Bought a Grandpa Bear Today

[Todd67]

Right door foundry markings

This 110707N & the W are upside down on the door.

Left door foundry markings

This 11/8/77 is upside down on the door, so the M might be a W.

 

[CamFan]

The B on the stove could have been on the sheet of metal used for the part and not put there by the manufacturer. The numbers on the doors are foundry marks only. Not fisher.


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[Todd67]

Thanks CamFan. Coaly asked me if there were any foundry marks on the doors. We'll probably never know where the stove was made, not with 100% certainty. I think it's safe to assume that this stove was made in NY. I bought it in Rochester NY, and none of the stoves that I acquired in NY are marked with NY.

 

[CamFan]

Coaly is right about identifying the door foundry because each manufacturer could get them made at a foundry of their choices. So if you knew who used what foundry you could identify the manufacturer maybe. I think ours came from Alabama.


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[Todd67]

How many foundries we're making doors during the peak years for Fisher?

 

[CamFan]

I have no clue on that.


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[Todd67]

I'll check the doors on my Grandma today and see if they are marked like the Grandpa doors.

 

[rtrev37]

Coaly is right about identifying the door foundry because each manufacturer could get them made at a foundry of their choices. So if you knew who used what foundry you could identify the manufacturer maybe. I think ours came from Alabama.


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Hello CamFan..sorry this is off topic but I was reading you build and burned with Fisher Stoves. I have a Grandpa Bear III stove with the arched doors and trees. I placed a new Baffle but also a ceramic fire blanket over the baffle. It seem to burn a whole lot cleaner but will this ceramic blanket over the baffle reduce the BTUs i'll be getting from the stove? I removed it today to see but felt no difference...2) in addition, today I got the longest burn of 5 hours before reloading with 2 turns on one draft cap. the temp went down to about 200 when I reloaded but had it been in the low teens, I would have had to reload at 300 which always seem to hit that mark after 3 hours....at what temp should I turn it down to 1/2 turn? seems like the temp always drops when I do that oppose to coasting at 400... today it stayed around 480-500 for about 2 hours and by the third hour near 300.thanks

 

[Todd67]

@rtrev37 , if you use the @ symbol in front of a members name, they will get a notification that you mentioned them in a post. When you type this n their name, it will appear on the screen, then just click on their name

 

[Todd67]

Hello CamFan..sorry this is off topic but I was reading you build and burned with Fisher Stoves. I have a Grandpa Bear III stove with the arched doors and trees. I placed a new Baffle but also a ceramic fire blanket over the baffle. It seem to burn a whole lot cleaner but will this ceramic blanket over the baffle reduce the BTUs i'll be getting from the stove? I removed it today to see but felt no difference...2) in addition, today I got the longest burn of 5 hours before reloading with 2 turns on one draft cap. the temp went down to about 200 when I reloaded but had it been in the low teens, I would have had to reload at 300 which always seem to hit that mark after 3 hours....at what temp should I turn it down to 1/2 turn? seems like the temp always drops when I do that oppose to coasting at 400... today it stayed around 480-500 for about 2 hours and by the third hour near 300.thanks

I don't know anything about those fire blankets.

As far as trying to get your stove to "coast" at 400 degrees, or any other temperature, I tried all that too, when I first started burning wood. It turned out to be a waste of time.

On a Fisher stove, all you need is a baffle plate and a stove pipe thermometer. Keep it simple. No need for secondary burn tubes and all that stuff.

When you load your stove, step 1 is to open the draft caps all the way. Then open the door(s), scoop out the ash near the door (if needed), pull the coals toward the door and even out the bed of coals, load the stove, close the doors. Let the stove pipe thermometer get to 400-500 degrees with the draft caps open all the way. Never go above 500! Then close the draft caps all the way. Then open the caps 1/4 to 1/2 turn. I use 1/2 turn in the morning if the house is cold (low 60's). I use 1/4 turn all other times, to include before I go to bed. Forget using a coasting temperature. My method has been working great for 7 hard winters in my poorly insulated 2-story house. It's not the only method to use, but it's the best method I have found for my Fisher.

 

[rtrev37]

@rtrev37 , if you use the @ symbol in front of a members name, they will get a notification that you mentioned them in a post. When you type this n their name, it will appear on the screen, then just click on their name

thanks Todd

 

[rtrev37]

I don't know anything about those fire blankets.

As far as trying to get your stove to "coast" at 400 degrees, or any other temperature, I tried all that too, when I first started burning wood. It turned out to be a waste of time.

On a Fisher stove, all you need is a baffle plate and a stove pipe thermometer. Keep it simple. No need for secondary burn tubes and all that stuff.

When you load your stove, step 1 is to open the draft caps all the way. Then open the door(s), scoop out the ash near the door (if needed), pull the coals toward the door and even out the bed of coals, load the stove, close the doors. Let the stove pipe thermometer get to 400-500 degrees with the draft caps open all the way. Never go above 500! Then close the draft caps all the way. Then open the caps 1/4 to 1/2 turn. I use 1/2 turn in the morning if the house is cold (low 60's). I use 1/4 turn all other times, to include before I go to bed. Forget using a coasting temperature. My method has been working great for 7 hard winters in my poorly insulated 2-story house. It's not the only method to use, but it's the best method I have found for my Fisher.

Todd67@ thank you for that extra info. I will try this. So far, when I load it and leave the draft cap open with 2 tunrs, it will coast between 475 - 500 for about 2 hour. By the 3rd hour, it will be at 300. Last night I tried the 1/2 turn after hitting 500 and drop too 300 but coast that 300 for about 4 hours and took another 2 to drop to 200 and still had some coal in it. At this point, I just left it and went to bed due to warmer weather outside in the mid 30's going to high 40's today.

What I did find effective was, removing the ash, brining the coal towards the front and tightly place 3-5 logs in the back as far as possible- one on top of the other. Then I placed some coal next to it and closed the door. It lasted over 6 hours for sure and seem to work for an overnight burn... will try again but the temp outside has not been that cold. the true test is when its below freezing outside.

As far as the ceramic fire blanket: I saw no difference in heat output with one exception. When the blanket was on top of the baffle and I opened the door to see when hot, the flames were really burning at the top and dancing like it has a secondary burn. lots of flames all over. After removing the blanket and looking again this time. it was just really hot but few flames coming from the wood but nothing like before. Since I don't have a glass door, its hard to judge the true effect of the blanket - with and without. I guess i'll keep it on and thinking that the fire blanket helps keep the fire box hotter by preventing the baffle from losing the heat from the top and redirecting it back down towards the firebox causing additional burns of the gasses. Just a guess though without glass doors...

 

[Todd67]

Todd67@ thank you for that extra info. I will try this. So far, when I load it and leave the draft cap open with 2 tunrs, it will coast between 475 - 500 for about 2 hour. By the 3rd hour, it will be at 300. Last night I tried the 1/2 turn after hitting 500 and drop too 300 but coast that 300 for about 4 hours and took another 2 to drop to 200 and still had some coal in it. At this point, I just left it and went to bed due to warmer weather outside in the mid 30's going to high 40's today.

What I did find effective was, removing the ash, brining the coal towards the front and tightly place 3-5 logs in the back as far as possible- one on top of the other. Then I placed some coal next to it and closed the door. It lasted over 6 hours for sure and seem to work for an overnight burn... will try again but the temp outside has not been that cold. the true test is when its below freezing outside.

As far as the ceramic fire blanket: I saw no difference in heat output with one exception. When the blanket was on top of the baffle and I opened the door to see when hot, the flames were really burning at the top and dancing like it has a secondary burn. lots of flames all over. After removing the blanket and looking again this time. it was just really hot but few flames coming from the wood but nothing like before. Since I don't have a glass door, its hard to judge the true effect of the blanket - with and without. I guess i'll keep it on and thinking that the fire blanket helps keep the fire box hotter by preventing the baffle from losing the heat from the top and redirecting it back down towards the firebox causing additional burns of the gasses. Just a guess though without glass doors...

Sounds like you are on the right track. It took me a while to dial in my system, and believe me, I've tried countless ways to maximize my heat output and burn times while burning less wood. I'm not an expert, but I'm satisfied with the heat and efficiency that I'm getting with my Fisher.

Keep fine tuning things here and there and you will find your stove's sweet spot.

 

[Todd67]

After another brutally cold and long winter (still burning wood the first half of this month) I have talked myself out of installing a wood stove in my garage. In fact, my wife just fired up the Mama Bear for some heat.

If I'm working in my detached garage, and it's so cold that I need to get a fire going in a stove, it's too cold to be working in my garage! So I'm not going to waste my time or money installing this Grandpa Bear in my garage.

The neighbor who went with me to get this stove really likes it and mentioned wanting one just like it to heat his old farm house. He wants to replace an old cast iron stove that he hasn't used in many years. So I think I found a home for my Grandpa Bear stove. It will make a good addition to Paul's house so he can heat with wood again. I'll refurbish it this summer with new paint and firebricks, and a baffle plate too.

@coaly , what type of baffle plate works best in a Grandpa Bear, a flat baffle or a slanted one? I think a slanted one will allow more wood to be loaded into the stove. But what are your thoughts?

 

[coaly]

Angle upwards toward the lower bend. A flat plate adds much more resistance in the firebox, as well as flame tips spreading across the plate, which is flame impingement. This extracts too much heat from the flame tips.
You want to design the plate size for the chimney it will be used with, not the stove. Keep the opening area above plate the same square inch area opening as the square inch diameter of the chimney flue. Make a cardboard template of the baffle plate so you can set it in the stove and adjust the angle for the correct opening of square inch area.

 

[Todd67]

Thanks @coaly . That's pretty much how I measured and fitted the baffle plate in my Mama Bear. He isn't getting the screen that I got with the stove, so he will use his existing 6" class A chimney.

Since his chimney goes straight up through the roof, where can I get a T pipe with a clean-out cap for the back of the stove? I've seen it mentioned on the forum but I can't find it.

 

[bholler]

Thanks @coaly . That's pretty much how I measured and fitted the baffle plate in my Mama Bear. He isn't getting the screen that I got with the stove, so he will use his existing 6" class A chimney.

Since his chimney goes straight up through the roof, where can I get a T pipe with a clean-out cap for the back of the stove? I've seen it mentioned on the forum but I can't find it.

Any decent hardware store should have a tee and cap. How tall is their chimney? I have seen penty of problems running the 8" fishers on 6" unless the chimney is 20"+

 

[CamFan]

You got me stumped there. What is an ibless the chutney?


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[CamFan]

I’ve known a bunch of people who have used a 6” chimney for a double door or 8” flue. I don’t ever remember anyone saying they wished they had not done it. Worst thing is some smoke back when you first start a fire or don’t open the dampers before opening the doors. I don’t know what year we first built gma gpas but I’ve been involved with them since then. A while.


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[bholler]

I’ve known a bunch of people who have used a 6” chimney for a double door or 8” flue. I don’t ever remember anyone saying they wished they had not done it. Worst thing is some smoke back when you first start a fire or don’t open the dampers before opening the doors. I don’t know what year we first built gma gpas but I’ve been involved with them since then. A while.


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I rarely see one running on 6" where the house doesn't stink from creosote because of poor draft unless the chimney is 20"+ I hear you guys say it's fine here all the time but that is not at all what I have found in the field. Plus downsizing 2" is a code violation.

 

[Todd67]

His chimney is probably 15ft, but that's a rough guess. I'll do enough test runs with it to make sure it drafts well. He's been burning wood for over 40 years. That doesn't make him a pro, but he does things the safe way and doesn't take chances or risks. He's usually away from the house for 12 hours or longer, and he lives alone, so he wants a stove that will hold a fire all day.

If we can find him a Papa Bear this summer or early fall for a fair price, we will install a Papa rather than the GP.

Thanks for the replies!

 

[bholler]

His chimney is probably 15ft, but that's a rough guess. I'll do enough test runs with it to make sure it drafts well. He's been burning wood for over 40 years. That doesn't make him a pro, but he does things the safe way and doesn't take chances or risks. He's usually away from the house for 12 hours or longer, and he lives alone, so he wants a stove that will hold a fire all day.

If we can find him a Papa Bear this summer or early fall for a fair price, we will install a Papa rather than the GP.

Thanks for the replies!

Or he could get a modern stove that will give him way more heat from each piece of wood. And burn allot cleaner while doing it. Large ones easily go all day much better than an old Fisher.

 

[Todd67]

Or he could get a modern stove that will give him way more heat from each piece of wood. And burn allot cleaner while doing it. Large ones easily go all day much better than an old Fisher.

You might be right, but I don't know anything about new stoves, and neither does my neighbor. All he knows is how well my Fisher heats my old house on our miserably cold days and nights.

Do those new stoves work well without electricity?

 

[bholler]

You might be right, but I don't know anything about new stoves, and neither does my neighbor. All he knows is how well my Fisher heats my old house on our miserably cold days and nights.

Do those new stoves work well without electricity?

Yes they all work fine without electricity. Some work better with a blower especially inserts but they all work when the power in out.

 

[rtrev37]

I’m still using my old Grandpa Bear stove, which does not look old at all. I love how it looks with the two tier level, I like that I can open the doors and put the screen to watch the fire and like that I can fit a large load that is too big for most new stoves. This year I have cut my wood consumption which is always a good thing. However, I still find it a pain to have to reload and start like fresh in the early mornings. So much so, that I started to wonder if to switch to a new EPA stove.

My Fisher is an 8” running on a glue pipe between 7 and 6” on over 20 ‘ of chimney line. I remembered that I had to trim my cleaning brush down to about 6” to get it to fit while the horizontal lining goes from 8” to 7inch- from the house to the outside bend before the 90 to go up. It seems to run well although there are times when it becomes very difficult to get it to burn above 325 but not sure it it’s the wood or the lack of draft from the downsized lining.