2018-19 Blaze King Performance Thread Part 1 (Everything BK)

[DITTY22]

That sounds pretty great, actually. Pour a slab, put down sleepers with foam board in between, plywood and cement board on top, run hydronic pex all across it, and then pour another couple inches of concrete... I would really like that floor. Easy to clean, fireproof, toasty warm all year.

Low maintenance was the thought, 10mm vapor barrier with 2in foam with 5- 300ft loops of pex staples to the foam with rebar on top of that and then 5in of 5000psi concrete hooked to a Bosch 151k btu combi boiler

 

[MissMac]

Yes, the friction/spring washer is right there against the cast thermostat housing. Finger a blob of antisieze lube onto that area as you turn the knob back and forth to distribute the lube.

I don't know that brand (maybe permatex and maybe nev-r-sieze) but any automotive store will sell antisieze. It may be silver colored or copper colored. I really think you could use about any grease here. It's an annual chore for me.

Removing the thermostat cover requires some knowledge and there is a risk if you are not fully aware of what you are doing. The biggest hint is to remove and install the cover only with the thermostat fully closed in the coldest position.

Will this stuff do the trick? The only thing that makes me concerned is that it says it contains petrolium products, but so did the silver-grade anti-seize.

 

[Highbeam]

Will this stuff do the trick? The only thing that makes me concerned is that it says it contains petrolium products, but so did the silver-grade anti-seize.

For lubing the thermostat friction washer that is fine. This is outside of the firebox so no worry about cat damage.

 

[Rickb]

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Low maintenance was the thought, 10mm vapor barrier with 2in foam with 5- 300ft loops of pex staples to the foam with rebar on top of that and then 5in of 5000psi concrete hooked to a Bosch 151k btu combi boiler



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I'm in the wrong business! That cabin looks wonderful!

 

[kf6hap]

I use a spray can of molybdenum disulphide. After removing the cover near the knob just stick the straw in parallel to the shaft and give one quick squirt to the top of the shaft so it can run down to where needed. Immediately rotate the knob back and fourth to work it in and you are done.

 

[Ashful]

Will this stuff do the trick? The only thing that makes me concerned is that it says it contains petrolium products, but so did the silver-grade anti-seize.

That's the stuff, but my goodness... you got seven lifetimes supply of it, for the average DIY'er.

 

[MissMac]

That's the stuff, but my goodness... you got seven lifetimes supply of it, for the average DIY'er.

Hahahah, I know. It was the only size they had. Only cost $15 so I’m okay with it

 

[MissMac]

For lubing the thermostat friction washer that is fine. This is outside of the firebox so no worry about cat damage.

I was hoping to use it on the nut in the firebox for the door tightening/loosening too. No good?

 

[DITTY22]

I'm in the wrong business! That cabin looks wonderful!

Thank you very much. I have spent every last extra penny on it, the wife’s pissed but oh well. We still don’t have running water or a septic yet tho.


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[showrguy]

Thank you very much. I have spent every last extra penny on it, the wife’s pissed but oh well. We still don’t have running water or a septic yet tho.


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Those are luxuries, if she disagrees, tell her to ask anyone from Ethiopia ...

 

[jetsam]

That's the stuff, but my goodness... you got seven lifetimes supply of it, for the average DIY'er.

I have some of that very stuff. It also makes a cheap and effective thermal transfer compound for heatsinking electronics if you lose your silver. I haven't tested how conductive it is (first guess: very), so be very careful if you misuse it like I misuse it.

 

[Ashful]

I was hoping to use it on the nut in the firebox for the door tightening/loosening too. No good?

Check the temperature rating, but it’s probably okay for anything outside the firebox. For in the firebox, they make high-temperature, and even “extreme temperature” variants, such as McMaster 1280K41. I have a tube of that one in my shop now, just happens to be what I bought last time I needed some.

 

[Highbeam]

Check the temperature rating, but it’s probably okay for anything outside the firebox. For in the firebox, they make high-temperature, and even “extreme temperature” variants, such as McMaster 1280K41. I have a tube of that one in my shop now, just happens to be what I bought last time I needed some.

I don’t expect any of this antiseize lube to survive as a paste in the firebox. My hope is that it will dry into a coating similar to a graphite dust that continues to prevent chatter or stiction.

 

[kennyp2339]

These stoves are kind of boring, I'm going to lite my cold princess up, but to spice it up, I'm going to lite the fire, run outside and rotate the tires on my truck while racing the cat probe to active.

 

[Diabel]

Got my first 24h burn yesterday out of the Princess. Four decent size hemlock splits (placed E/W).

I was planning to do a write up, comparing the BK to my VC. But I am quickly realizing.....there is simply no point. Two different animals.

 

[ratsrepus]

Got my first 24h burn yesterday out of the Princess. Four decent size hemlock splits (placed E/W).

I was planning to do a write up, comparing the BK to my VC. But I am quickly realizing.....there is simply no point. Two different animals.

Good idea, dont make the VC guys feel bad

 

[Highbeam]

Got my first 24h burn yesterday out of the Princess. Four decent size hemlock splits (placed E/W).

I was planning to do a write up, comparing the BK to my VC. But I am quickly realizing.....there is simply no point. Two different animals.

When burning that low it’s fun to do the math. You need to estimate the weight of wood burned, say 30# and then you know we can get 80% efficiency so only 24# to the room. 24 hours so 1# per hour and 8000 btu per #, so you delivered 8000 btu to the space per hour.

3.4 btu per watt so that’s the same as running a single 2350 watt space heater.

 

[jetsam]

I have found that this year for the first time I can turn my dial down all the way to the stop without losing the cat. I had to check the door gasket again to make sure it wasn't that! I am going to chalk it up to the steel cat.

Won't matter in the winter, but it's real nice in shoulder season.

Last day off I loaded the stove probably 6 times in 24 hours with twigs and sticks (and some bamboo)- so mostly air in the firebox, but you still get hours out of each load, and I saved all that stuff from being wasted in a brush pile fire.

 

[chemie]

Quick question:
Once you set your lowest setting do you ever touch the swoosh? It looks like I need to tweak it from time to time. Where do you set your lowest ? I set it like at 3PM which is like almost on the border of red and gray line . Or you set your swoosh so that it could stay further on the red line? What could be the reason that it falls off from red line ( meaning cat is stalled)? All my firewood is below %20 .

 

[JKanor]

Well I finally pulled the trigger on my first BK, a 2 year old Princess with a new factory cat that I found online for $1700. I'm coming from a small pleasant hearth home depot non- EPA stove that was rated to 1500sqft. My house is 1900 sq ft and was built as a heat pump house in 1987 so it's pretty well insulated. Its setup with 3 floors like a split level and the stove is on the bottom floor in a corner with 3, 8"x12" through vents going to the top floor bedroom, spare room and hallway. The little stove was able to keep the house between 68-72 but even an 8 hour burn was a STRETCH with both dampers closed. Really looking forward to the longer burn times, being able to load wood N/S and the steady heat from the T-stat. Cant wait to get it fired up.

 

[jetsam]

Quick question:
Once you set your lowest setting do you ever touch the swoosh? It looks like I need to tweak it from time to time. Where do you set your lowest ? I set it like at 3PM which is like almost on the border of red and gray line . Or you set your swoosh so that it could stay further on the red line? What could be the reason that it falls off from red line ( meaning cat is stalled)? All my firewood is below %20 .

I define 'lowest setting' as 'the lowest setting I can set it to without the cat going inactive until I plan to come back and reload it', which could be 10 or 20 hours.

I don't mess with it unless it's hot or cold in the house.

 

[Rickb]

I define my lowest as when turning it down once it stops..... lol

 

[chemie]

I define my lowest as when turning it down once it stops..... lol

I do the same. However, after sometime ( today after 8 hours of burning), even there is enough wood in it, the needle falls back from active zone. Then I have to slightly increase it to put it back to active zone. Should I wait and let it go back to active zone on it is own?

 

[Alpine1]

I do the same. However, after sometime ( today after 8 hours of burning), even there is enough wood in it, the needle falls back from active zone. Then I have to slightly increase it to put it back to active zone. Should I wait and let it go back to active zone on it is own?

You’re looking for the “sweet spot” then... when that happened to my stove, I opened the bypass and set the stat to max, once the indicator was on active, closed the bypass and lowered the t-stat BUT NOT WHERE IT WAS... a pinch higher. Once you find the setting that allows you to load the stove, set the stat and have the cat always active till the end of the burn, there you have your sweet spot. I put a piece of masking tape on the swoosh, with lowest setting (and the stove can stay in the active zone anywhere between 30+ and 20 hrs depending on the outside temp, kind of wood, split packing and who knows what else), 18 hrs and 12 hrs burn. Only use the full throttle while charring the load.

 

[Mnpellet]

Finally got my ashford in today