2014-2015 Blaze King Performance thread (Everything BK)#2

[tarzan]

I grew up with wood and coal heat as did my wife. We can afford to heat with the electric furnace but the years with wood heat kinda spoils you. 72* with electric heat just ain't the same as 72* with wood heat. Most here probably know what I'm talking about.

My wife also likes it at least 74* in the living area. I can turn the thermostat up on the stove, no problem. I cringe at the thought of leaving the thermostat on the wall at 74*.

 

[eclecticcottage]

You know, I wish the door swung the other way too before I bought my Ashford but wanted the awesome technology more than anything. Now that I have it, I don't even notice the door not swinging the right direection. When I load, I swing it all the way open and it doesn't get in the way at all. Don't let that discourage you!

It's more of an annoyance than anything, but our stove is set to the right side of the hearthpad with the wood box on the left. So it would be kinda in the way when open, if I'm loading from the wood box (see pic). Truthfully, the two things that are truly keeping the Republic on the hearth are cost and flames. BKs aren't inexpensive, I doubt we'll find a used one soon (not a princess or king anyway) and we're on the east coast so they're even more $$. We've got something like 30 cord of wood CSS for a stove that'll take @18" splits so we'd be going with a 30 (ashford or sirocco). At 700ish sq f we'd be running on low a lot I'd imagine, so we'd be looking at a black stove more than a fire in a stove. DH is less bothered by this than me, but it took me about 15 years of home ownership to get a wood burner and I darn well want to see flames! Not to say there's always flame in the 1750, it's just glowing when it's coaling, but I imagine there'd be more fire time with it than a 30.

 

[BKVP]

It's more of an annoyance than anything, but our stove is set to the right side of the hearthpad with the wood box on the left. So it would be kinda in the way when open, if I'm loading from the wood box (see pic). Truthfully, the two things that are truly keeping the Republic on the hearth are cost and flames. BKs aren't inexpensive, I doubt we'll find a used one soon (not a princess or king anyway) and we're on the east coast so they're even more $$. We've got something like 30 cord of wood CSS for a stove that'll take @18" splits so we'd be going with a 30 (ashford or sirocco). At 700ish sq f we'd be running on low a lot I'd imagine, so we'd be looking at a black stove more than a fire in a stove. DH is less bothered by this than me, but it took me about 15 years of home ownership to get a wood burner and I darn well want to see flames! Not to say there's always flame in the 1750, it's just glowing when it's coaling, but I imagine there'd be more fire time with it than a 30.

I love that old 7Up bottle!

Chris

 

[bobdog2o02]

What? How's that? Right under the door would be terrible to access with a long handled tool. How to you get the business end down in the ash without bonking the top of the door frame?

Pics of all my stove tools

 

[Poindexter]

Feb update, still love the stove, I am back into uncertain draft with ambients running +10 to +35dF.

I swept about a measuring cup, maybe a cup and a half out of the flue, ran through a cord since the last sweep. And its black stuff. flat black, but black. I am taking the bag of sweepings and a stick off my woodpile to my BK dealer this week. I suspect it is the short stack working against me. Last fall with a virgin cat I think I was getting away with stuff that just isn't flying now that the cat is broken in.

The stove isn't 'impossible' to operate with 13'8" of stack, but it is darn fussy about having a good hot cat and a good hot flue before engagement, or my cat stalls.

I am planning on a video cam inspection of the chimney this summer, I'll look at adding a foot or two while I got a pro on the roof anyway. I don't want to go too tall for the really cold weather...

Has anyone broken out a clay bar yet to buff up the enamel on a Ashford 30? I can feel imperfections in the surface when the stove is cold, thinking I might just have to give it a go this summer while the stove is cold. Distilled water, some Zaino Z-2, once over lightly with some detailing clay? I am real tempted to wax it, but I know the wax will just burn off and stink up the house this fall.

 

[therdlesstravld]

May 4-6 NEHPBA in Sturbridge MA
May 18-20 NCHPBA Dells WI
June 1-2 MAHPBA King of Prussia PA

I will be in attendance at these three events. (and many more elsewhere)

Are stoves available to buy at these expos or are the products just on display from the manufacturers? The one in KOP is doable for me and I'm looking to buy a new stove so around then so i figured id ask!

 

[Idahonative]

Feb update, still love the stove, I am back into uncertain draft with ambients running +10 to +35dF.

I swept about a measuring cup, maybe a cup and a half out of the flue, ran through a cord since the last sweep. And its black stuff. flat black, but black. I am taking the bag of sweepings and a stick off my woodpile to my BK dealer this week. I suspect it is the short stack working against me. Last fall with a virgin cat I think I was getting away with stuff that just isn't flying now that the cat is broken in.

The stove isn't 'impossible' to operate with 13'8" of stack, but it is darn fussy about having a good hot cat and a good hot flue before engagement, or my cat stalls.

I am planning on a video cam inspection of the chimney this summer, I'll look at adding a foot or two while I got a pro on the roof anyway. I don't want to go too tall for the really cold weather...

Has anyone broken out a clay bar yet to buff up the enamel on a Ashford 30? I can feel imperfections in the surface when the stove is cold, thinking I might just have to give it a go this summer while the stove is cold. Distilled water, some Zaino Z-2, once over lightly with some detailing clay? I am real tempted to wax it, but I know the wax will just burn off and stink up the house this fall.

View attachment 155082

Your statements about short stack/poor draft have me scratching my head. We run our King on a stack just about the same height as yours. And we are not running the recommended 8"...we are running 6" and the stove runs great. Kind of surprising to me that the Ashford 30 with the recommended flue size would give you problems. I was under the impression these two stoves (though different size) were very similar in design. I wonder what the difference is since we are the ones that should be having draft problems.

 

[Highbeam]

Feb update, still love the stove, I am back into uncertain draft with ambients running +10 to +35dF.

I swept about a measuring cup, maybe a cup and a half out of the flue, ran through a cord since the last sweep. And its black stuff. flat black, but black. I am taking the bag of sweepings and a stick off my woodpile to my BK dealer this week. I suspect it is the short stack working against me. Last fall with a virgin cat I think I was getting away with stuff that just isn't flying now that the cat is broken in.

The stove isn't 'impossible' to operate with 13'8" of stack, but it is darn fussy about having a good hot cat and a good hot flue before engagement, or my cat stalls.

I am planning on a video cam inspection of the chimney this summer, I'll look at adding a foot or two while I got a pro on the roof anyway. I don't want to go too tall for the really cold weather...

Has anyone broken out a clay bar yet to buff up the enamel on a Ashford 30? I can feel imperfections in the surface when the stove is cold, thinking I might just have to give it a go this summer while the stove is cold. Distilled water, some Zaino Z-2, once over lightly with some detailing clay? I am real tempted to wax it, but I know the wax will just burn off and stink up the house this fall.

View attachment 155082

I too am running a 13 or 14 foot stack and have no problems with cat stall even when it is 60 degrees outside. Yes, I burn when the house is cold and that sometimes happens when it is 60 outside. The only indication of a less than awesome draft is that I get smoke spillage when I open the loading door on a firebox with significant burning fuel inside.

 

[tarzan]

It's already written in this thread an others that everything should be against me when it comes to draft on my setup but it's fine. I usually shut the damper once the cat probe thermometer gets near the active zone and the only thing I know about a cat stall is what I've read.

 

[begreen]

tarzan, this is a stalled cat.

 

[Ashful]

Wait, I thought this was a cat stall.

 

[tarzan]

Great. Now I'm just more confused

 

[begreen]

Wait, I thought this was a cat stall.

More like a cat in-stalled.

 

[Hardtopseadan]

if you take my two 45s and a 90 , I am left with a 9 foot chimney. up through the roof , lined brick . so far just great performance. LOV
E my BLAZE KING

 

[Poindexter]

Your statements about short stack/poor draft have me scratching my head. We run our King on a stack just about the same height as yours. And we are not running the recommended 8"...we are running 6" and the stove runs great. Kind of surprising to me that the Ashford 30 with the recommended flue size would give you problems. I was under the impression these two stoves (though different size) were very similar in design. I wonder what the difference is since we are the ones that should be having draft problems.

Getting into it deeper I am going to have to rethink my wood storage for next season. My remaining stash of spruce is up to 16% MC (from 12% last month) on a freshly split face, measured at 55dF after coming into the garage Saturday evening.

I think Autumn 2014 I timed moving it off the seasoning racks and into my shed almost perfectly, but I got nothing for vapor barrier under the wood, just pallets on gravel under the deck. So my spruce was at 12% when I moved it, the ground froze, I enjoyed dry wood all winter. Now I got the daily freeze/thaw going on and my splits are demonstrably sucking up water vapor like thirsty camels.

I'll go start a thread in the woodshed area about this ~ I am not sure vapor barrier below will be enough to keep my wood dry this time of year. Lifting the floor of the shed should help, getting off track.

 

[tarzan]

Getting into it deeper I am going to have to rethink my wood storage for next season. My remaining stash of spruce is up to 16% MC (from 12% last month) on a freshly split face, measured at 55dF after coming into the garage Saturday evening.

I think Autumn 2014 I timed moving it off the seasoning racks and into my shed almost perfectly, but I got nothing for vapor barrier under the wood, just pallets on gravel under the deck. So my spruce was at 12% when I moved it, the ground froze, I enjoyed dry wood all winter. Now I got the daily freeze/thaw going on and my splits are demonstrably sucking up water vapor like thirsty camels.

I'll go start a thread in the woodshed area about this ~ I am not sure vapor barrier below will be enough to keep my wood dry this time of year. Lifting the floor of the shed should help, getting off track.

I think your problem is more common than most know. The freeze and thaw weather in Fall and late Winter will add moisture to dry wood, I'm sure. If you find a solution let me know.

 

[eclecticcottage]

Has anyone broken out a clay bar yet to buff up the enamel on a Ashford 30? I can feel imperfections in the surface when the stove is cold, thinking I might just have to give it a go this summer while the stove is cold. Distilled water, some Zaino Z-2, once over lightly with some detailing clay? I am real tempted to wax it, but I know the wax will just burn off and stink up the house this fall.

I didn't know any Zaino folks believed in wax! Wouldn't the polish also burn off a bit? I can see claying it...although this is making me glad I've got a plain steel stove because DH would think I'd gone overboard if I started claying the stove. I do wax my enamel top dining room table though so maybe not, lol. Hmmm, now I might have to break out the quick detailer and clay and try it on the table...

 

[rdust]

Getting into it deeper I am going to have to rethink my wood storage for next season. My remaining stash of spruce is up to 16% MC (from 12% last month) on a freshly split face, measured at 55dF after coming into the garage Saturday evening.

I think Autumn 2014 I timed moving it off the seasoning racks and into my shed almost perfectly, but I got nothing for vapor barrier under the wood, just pallets on gravel under the deck. So my spruce was at 12% when I moved it, the ground froze, I enjoyed dry wood all winter. Now I got the daily freeze/thaw going on and my splits are demonstrably sucking up water vapor like thirsty camels.

I'll go start a thread in the woodshed area about this ~ I am not sure vapor barrier below will be enough to keep my wood dry this time of year. Lifting the floor of the shed should help, getting off track.

I still can't wrap my head around how 16% with a meter(dry basis) isn't working great for you.

 

[bobdog2o02]

I still can't wrap my head around how 16% with a meter(dry basis) isn't working great for you.

Location, location, location.

 

[Ashful]

Location, location, location.

Perhaps more importantly, the temperature of the wood. You can get some mighty low false readings on a freshly split face of frozen wood. Short of "warming" your splits to test them, there are tables full of temperature correction factors, from various meter manufacturers. Google is your friend.

 

[rdust]

Perhaps more importantly, the temperature of the wood. You can get some mighty low false readings on a freshly split face of frozen wood. Short of "warming" your splits to test them, there are tables full of temperature correction factors, from various meter manufacturers. Google is your friend.

He said it was at 55* when he measured it, while it may be off a little since it wasn't 70* there isn't much correction from 55-70.

 

[BKVP]

Are stoves available to buy at these expos or are the products just on display from the manufacturers? The one in KOP is doable for me and I'm looking to buy a new stove so around then so i figured id ask!

Retailers that are in attendance do in fact buy our display stoves. The savings are good but not having to pay the freight is the biggest incentive.

 

[Ashful]

He said it was at 55* when he measured it, while it may be off a little since it wasn't 70* there isn't much correction from 55-70.

Thanks for the correction. Missed that!

 

[BKVP]

Getting into it deeper I am going to have to rethink my wood storage for next season. My remaining stash of spruce is up to 16% MC (from 12% last month) on a freshly split face, measured at 55dF after coming into the garage Saturday evening.

I think Autumn 2014 I timed moving it off the seasoning racks and into my shed almost perfectly, but I got nothing for vapor barrier under the wood, just pallets on gravel under the deck. So my spruce was at 12% when I moved it, the ground froze, I enjoyed dry wood all winter. Now I got the daily freeze/thaw going on and my splits are demonstrably sucking up water vapor like thirsty camels.

I'll go start a thread in the woodshed area about this ~ I am not sure vapor barrier below will be enough to keep my wood dry this time of year. Lifting the floor of the shed should help, getting off track.

I'm headed North to your part of the interior in a couple of weeks. You can catch me at your local retailer's home show.

 

[BKVP]

I still can't wrap my head around how 16% with a meter(dry basis) isn't working great for you.

Short Stack...nuff said.