is just laziness.... here I sit at 3:25AM (I don't sleep well) and it's 35F and the room is cold. I have my Hitzer lighting technique down to a fine art (I am an ex one match club member and it's still September :cry: ). I only have a flexible 5.5" pipe (no damper, baro, manometer or even a tee clean out) to the back and could change it over as I have the Invader adapter. I could do it, I really intend to do it, I also want to learn Farsi..... instead I think I will drink some tea, pick my nose and play computer games. That damned Hitzer is soooo easy.

OTOH, I could sell it to a good home that would love it and use it to stay warm. With a 10" fire pot it's not your local church warmer however. As we have cancelled TV just the sight of that mica stove going could keep me warm. -- love mica stoves... imagine a cold winter night, a mica stove and some candel coal :) :) .... It was restored in 1971 so a 40 year sleep is enough yes? Just as soon as I am finished with this round of angry birds I am going to install it....... perhaps.

The new CN motto is wait for BG/WH to sort it out and I will copy them. I have converted to liberalism, it's a new Amerika we must all adjust.
LOL... excuse my good friend and fellow insomniac CoalNewbie for being VERY articulate & elaborate with words in his sleepless stupor, or me not understanding half of them in mine :what:

 
coalnewbie
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Coal Size/Type: Rice,
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Post by coalnewbie » Tue. Sep. 24, 2013 8:26 am

this was sent to my private email
Coalnewbie:

I saw your stove on NEPA and was pleased to see that it matched the one that I purchased late last winter. I was only able to put two fires in it before the heating season was over. It is in my lake house at Lake Wallenpaupack PA. I did not have too much success with it in the only two times of use.
Would you be willing to teach me how to operate it as it is the same one as yours?
Mine is in nice condition although it has not been restored. Appears original.
Thanks
Badlegdave

Hey, BD we have a credo around here and that is as we wrestle with a new type of stove let's do it in public. Another Invader user in the future could benefit. OTOH if you can get me a date with Cindy Crawford, please keep that private. :D

There is nothing unique about this coal stove and experienced posters around here will be able to guide you as well as I. Firstly, we need to understand the exact nature of your failure.

Firstly, this stove came from Doug so I am sure it's great so lets' deal with a few obvious things. The stove will probably do best burning a good quality (chest)nut coal. So where did you get the coal and what size is it. With mica stoves just burning a few pieces of newspaper is good. The chimney does not draft and any leaks are revealed as the stove fills up with smoke. So are the doors and windows sealed tight. A dollar bill on all the doors will reveal if they are not fitting right. So onto the chimney, height (higher chimneys draw better and a cabin on the Lake may not have the highest chimney), composition (lined, tiled etc.) When we have these things answered onto the lighting and causes of failure and how to use those baseburner features. There are many experts here better than I on this feature and we will get to the bottom of this thing real quick. A cabin on the lake, sounds a perfect application for this little stove. This project is going to be fun for us all, this is how we get our kicks (or some of them).

 
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badlegdave
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Location: Wyckoff, NJ / Paupack, PA
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Baseburners & Antiques: Union Stove Works - Invader 2 Parlour Stove
Coal Size/Type: Pea/Chestnut
Other Heating: Electric baseboard

Post by badlegdave » Tue. Sep. 24, 2013 10:10 am

I have already discovered from barnstablestove that my sorry attempt at making a 6" round pipe fit onto an oval outlet is not going to be acceptable. I can fit my thumb into an opening in the bottom of my sorry effort so I quess I have to find an oval (not sure of size) and find a proper adapter. Your comment about the stove filling with smoke is telling because the basement follows the stove lead and harbors a fair amount of smoke also. I will try your dollar technique (as soon as I can locate a dollar). I am presuming that you put the dollar in the door frame, close the door and try to slip the dollar out? I probably will slip the buck out so what can I do about the seal problem? (Would a ten spot work better) :P ?

What would you recommend to seal the pipe into the clay thimble leading to the chimney? That needs some work also. Any (Dave can do it) restoration suggestions would be appreciated.
I am using stove coal (big chunks) as they do not fall through the grate like the chestnut seems to.
I did have success with starting and maintaining a coal fire, very pretty through the mica windows, it just seems to send most of the heat up the chimney and my basement did not get sufficiently warm.

I have a barometric damper to install. Is this a good idea? I was encouraged by many to do this and sprung for the $75 for a decent one. What say you, anyone?

 
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badlegdave
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Location: Wyckoff, NJ / Paupack, PA
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman Mark II
Baseburners & Antiques: Union Stove Works - Invader 2 Parlour Stove
Coal Size/Type: Pea/Chestnut
Other Heating: Electric baseboard

Post by badlegdave » Tue. Sep. 24, 2013 10:18 am

coalnewbie:

It just occurred to me that if you have the same Invader 2, where did you get the oval exhaust outlet adapter to pipe? I am using 6" black pipe. Also, I am getting my coal in 50lb bags from American Coal in Lafayette, NJ.

 
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badlegdave
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Location: Wyckoff, NJ / Paupack, PA
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Coal Size/Type: Pea/Chestnut
Other Heating: Electric baseboard

Post by badlegdave » Tue. Sep. 24, 2013 10:25 am

I mistakenly sent the following message to a brothers email address and he suggested I put it on the board. I am just learning how to use this site. Thanks for the heads up.

I saw your stove on NEPA and was pleased to see that it matched the one that I purchased late last winter. I was only able to put two fires in it before the heating season was over. It is in my lake house at Lake Wallenpaupack PA. I did not have too much success with it in the only two times of use.

Would you be willing to teach me how to operate it as it is the same one as yours?

Mine is in nice condition although it has not been restored. Appears original.

Thanks
Badlegdave

 
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Post by franco b » Tue. Sep. 24, 2013 10:41 am

Measure around the flue exit of the stove with a tape measure. That figure will tell you if a 5 inch smoke pipe squeezed oval will fit.15.7 inches is what you need for 5 inch pipe.

The critical door for tight fit is the ash door, the other doors not nearly so.

Once fire is burning well the stove has to be switched into base burning mode to circulate the hot gasses to bottom of stove. Cold uninsulated basement walls soak up a lot of heat. The stove should be installed upstairs.

 
coalnewbie
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Baseburners & Antiques: Wings Best, Glenwood #8(x2) Herald 116x
Coal Size/Type: Rice,
Other Heating: Heating Oil CH, Toyotomi OM 22

Post by coalnewbie » Tue. Sep. 24, 2013 2:33 pm

There you go, Franco answered it and does not even have a Invader. Squish that 5" pipe and bingo or even crimp it a bit to make it fit. 5 to 6" adapters are at most hardware stores if needed. Now for my question, how tall is your chimney?

 
coalnewbie
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Posts: 8601
Joined: Sat. May. 24, 2008 4:26 pm
Location: Chester, NY
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: LL AnthraKing 180K, Pocono110K,KStokr 90K, DVC
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Invader 2
Baseburners & Antiques: Wings Best, Glenwood #8(x2) Herald 116x
Coal Size/Type: Rice,
Other Heating: Heating Oil CH, Toyotomi OM 22

Post by coalnewbie » Tue. Sep. 24, 2013 8:00 pm

I am using stove coal (big chunks) as they do not fall through the grate like the chestnut seems to.
Hold the phone here BG, here is a photo of my grate on my Invader 2 without the firepot and ring, there is no way chestnut will fall through this. Does yours look like this??? Nothing wrong with stove but it can take a bit of lighting and for a stove this size with a chute I need chestnut for even flow.

Attachments

Invader 2 grate.jpg

The grate has quarters on it

.JPG | 109KB | Invader 2 grate.jpg


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