Everything Drolet Tundra - Heatmax...

[Builderml]

OK, I went downstairs to make my plate and after removing the damper door, I realized this is gonna be really simple. No sense in making this more difficult than it needs to be (like I did with my SS firebox shields a couple pages back )
The factory intake holes are already 1" tall and the center hole is already 2.5" x 1" so only hafta restrict the side holes. I used some high temp aluminum duct tape...
View attachment 165581

Mr. Brenn i would not be able to sleep at night knowing that the item that is saving my furnace from over firing is high temp duct tape. Unless it was rated for 200mph application of course. Besides the shiny duct tape really clashes with the black backround. I insist you make a pretty cover for your tundra after all your the one that sets the example around here. I use to get in trouble alot back in the school days for taking short cuts.

 

[brenndatomu]

Mr. Brenn i would not be able to sleep at night knowing that the item that is saving my furnace from over firing is high temp duct tape. Unless it was rated for 200mph application of course. Besides the shiny duct tape really clashes with the black backround. I insist you make a pretty cover for your tundra after all your the one that sets the example around here. I use to get in trouble alot back in the school days for taking short cuts.

Once the damper door is back on you'll never see it, so no clash If it was something that could be seen I'd hafta make a plate with some custom flames painted on it
This is really for temporary testing purposes only at this point, I may or may not leave the holes restricted. It probably doesn't even matter that much since I have the temp controller in place now.
That aluminum "tape" is really good stuff, I have put it over test holes drilled into stove pipes, it takes the temps fine. A stove pipe will get way hotter than the intake of the Tundra will since it has cool(ish) air flowing past all the time
I hear ya on the shortcuts, I have learned over the years that there is a place and a time for shortcuts. Not every place and not every time...this was more of a "calculated" shortcut...
Oh, and this wouldn't be the first time I was accused of being a bad example...I'm pretty good at it actually!

 

[brenndatomu]

Unless it was rated for 200mph application of course.

Just thinking about this...point of the tape was to keep the furnace from going "200 MPH"...but without the tape, you'd hafta have 200 mph rated tape...kind of an oxymoron, no?!
Besides, (if you are into NASCAR) you can't go 200 MPH with restrictor plates on!

 

[laynes69]

Don't feel bad.....I used high temp tape the entire season. If these furnaces had adjustable intakes on both the intake and secondary air, the use of a barometric damper can be eliminated. They can be controlled pretty easy.

 

[Builderml]

After the work off installing the front wannabe firebricks that SBI sent I must say I am not to pleased. I'll start by saying that the 2 long pieces of " wannabe insulation/firebrick" that SBI provides are soft so now after only 2days of running with them installed it looks like a mouse got in and is eating the material. What's really happening is when I am loading the wood I must be hitting the pieces and taking small chunks off. I can only imagine how these will look at the end of the season. So my advice is be very gentle when loading wood after you have them installed. If they get beat up I guess I'll just try to find some tall firebricks and make my own again for a second time.

 

[DoubleB]

What's really happening is when I am loading the wood I must be hitting the pieces and taking small chunks off.

That's too bad, I haven't used my Tundra yet this fall, but I can imagine that happening. Fortunately, I'm pretty sure the temps on the bottom are low and even if the firebrick at the bottom of the door gets busted out I don't think you're going to cause the stresses that cracked the Tundras. Those cracks seemed to be more due to high temps along the sides and top of the door.

 

[Builderml]

That's too bad, I haven't used my Tundra yet this fall, but I can imagine that happening. Fortunately, I'm pretty sure the temps on the bottom are low and even if the firebrick at the bottom of the door gets busted out I don't think you're going to cause the stresses that cracked the Tundras. Those cracks seemed to be more due to high temps along the sides and top of the door.

Thats the problem it's the new "bricks" they sent to cover the lenght of the sides that is chipping away and getting roughed up, probably happening when you take a piece of firewood and try to turn it to make it fit just right. The pieces I put in on the bottom SBI didn't send I just made them out of regular fire bricks for added protection.

 

[DoubleB]

it's the new "bricks" they sent to cover the lenght of the sides that is chipping away

Gotcha, my bad. That sounds worse. Guess we'll have to be extra careful.

Maybe @brenndatomu 's stainless steel shields are going to be the winner by the end of the season, I guess we'll see.

 

[brenndatomu]

Thats the problem it's the new "bricks" they sent to cover the lenght of the sides that is chipping away and getting roughed up, probably happening when you take a piece of firewood and try to turn it to make it fit just right. The pieces I put in on the bottom SBI didn't send I just made them out of regular fire bricks for added protection.

Maybe @brenndatomu 's stainless steel shields are going to be the winner by the end of the season, I guess we'll see.

I wonder if you could cut a bit off the inside edge to make the harder to hit? If I was to do it over again I'd probably make mine out of regular bigbox/farm store firebrick like @DoubleB (and/or others) and then cut the inside edge/corner on a 45* angle to make 'em harder to catch with wood
The SS will be durable, no doubt about that, probably the toughest part of the whole unit! Anybody that has ever worked with SS can appreciate how tough 1/4" 316 SS plate is...

 

[Matt78]

I had a large dead ash tree get away from me the other day! This is the result. Only a guide bar and could of been worse. Just putting this out there to remind everyone to be safety minded.

 

[brenndatomu]

View attachment 166118 I had a large dead ash tree get away from me the other day! This is the result. Only a guide bar and could of been worse. Just putting this out there to remind everyone to be safety minded.

Offset bar...Stihl is so innovative!
Glad everybody is OK. Dropping trees is no joke...

 

[Matt78]

Offset bar...Stihl is so innovative!
Glad everybody is OK. Dropping trees is no joke...

No joke! I can now cut way more efficient! When I realized things weren't going to plan. I gave the saw a tug. It was pinched. I was gone!

 

[sloeffle]

Emerald Ash Borer strikes again.

 

[Smoke Signals]

Jinkies Scoob! I don't think that bar is supposed to look like that.

 

[Smoke Signals]

Any one have a suggestion for a 4-20ma modulating damper motor to replace the stock motor on the tundra? Having trouble specking one that is spring return.

 

[brenndatomu]

Any one have a suggestion for a 4-20ma modulating damper motor to replace the stock motor on the tundra? Having trouble specking one that is spring return.

Modulator huh? Someone is fixin to get tricky now! Cool! I thought about scrounging something from an old valve operator at work to automate my lil stove in the fireplace. Never followed through though.
Could you spring load the damper door, use the motor to overcome the spring unless power fail, then the spring overcomes the motor, pulls 'er shut? Maybe its not that simple...

 

[Smoke Signals]

brenndatomu, that may be doable. I have access to some non-spring return damper motors, I will see if they are capable of this. thanks for the suggestion.

 

[brenndatomu]

Would a linear actuator or stepper motor work? I'm not up on what is or is not possible with this stuff but I know the local vocational school electronics class makes some pretty cool robots from a pile of "junk". Guess I need to hire a high school kid to automate my stove, eh?

 

[brenndatomu]

Or maybe a modulating duct damper motor?
I think I know what you're up to, but would you mind elaborating for the others smoke?

 

[Matt78]

2nd fire of the year. I figured I get the stove pipe up to 625 f before shutting the damper. Problem is I could only get it up to around 500 f. It was a small load. Maybe this is why?I did get good ssecondary burn for about 10 min. tricky tricky

 

[brenndatomu]

2nd fire of the year. I figured I get the stove pipe up to 625 f before shutting the damper. Problem is I could only get it up to around 500 f. It was a small load. Maybe this is why?I did get good ssecondary burn for about 10 min. tricky tricky

What was your draft reading? A small load and warmish temps outside likely make for lower flue temps. Wet wood will do it too...

 

[Smoke Signals]

Or maybe a modulating duct damper motor?
I think I know what you're up to, but would you mind elaborating for the others smoke?

Well in short I'm not happy with the full open or fully closed action of the damper and would like to have more automated control over it. I will use a 4-20ma controller to drive the damper to any point between full open and fully closed that is desired and hold it there until another adjustment is required to get the burn or heat output that I am looking for while keeping the fire box hot enough for proper combustion. Mostly I would like to be able to hold the damper open a little more that the fully closed position with out propping it open so that it can close fully in the event of a power failure or a over heat situation and the other thing is I'm the kind of guy that can't leave any thing alone.......haha. I think I may be onto the type of actuator that I need, they are used to operate the economizer dampers on HVAC equipment. I will post more details as they develop.

 

[brenndatomu]

Well in short I'm not happy with the full open or fully closed action of the damper and would like to have more automated control over it. I will use a 4-20ma controller to drive the damper to any point between full open and fully closed that is desired and hold it there until another adjustment is required to get the burn or heat output that I am looking for while keeping the fire box hot enough for proper combustion. Mostly I would like to be able to hold the damper open a little more that the fully closed position with out propping it open so that it can close fully in the event of a power failure or a over heat situation and the other thing is I'm the kind of guy that can't leave any thing alone.......haha. I think I may be onto the type of actuator that I need, they are used to operate the economizer dampers on HVAC equipment. I will post more details as they develop.

Kinda what I thought you were up to. I think you may be on to something here, watching with much interest!

 

[Matt78]

What was your draft reading? A small load and warmish temps outside likely make for lower flue temps. Wet wood will do it too...

Draft reading was -.05 to -.06 wc. Wood is 3 year old maple. Didn't do a reading on it but I assume it's dry. I'll take a reading tomorrow. So are you saying when it gets cold outside furnace will run better.

 

[brenndatomu]

Draft reading was -.05 to -.06 wc. Wood is 3 year old maple. Didn't do a reading on it but I assume it's dry. I'll take a reading tomorrow. So are you saying when it gets cold outside furnace will run better.

Well, generally yes. Draft tends to be stronger anyways, but yours sounds pretty good now.
Since you only had secondarys for a few minutes after coming off high fire, that makes me think wet wood, but, that was a small load, and it does make a difference.
FWIW, I set my high temp limit down to 500 for now...seems to run good like that, at least 'til it gets colder
(Oh, and GO BUCKS!)