# Small old wood stove questions



## stovie (Sep 22, 2017)

Hi all,

I just got a relatively small and very old cast iron wood stove. 

Markings are 
*26 Big Box Cast Iron Top Loading 2 top Wood Burning Stove.* 
*Made by Columbus Iron Works Co.
*
Had a little surface rust which i scrubbed down and then coated it with some of that high temp grill/wood stove paint to prevent rusting again.

Now it did not come with a chimney or damper flap near the chimney exit in the back. Can you please explain what kind of affect adding a stove pipe to the exhaust would produce? (obviously i would need exhaust pipe if using indoors)

I got this as a last resort backup if i need to heat my house in an emergency situation. I notice there are some gaps near the neck where the exhaust pipe would exit on the top back, what kind of material can be used to fill that in or do i even need to bother?

What kind of area can i expect this to heat in an emergency situation? 

Will be using this outside just to play around and learn how to use it effectively.


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## begreen (Sep 22, 2017)

Welcome. Pictures would help if you can post them. Stove pipe helps develop draft, even when used outdoors. Whether the stove will need a draft damper in the stove pipe depends on the stove controls and the height of the flue system. Post a picture of the gaps, they probably will need to be filled. Even if the stove is just for emergency situations you'll want to be sure it is installed safely. An unlisted stove needs to have 36" clearance all around, a proper hearth and flue/chimney setup. The 36" clearance can be reduced on the sides and back with proper NFPA 211 shielding to 18" or 12" depending on how the shield is configured.


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## stovie (Sep 22, 2017)

Here are some pics:

hxxp://imgur.com/a/KCuxM

https://i.imgur.com/cTKTqCi.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/USFyC57.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3PcFGqh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/LKzgI8n.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/BmLeloV.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/HTFvItF.jpg


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## begreen (Sep 22, 2017)

The images are black. This could be a permissions thing.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/putting-images-into-your-forums-posts.87212/


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## stovie (Sep 22, 2017)

For some reason the forum keeps breaking the URL. Try now at the direct URL replace "hxxp" with "https".


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## begreen (Sep 22, 2017)

OK, that works. It's an old,unbaffled box stove that looks to be in decent condition. The gap may not be an issue. In the dark, shine a bright light from the inside of the flue collar and see if there are any light leaks. If none then the stove cement is still there. You can finger trowel in some Rutland stove cement in the gap for better peace of mind. I would add a stove pipe damper to the stove pipe. These stoves are not known for precise control. Check with your insurance company before installing. Some will not cover an unlisted stove installation.


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## Breeze2399 (Dec 11, 2017)

stovie said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I just got a relatively small and very old cast iron wood stove.
> 
> ...



I have just got a Columbus Iron Works 2 burner stove. Not a box stove. Its set up more like a vase. So mine had a piece of HVAC or air conditioning conduit and I used a big hose clamp and it made it a much more efficient burn as it drew in cold air in the bottom and spit it out the top with a vacuum. I'm trying to date my stove.


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