Hand Fired Furnace Build
well thought I give this a try. never added pics to a post before so hope this works ( only 2nd post) ,. after many years burning wood here in alaska I have decided to give coal a try. started this stove a couple years ago and been using inside. its origonally old rivited lennox radiant coal stove. I found a very large spiral pipe waterjacket and stuffed it in from the bottom. it is now about half tube and half firebox and ashbin now. replaced broken cast front with steel and some repurposed stove doors used last year mostly wood but also few bags coal. probably got half heat radiant and half from the hot water. ive lost my stack due to finishing house construction. so building angle framework around , adding tile rock and 4 inches of foam on outside and converting to outside boiler. have more current pics will add soon. wrapped copper around stove and plan to fill with sand. should have ready by next weekend, a little late as its -30f now. combustion is fan induced via aquastat control. can be adjusted under fire and over fire with ease. would like to eventually do auto stack damper also. all we have here is sub-bituminous. will surely have questions as I start burning mostly coal.
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- Freddy
- Member
- Posts: 7293
- Joined: Fri. Apr. 11, 2008 2:54 pm
- Location: Orrington, Maine
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 130 (pea)
- Coal Size/Type: Pea size, Superior, deep mined
It's a mechanical wonderment, a beast, a true thing of beauty. I love it! Function is king!
Most of us here burn anthracite so you won't have a large number of people jumping in if you are looking for burning technique, but, there are a couple of "bit burners" and they are quite knowledgeable. They may stop by with help or encouragement.
Thanks for the pictures & best of luck. It's a special skill to burn bit. Once learned I guess it can do the job & do it well.
Most of us here burn anthracite so you won't have a large number of people jumping in if you are looking for burning technique, but, there are a couple of "bit burners" and they are quite knowledgeable. They may stop by with help or encouragement.
Thanks for the pictures & best of luck. It's a special skill to burn bit. Once learned I guess it can do the job & do it well.
- freetown fred
- Member
- Posts: 30293
- Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
- Location: Freetown,NY 13803
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
- Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut
American ingenuity--I love it:)
- lsayre
- Member
- Posts: 21781
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 23, 2005 9:17 pm
- Location: Ohio
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS S130 Coal Gun
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Anthracite Pea
- Other Heating: Resistance Boiler (13.5 KW), ComfortMax 75
Impressive! I'm not fully understanding of how it works though. Does the ash auger out of the bottom rear 8" pipe opening? Did I understand correctly that you have water coils inside, as well as the water coils surrounding the outside?
Amazing!!! Keep us updated on your progress. This thing will be a thermal dream when your finished. 4 inches of insulation, jacket filled with sand....Looking forward to more pics as you progress!!!
Rev. Larry
Rev. Larry
- Dennis
- Member
- Posts: 1082
- Joined: Sun. Oct. 30, 2011 5:44 pm
- Location: Pottstown,Pa
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: AHS/WOC55-multi-fuel/wood,oil,coal
- Coal Size/Type: Anthracite/stove size
welcome to the fourm.If you need help with burning your Alaska sub-bit,there are a few members in Alaska burning sub-bit,I'm sure they will chime in sooner or later,maybe introduce yourself in the Alaska community section.We all love pics,so when you get your furnace fired up let us know how things are working.
- joeq
- Member
- Posts: 5739
- Joined: Sat. Feb. 11, 2012 11:53 am
- Location: Northern CT
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: G111, Southard Robertson
Did you say it's -30*?! And my girls are complaining they're cold when it's 30* outside. I guess winter hasn't arrived here yet.
Hope you get yours up and running soon. Good luck with the final results, and welcome to NEPA.
Hope you get yours up and running soon. Good luck with the final results, and welcome to NEPA.
thanks for the good words guys
lsayre- the top inner half of the stove consists of a coil of steel pipe much like a coil in a steam cleaner. its 1 inch and I guestemated close to 200' long. it makes lots of hot water but not sure how it will do with the soot. so it will have 2 seperate water systems. the outter one being cooler I may use on the slab and the inner hot one on baseboards and unit heater. I made the stovepipe flanges also and put one on the ash pit thinking I might want to try as a downdraft woodburner when I was burning wood. this will get capped or may add small manual draft regulator on cap.
joeq thanks, warmed up only -22 this am
lsayre- the top inner half of the stove consists of a coil of steel pipe much like a coil in a steam cleaner. its 1 inch and I guestemated close to 200' long. it makes lots of hot water but not sure how it will do with the soot. so it will have 2 seperate water systems. the outter one being cooler I may use on the slab and the inner hot one on baseboards and unit heater. I made the stovepipe flanges also and put one on the ash pit thinking I might want to try as a downdraft woodburner when I was burning wood. this will get capped or may add small manual draft regulator on cap.
joeq thanks, warmed up only -22 this am
- Lightning
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 14659
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 16, 2011 9:51 am
- Location: Olean, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
- Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite
Wow, That whole outer shell will be encased in sand? Why not just keep that void open and pump air thru it? That way you have a boiler/furnace hybrid and will maximize heat transfer
Awesome project, can't wait to see it in action!
Awesome project, can't wait to see it in action!
thanks lightning, I though about going that route also but heater will be about 30' away from house and would require insulated air ducts for supply and return air. figured easyer to insulate waterlines (4) rather than large air ducts. hoping the sand acts as a thermal mass to soak up and release heat ,my biggest unknown now. im thinking 3-4 30 gallon trash cans of sand will fill it. I guess we'll find out soon if it works
just thought i'd give update. didn't make it by the weekend but got alot closer. got cement board surround insulated with 4" foam and sheathed with some recycled roofing. utilidoor installed with 4 water lines ( just need to take care of shop end storage tank and pumps). utilidoor recycled from trans alaska pipeline camp building materials from mid-1970's. aluminum with foam and 3" pvc in center. just large enough to pull my 4 waterlines and couple wires through. 30' from shop. also pic of stove induction. will see if pvc holds up or not. if not will switch to 2" black, just trying what I got.
induction consists of small fan with soleniod and flapper. so when fan starts solenoid opens flapper opens, when fan shuts off flapper shuts to completely shut off combustion air. seemed to work ok inside, but was always waiting to see fan kick on and door blow open as I havn't burned much coal. I've had a few puffbacks when i'd open door to see the blue ladies dancing! ran under grate air totally last winter but will now have opertunity to do both over and under , with each adjustable. also included pic of stove stove before I started covering up. I replaced front because of broken cast doors and surround. its a lennox 2203. any ideas on age of old rivited stove?
induction consists of small fan with soleniod and flapper. so when fan starts solenoid opens flapper opens, when fan shuts off flapper shuts to completely shut off combustion air. seemed to work ok inside, but was always waiting to see fan kick on and door blow open as I havn't burned much coal. I've had a few puffbacks when i'd open door to see the blue ladies dancing! ran under grate air totally last winter but will now have opertunity to do both over and under , with each adjustable. also included pic of stove stove before I started covering up. I replaced front because of broken cast doors and surround. its a lennox 2203. any ideas on age of old rivited stove?
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- lsayre
- Member
- Posts: 21781
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 23, 2005 9:17 pm
- Location: Ohio
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS S130 Coal Gun
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Anthracite Pea
- Other Heating: Resistance Boiler (13.5 KW), ComfortMax 75
I'm not sure if this is applicable to the history of boilers, but welds began replacing rivets in the construction trade in about 1925. Ditto for ship building. We still have some old riveted railroad bridges around where I live.
-
- Member
- Posts: 88
- Joined: Wed. Jan. 12, 2011 12:05 pm
- Location: Fairbanks, AK
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 523
- Coal Size/Type: Sub-bituminous, stove
I burn our AK sub-bit in a 80s Warm Morning, before that in a jotul 507. I've found the biggest problem with our sub-bit is you need a big firebox to hold enough coal to make it worth your while.
- joeq
- Member
- Posts: 5739
- Joined: Sat. Feb. 11, 2012 11:53 am
- Location: Northern CT
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: G111, Southard Robertson
The bottom photo of your stove outside reminds me of the pipe-line. Pretty soon the deer, elk, and moose will be hoovering around it for the heat. Now, not only will you have "heat", but also "meat". (Sorry, couldn't resist.)