Norseman 2500 / Clayton HotBlast - uneven fire????

Seems like my stove burns better (hotter) and more evenly in the front. Starting from scratch, the entire fire box seems even. Once I start tending..... shake & load, is when things seem to change up. Done my best with keeping the draft coming from underneath, added an extra spin knob, plugged up the front & back to stop over-fire. With a suggestion I got from "Lightning" regarding the shaker handle, my shaking is much improved and has cutway down on clinkers. When I do experience clinkers, it is more in the back, if anywhere. My thought is that the firebox is long and rectangular .....front to back, and the draft vents are in front....so the front coals are hogging all the air?

Thoughts? Suggestions?

LudlowLou wrote: My thought is that the firebox is long and rectangular .....front to back, and the draft vents are in front....so the front coals are hogging all the air?

I don't think thats the problem.. Could air from the over fire vents (secondary air) on the loading door be blowing on the front of the coal bed? I sealed mine completely on the loading door and instead use the vent of the backside of the furnace for secondary air. Here is a pic of the backside air vent. Its actually for a combustion blower, but instead I fashioned this plate to swivel over it so I can independently control secondary air.




Doesn't that firebox have sloped sides where the fire bricks are?
How did you make them vertical?

Also, it looks like that coal bed is kinda shallow. I fill it to the top of the fire brick and then mound it in the center so its about 12 inches deep in the center


After shake down - before adding coal. Coal is about 5-6 inches deep in this pic.


After adding coal. Coal is 10-12 inches deep.



As for the uneven shake down you describe..
Is there slop between the inline grates?? Check this fix I did

Fixing Play Between Inline Grates