Build a Base Burner Stove

I don't see way you couldn't build a BB stove. You would need to buy the grates, the rest could be fabricated. It wouldn't have the nice clean lines that a BB has.
I wonder who made the simplest design that could be copied?

Simply put,

1. A box on top to be the firebox with grates, loading door and control of secondary air.
2. A box under it to catch the ashes and control primary air.
3. A box under that to duct the hot exhaust gases to from the firebox. With a baffles to make the hot gases travel a labyrinth path inside that box.
4. A duct with dividers and a damper to either direct hot exhaust to the chimney, or to the lower box, then back up the divided duct to the chimney.

If you can, use triangular grates. There are advantages to them, that flatter grate designs don't have.

Let us know how it goes.

Paul

Well since we're still in the theoretical stage why not add the 4, 5, or 6 small access doors in order to vacuum the labyrinth path of fly ash that can clog up works.
What are the chances of a suspended fire pot and some mica! I can dream can't I.

the suspended pot shouldn't be an issue, i'd skip the mica and just put a modern fire view door on it.

Just buy an original antique BB or:
An easy stove to copy could be the Vigilant ll. Not exactly a BB but has the gases long path like a BB but on the sides and at the back, has internal by-pass damper, best ash pan desing, thermostatic air control top and front loading doors...
Improve the grate system, have no horizontal fixed part around the burning chamber like the R. and L. side bricks and a few other things here and there ...and you could make one of the best stoves
Better hurry, someone else could ask for a patent on it

LoschStoker wrote:I don't see way you couldn't build a BB stove. You would need to buy the grates, the rest could be fabricated. It wouldn't have the nice clean lines that a BB has.
I wonder who made the simplest design that could be copied?

I thought that too when I first joined the forum.

Then I looked at several BB's.......full base heaters and partial base heaters.

If you had a junk one of either or assembly drawings/blueprints, you could conceivably mfg. one.

Buy a beater, take it apart and then decide if it's worth fabricating a new one.

For me it was not.

Sunny Boy wrote:Simply put,

1. A box on top to be the firebox with grates, loading door and control of secondary air.
2. A box under it to catch the ashes and control primary air.
3. A box under that to duct the hot exhaust gases to from the firebox. With a baffles to make the hot gases travel a labyrinth path inside that box.
4. A duct with dividers and a damper to either direct hot exhaust to the chimney, or to the lower box, then back up the divided duct to the chimney.

If you can, use triangular grates. There are advantages to them, that flatter grate designs don't have.

Let us know how it goes.

Paul

i'm going to quote this because it's both accurate and it shows the sticking point folks will have about this type of project.

a BB, even a fine suspended pot version, is really just a series of interconnected and complimentary segments and channels and as such can be devised in steel with out much problem.

BUT, that is going to be as far as the resemblance goes, AND the point most bring up to doom the project. the antique BB and even many oak stoves are true jaw dropping works of functional mastery and the long past casting arts.

can we make a perfectly good H.E stove, in both heat output and fuel economy in the rough BB form ? of course. will it be much to look at ? only with some serious extra work. will it ever even approach the antiques in this regard ? not a chance.

jm.02

many years ago I did build one. starts off with a old stove leg base stand ,used a bottom door with a draft already there .also used a feed door with a lot of mica, and fashioned it with steel plate and gave it a nice flair, at least I thought. used grates from a big cook stove. I think the best idea I used was to force the exaust through front enstead of rear(when in base heat mod) I never tested it more than a few times, and sold it to a man in conn. It may have been sent to China by now, with the rest of this countrys good quality vergin iron (dont get me started) Any how the hours were long and It was much easyer to rebuild a gleenwood base heater. but It is a good project, keep in mind circulate gases down front, then to bottom, than up back. sorry for the drifting.

wilsons woodstoves wrote:many years ago I did build one. starts off with a old stove leg base stand ,used a bottom door with a draft already there .also used a feed door with a lot of mica, and fashioned it with steel plate and gave it a nice flair, at least I thought. used grates from a big cook stove. I think the best idea I used was to force the exaust through front enstead of rear(when in base heat mod) I never tested it more than a few times, and sold it to a man in conn. It may have been sent to China by now, with the rest of this countrys good quality vergin iron (dont get me started) Any how the hours were long and It was much easyer to rebuild a gleenwood base heater. but It is a good project, keep in mind circulate gases down front, then to bottom, than up back. sorry for the drifting.

I would imagine that sending the flue gases down the front of the stove first would give a slightly higher temp to the stove front to help with preheating the incoming primary air too !

Paul

it will also negate the need of a bi directional passage at the back of the stove, real plus.

KingCoal wrote:it will also negate the need of a bi directional passage at the back of the stove, real plus.

what part would that be?

if you were dealing with the non suspended style ( i.e. GW 6 style) you would need a split pipe of some kind to send gas down into the base and then back up to the chimney.

if you sent the hot gas down the front, then across the base you would just need a flue chase to bring it back up to the level you want to sent it out to the chimney.

if you placed a flap damper straight inboard from the exit collar in the inner wall of the combustion chamber you would still be able to put it in direct or BB mode.

KingCoal wrote:it will also negate the need of a bi directional passage at the back of the stove, real plus.

yes It just makes for an easy design and the heat is put out up front.

wilsons woodstoves wrote:

KingCoal wrote:it will also negate the need of a bi directional passage at the back of the stove, real plus.

yes It just makes for an easy design and the heat is put out up front.

Where does the loading door go?

If, if, if, I used to think the same thing ..... then common sense prevailed and I went to visit Emery.