2017-18 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)

[BrianN]

They need gaskets! Ignore the misinformed. If you purchase from firecatcombustors.com, they come with the gasket.

Hey BKVP. I am looking at firecatcombustors.com and am a bit confused. Wonder if you could help me out a bit?
I have a BK king - ke(j)-1107. The closest combustors I can find are the aci-64c (which is the one I think I need), and the aci-64m. The 64m costs =/- $25 more, plus, I need to buy the gaskets, where as the 64c comes with the gaskets.
Could you let me know what the difference is between them? Is One ceramic and one steel?
Thanks,

 

[Calentarse]

Don't want to hijack the thread, but I have a BK question. As a former owner, does anyone have a picture of a Stone White Enamel in a showroom or in a home install? No pics on google other than the brochure photos and I'm curious what it looks like in person.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

Don't want to hijack the thread, but I have a BK question. As a former owner, does anyone have a picture of a Stone White Enamel in a showroom or in a home install? No pics on google other than the brochure photos and I'm curious what it looks like in person.

How is another photo going to help with what it looks like in person?

 

[redktmrider]

The wait is finally over, had the Ashford 30 installed yesterday. Huge thanks to the guys at Bloomington Fireplace Center, the install went perfectly.
Now I just have to wait for the cool weather to return, the forecast is in the mid 80s for nest week.

 

[lsucet]

The wait is finally over, had the Ashford 30 installed yesterday. Huge thanks to the guys at Bloomington Fireplace Center, the install went perfectly.
Now I just have to wait for the cool weather to return, the forecast is in the mid 80s for nest week.

Congratulations you will love it. Nice install.

 

[w00zy]

Don't want to hijack the thread, but I have a BK question. As a former owner, does anyone have a picture of a Stone White Enamel in a showroom or in a home install? No pics on google other than the brochure photos and I'm curious what it looks like in person.

Post #249 on the previous page is my Ashford in stone white.

 

[Highbeam]

The wait is finally over, had the Ashford 30 installed yesterday. Huge thanks to the guys at Bloomington Fireplace Center, the install went perfectly.
Now I just have to wait for the cool weather to return, the forecast is in the mid 80s for nest week.

Don't wait, burn it now, that way you can open the windows and clear out the smoke from the paint and/or assembly oils. Plus there should be somewhat of a break in procedure that you don't want to deal with when it's cold out.

Finally, it's like a new toy. You want to test it out to be sure it works before you need it.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

The wait is finally over, had the Ashford 30 installed yesterday. Huge thanks to the guys at Bloomington Fireplace Center, the install went perfectly.
Now I just have to wait for the cool weather to return, the forecast is in the mid 80s for nest week.

Congratulations, that looks nice, almost as nice as my new Chinook 30!

I haven't burned mine yet either, waiting for weather that won't heat the house above 90!

 

[Alpine1]

Don't wait, burn it now, that way you can open the windows and clear out the smoke from the paint and/or assembly oils. Plus there should be somewhat of a break in procedure that you don't want to deal with when it's cold out.

Finally, it's like a new toy. You want to test it out to be sure it works before you need it.

I'm about to fire up my new Ashford 30 too. Any wise advice to give HigB? Make a small fire, or a huge one? Load the stove to full capacity or a half load would be better? Use many small splits or mix up big and small? I'm totally new to cat stoves (not many here in old Europe) and wouldn't like to ruin it with my very first burn

 

[Marshy]

I'm about to fire up my new Ashford 30 too. Any wise advice to give HigB? Make a small fire, or a huge one? Load the stove to full capacity or a half load would be better? Use many small splits or mix up big and small? I'm totally new to cat stoves (not many here in old Europe) and wouldn't like to ruin it with my very first burn

There is no won't way as long as you follow the directions in the manual. All I will say is it usually takes more than one fire to get the paint cured and you will have all the windows and doors open so don't do it on a very cold day as mentioned. B

 

[webby3650]

The wait is finally over, had the Ashford 30 installed yesterday. Huge thanks to the guys at Bloomington Fireplace Center, the install went perfectly.
Now I just have to wait for the cool weather to return, the forecast is in the mid 80s for nest week.

Late last night it occurred to me that I never even went over operating instructions with you. I guess I just assumed you had it down being a hearth member and all. Now, share some pics of those firewood stacks!

 

[Calentarse]

It's about a month early, but it was 60 in the house this morning and 40 outside...

Beautiful stove. Would you recommend it? Where did you get your matching pipe?

 

[w00zy]

Beautiful stove. Would you recommend it? Where did you get your matching pipe?

I love the stove, If I needed another stove I wouldn't even look at anything else. I painted the pipe myself, I'm not sure I used the best paint, you don't want to take painting advice from me...

 

[Highbeam]

I'm about to fire up my new Ashford 30 too. Any wise advice to give HigB? Make a small fire, or a huge one? Load the stove to full capacity or a half load would be better? Use many small splits or mix up big and small? I'm totally new to cat stoves (not many here in old Europe) and wouldn't like to ruin it with my very first burn

There should be some advice in the manual or on a tag attached to your stove for the first burn. With fresh firebricks and cast iron I would be doing a low burn at first. Small load, temperatures only up to 250 or so and hold to give the water a chance to be driven out of the bricks. You can't ruin the stove if you are too slow at this.

 

[webby3650]

There should be some advice in the manual or on a tag attached to your stove for the first burn. With fresh firebricks and cast iron I would be doing a low burn at first. Small load, temperatures only up to 250 or so and hold to give the water a chance to be driven out of the bricks. You can't ruin the stove if you are too slow at this.

I don't recall any real Guidlines for breaking in the stove. Since the iron is just a cladding there's not real fear of damaging it. The Hearthstone cast iron stoves have taken the break in procedure out of the manuals. Unless it's a traditional stove that's cemented together I don't think it's necessary. From what I'm seeing anyway.

 

[BKVP]

Hey BKVP. I am looking at firecatcombustors.com and am a bit confused. Wonder if you could help me out a bit?
I have a BK king - ke(j)-1107. The closest combustors I can find are the aci-64c (which is the one I think I need), and the aci-64m. The 64m costs =/- $25 more, plus, I need to buy the gaskets, where as the 64c comes with the gaskets.
Could you let me know what the difference is between them? Is One ceramic and one steel?
Thanks,

I don't know their coding. Call Applied Ceramics and ask for Scott. He'll help you out. Sorry.

 

[Dieselhead]

Hey BKVP. I am looking at firecatcombustors.com and am a bit confused. Wonder if you could help me out a bit?
I have a BK king - ke(j)-1107. The closest combustors I can find are the aci-64c (which is the one I think I need), and the aci-64m. The 64m costs =/- $25 more, plus, I need to buy the gaskets, where as the 64c comes with the gaskets.
Could you let me know what the difference is between them? Is One ceramic and one steel?
Thanks,

By the looks of the pictures on the site the C is ceramic and the M is metal meaning steelcat. You will need gasket if you go with steelcat.

 

[redktmrider]

Here is the separate instructions that came with my stove. Maybe they are instructions from the paint manufacturer?
If I have any questions webby3650, there is a wealth of knowledge here, and I can always pick up the phone and call the shop.

 

[jetsam]

I'm about to fire up my new Ashford 30 too. Any wise advice to give HigB? Make a small fire, or a huge one? Load the stove to full capacity or a half load would be better? Use many small splits or mix up big and small? I'm totally new to cat stoves (not many here in old Europe) and wouldn't like to ruin it with my very first burn

I don't think BK cares (they don't specify in the manuals, anyway). You won't ruin the stove.

I'd probably do a small first fire, just enough to keep the cat active for a while, then let it go down to coals, and then do a bigger one and let it cruise for a while. I don't know that the small fire is really necessary, but it seems like you're giving the metal bits a chance to expand and contract a little in their new patterns before you get it really hot.

I would burn the third fire on high though, otherwise you're going to have Surprise Paint Fumes in your closed-up house when it gets cold and you turn the heat up. Maybe do that one on a cool night with all the windows open. The worst fumes will be on the first/second fire, but on lower settings the heat is more manageable in warm weather.

Some people set up their new stoves in the front yard and burn it out there the day before installing!

 

[Poindexter]

I dont know if BK changed any materials or process between my ashford 30.0 that had a break in procedure in the manual and all y'alls new 30.1s.

In mine the first burn was between a quarter and a third of the firebox, just enough to get the stove heated up slowly, burn off some assembly lube and gently cure the enamel on the cast iron.

The second burn, also about a third of a load, didnt stink nearly as bad as the first, but it was still open all the windows and run some fans.

My third burn, half a load of wood had i thought a really faint smell, but my wife made me open the windows again. This one, the third one, was enough fuel to keep the combustor active for several hours. Brb

 

[Poindexter]

On those first two burns it seemed like enough fuel that by the time i got the cat engaged and ran it on high for 30 minutes there wasnt much of anything left to keep the cat active in low for more than another 30 minutes or so.

For the fourth burn i ran a half box of fuel again. I couldnt smell anything and the wife let me keep the windows closed, so i started running full loads of fuel after that.

Somewhere up around burn 10 or 12 i was running from a cold start with a full box and got distracted. Running in bypass waiting for for the cat to heat up with the throttle on high and the loading door closed, i dunno, got a phone call, forgot to set a timer, whatever.

I smelled something burning from the back of the house and found the combustor indicator about halfway up the active zone. Knowing what i know now the flue gas temp was probably about 1400 degress 30" above the stove collar. I engaged the combustor then, and havent smelled a thing out of the stove ever since. My enameled cast iron looks terrific.

 

[lsucet]

Hi, I have this ANTI-SEIZE LUBRICANT that is what i use at work. Is rated up to 1600 degrees. Is it good to lubricate the bypass mechanism on the stove?

 

[Alpine1]

I think I grabbed the general idea for my very first fire... start low and work up a step at a time. Thank you all for your advice, I was a bit nervous before reading your posts lol...

 

[Highbeam]

Hi, I have this ANTI-SEIZE LUBRICANT that is what i use at work. Is rated up to 1600 degrees. Is it good to lubricate the bypass mechanism on the stove?

I'm almost certain that that is what I am using. The same nasty mess on the outside too. It is copper and has a brush inside that used to be attached to the lid. It doesn't stay as a grease in the stove but turns to a powder.

 

[Poindexter]

I think your good @lsucet . When i was fooling with the bypass door and actuating rod for same last year my local BK dealer says they use that same product from NAPA for PMs and its better than "that grey stuff" used by the factory.

One dealers opinion and i didnt double check with @BKVP . My local dealer is top shelf and they know i depend on my stove.