Need Help Piecing Together an Old Gibralter CFI

Hello everyone!
Frequent visitor to the site, but now I'm posting for the first time, so bear with me. We just bought our first family home, and more importantly, our first coal stove insert! It is an older Gibraltar CFI stove that has required some up keep. There are three big things that have caused us some problems.
1) The stove came without a shaker handle and ash pan. I'm looking at about a 3/4 inch square that needs some form of handle that could shake the grate. Any ideas as to where I could find one, or what I could use to make it work? Not having an exact ash pan has been cumbersome as well. Any thoughts on where I could find one as well?
2) The blower does not seem to be working. I have tried wiring the right and left motors, but nothing seems to do the trick! Am I missing something in the electrical set up, or are the motors blown, and just need replaced?
3) With those two issues being the biggest, I have still tried to start both, coal and wood fires in this beast of a stove. Either way, I have had an incredibly difficult time keeping the thing running! I have read the many posts on the ins & outs of coal burning, but it just seems like nothing can really keep it going!
Sorry for the longer post, but I am very much a rookie at this and would definitely appreciate any help!
Thanks in advance!
B.

In a pinch try a socket on the center shaker grate .Google Woodsman stove parts.

If you can give accurate measurements of the grate end maybe folks could recommend another manufacturer's shaker handle .. pic would assist (straight .. angled .. not familiar with your stove) .. using a steel socket on a iron grate...wear it out pretty quick.

As to your blower issue ... I'm sure you can figure that out.... blowers, such fun !

Cannot keep the coal fire burning? Maybe draft is not good enough ... keep it running hot and then lower to create a good draft initially could be an option .. I think everyone who first fired up a coal stove with zero exp. had the same experience. Like the martix, no one makes it on their first try. Once you have a bed of coals burning upon start-up leave them be..just add new pcs on top until the box is full.

Welcome to the forum, wiseman77. That company went out of business a long time ago, but as mentioned, you may be able to find parts at Woodmans. Here is a link to the Gibralter page: http://www.woodmanspartsplus.com/68/catalogs/Wood-and-Coal-Stove-Manufacturers-Cross-Reference.html

For lighting and using a coal stove, be sure to read these two threads:
Basics of a Hand Fired Coal Stove
How to Light a Hand Fired Coal Stove

Type your stove name into the search box at the top right of the page and you will find a few threads on it.

3/4 inch socket is a fairly common size for both square and triangular shaker handles. EBay has lots of square-socket shaker handles for sale. And, if the size isn't listed, you can try contacting the seller and asking for measurements.

Paul

W Send me a pm I have had experience with a Gibraltar .Let me know if I can help you .jack

Thanks for all the help guys! Really appreciate it. We got the stove up and running. A shaker handle has been ordered, but we are still in search of an ash pan. The biggest thing now is getting the blower working. I am, by no means, an electrician. So I have no idea what I'm doing but accepting the challenge. I have attached some pics of what I'm looking at so if anyone has an ideas...let me know!
Thanks again.

Another alternative to the stove fan is a floor fan off to the side of the stove to move air. My stove has a fan but is loud. I will turn that on when I go to bed on a real cold night.
When I am in the basement and watching TV, if needed, I will use the floor fan on a low setting. Does the job.

Still can't get this blower working! Anyone have any experience with wiring like this? there are two black and two white wires coming from the blower then one black, one white, and one ground coming from the power cord... there are pictures in a previous post on this thread. Thanks in advance for any help!

Can you spin fan freely by hand?

A drop oil may be needed.

One fan black to cord black...either, doesn't matter...other fan black to cord white, green connects to stove steel frame...you'll need to plug/unplug cord.

wiseman77 wrote:Thanks for all the help guys!... A shaker handle has been ordered, but we are still in search of an ash pan... Thanks again.

Sending Freddy - from the coffee house - a PM. He makes great ashpans! I have 3 of them. Get two of them if you can, that way one can be in the stove and the other cooling on the hearth after switching them out. And be sure to get a lid. I can't imagine carry an open, hot ash pan through the house to empty it. That just spells disaster. Lisa

Does anyone have the measurements for the ash pan for the gibraltar CFI? Looking to get one made as we've been without one for several years now but want to make sure I have the correct measurements. Thanks!