Wow what a great forum. I am the proud owner of a late 70s Fisher XL that I have owned since new. Burning 4or5 chords of pine a year has taken its toll on my beloved stove. 2 years ago had a local welder repiared cracks to the back of stove arround the 10" exhaust fitting. Also the beautiful door with the sunburst has been craking and was brazed or welded. After seeing the pictures stove you recently aquiered I was wondering if a restoration of my stove would be feasable
Everything Fisher
- Thread starter coaly
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My neighbor has a Baby Bear Fisher Stove that is in perfect order. I bet it was burned in once and just sat there! He want to let it go real cheap. I have pix on iphone that are decent but can email or text to some to load on this site. I am located South of Pittsburgh in Washington Pa. If any are interested LMK!
Loco Gringo said:
Loco Gringo;
I don't know if you're asking if I would personally make an offer on this stove, as in you are the seller, or if it's near you, and you're asking if you should make an offer to buy it. So here's my opinion;
Not to bash this item if it's your stove, but asking $850 ?? (I know, one just like it sold on eBay last week for $1,100
) So maybe that's a price tag of the times. I should be able to retire on my collection. Wait, I am retired. :gulp: I'm a collector, so I look for original paint, little use or preferably unfired stoves. The only thing this one has going for it is the Baxter Dampers. It has the newer more common spring handles, non original firebrick (at least it looks like it has been replaced, and the ad doesn't say it's an unfired stove, so I assume it's not original) The trees and FISHER lettering has been accented with silver, something else not original, and it's a common Grandpa stove. A 76 door would be desirable to a collector. So for me it's a $200 stove if it were a local pick up.
If you're looking to buy it to use it, I'd still offer $200. The only advantage of a double door Fisher is the ability to burn with open doors to view the fire. But there's no mention of the screen for open door burning with it. So why not look for a Papa Bear that burns logs to 30" instead of the shorter 24", and has a 6 inch outlet for real efficiency? You will get a longer burn time, and much less loss up the stack. Once you burn in the fireplace mode with open doors and watch the wood roar up the chimney, you'll wish you had a Papa Bear. (and you'll have a piece of history that started ALL air tight stoves) Papa Bear, the grand daddy of them all ! And it heats the same area if not more !
flagbruce said:
Welcome to the Forum flagbruce !
Sure it's feasible. Depending on the damage to the door, anything is possible. I'd certainly try to save it. You may never find another. Once the cracks are brazed or welded, I know of a foundry in California that pours cast iron using yours as a pattern, or they can re-plate your original over the repair (?) with nickel. It's cheaper than you think ! PM me for details if you want to go that route.
Finally my turn to ask questions !!
Was your XL a stocked item, or available by "special order only" at your Fisher Dealer??
Did it come with an owners manual? Mine had a single page from a Grandpa Bear manual with it, new in box. I've often wondered if there was any printed material that came with the XL.
Thanks for getting in touch !
Loco Gringo
Feeling the Heat
Coaly I was in fact looking for your opinion as a buyer. Im an hour from Asheville and I need something upstairs so I dont have to keep humping it downstairs to the stove in the den. The kid gate at the top ads insult to injury btw. What Im really looking to do is have heat up here and a means of cooking during a power outage. It would be a true luxury to have it without an outage even.
Loco Gringo said:
Watch Craigslist ! There's a Papa Bear east of you near Hamburg PA for $150.
I put a wanted ad on there a couple weeks ago to find a neighbor a Mama or Papa Bear. One person responded with a stove they weren't sure of what model they had. Ended up to be a Baby Bear he paid $80 for. He never used it, and was looking to just get his $80 back. I was only interested in buying it to repaint and resell for $200 until he mentioned "the cute shiny feet on it" !!
Got it for $80 with a set of Bear Feet !
Coaly thanx for the response, I think casting a new door, using the old would be a grate solution. The left door, with the sun is the one that is cracked, to the point of being able to see flame threw part of the crack. The crack is about 5" running from the damper along the edge of the mountain. I feel confident I could have the back panel with the 10" flange replaced locality. Getting fhe door to a foundry in California would be easy. That and some new firebrick and I should be good for another 30 years I bought the stove out of stock from a dealer here in flagstaff. Seems I vaguely remember some basic assemble instructions ,attaching doors, ashtray.chrome feet, firebrick etc. What I distinctly remember is the ad on our local TV station where the store owner, a fairly large woman whales on a baby bear with a sledge hammer with her smaller stature husband, the welder, confidently proclaiming the durability of the Fisher Stove with its life time warranty. It was a hoot. Information on the foundry would be greatly appreciated
It's not me, a lot of people have questions about Fisher Stoves!
I picked up my long awaited Honey Bear Pedestal stove near Buffalo NY Friday. It's a diamond in the rough.
There was a construction site along the way, and as I came to a stop, along side me was a little red building with a sign on the front "Fisher Stove Works". I would have cruised right by had the construction not halted me right there ! It was getting dark, but I stopped to take pictures anyway. It was like I got out of a time machine. Here's a business gone for 25 years and the building and sign is still there. In the front window is a tin Fisher Dealer sign, too much reflection through the glass for a good picture of it. But I'm going back ! Lots of boxes, shelves, like a showroom turned warehouse inside. Here's the pictures, or I wouldn't believe it myself.
(I left the building and the signs there. It wasn't easy)
I picked up my long awaited Honey Bear Pedestal stove near Buffalo NY Friday. It's a diamond in the rough.
There was a construction site along the way, and as I came to a stop, along side me was a little red building with a sign on the front "Fisher Stove Works". I would have cruised right by had the construction not halted me right there ! It was getting dark, but I stopped to take pictures anyway. It was like I got out of a time machine. Here's a business gone for 25 years and the building and sign is still there. In the front window is a tin Fisher Dealer sign, too much reflection through the glass for a good picture of it. But I'm going back ! Lots of boxes, shelves, like a showroom turned warehouse inside. Here's the pictures, or I wouldn't believe it myself.
(I left the building and the signs there. It wasn't easy)
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First surprise taking a close look at a Honey Bear Pedestal stove.
Finally a simple design BAFFLE PLATE ! The 1/4" top plate (unlike stoves of the Bear Series with 5/16 thick top plate) round cut out piece from the flue hole, is welded to three 1 1/2" long X 5/16 diameter rods. The flue collar is a piece of 6 inch well casing. :bug: This allows the flue gasses through an opening 1 1/2" high, all the way around the baffle plate.
This stove was built 6-8-84 near the end of production. So here's an idea to install a baffle in an older Fisher that has to be better than straight out the flue pipe. No doubt from Fisher's own Research and Development.
By drilling three 5/16 holes, spaced evenly in the flue collar that sticks down in the stove, only a round flat piece of plate steel (1/4 or 5/16 thick) is required about an inch larger diameter than the flue opening. Drill 3 holes, evenly spaced in a circle the size of the flue diameter. Insert the hooked end of three 5/16 dia. 2 inch long J bolts into the flue collar. Hang the round baffle plate on the three J bolts hanging down and nut the bottom to support the plate at 1 1/2 inch air space to flue collar. Tighten a second nut to double nut the J bolt from moving.
The creosote on the inside of this stove is not from normal burning. The owner only kindled a couple fires in it, and never filled it with wood to bring it up to temp. There was NO ash between the bricks when I removed them for moving it. No fine powder like you usually find between and behind the bricks. Just crumbly black creosote / soot ? flakes like a chimney was cleaned and it all fell into the stove. Strange there was absolutely no ash inside this stove.
Finally a simple design BAFFLE PLATE ! The 1/4" top plate (unlike stoves of the Bear Series with 5/16 thick top plate) round cut out piece from the flue hole, is welded to three 1 1/2" long X 5/16 diameter rods. The flue collar is a piece of 6 inch well casing. :bug: This allows the flue gasses through an opening 1 1/2" high, all the way around the baffle plate.
This stove was built 6-8-84 near the end of production. So here's an idea to install a baffle in an older Fisher that has to be better than straight out the flue pipe. No doubt from Fisher's own Research and Development.
By drilling three 5/16 holes, spaced evenly in the flue collar that sticks down in the stove, only a round flat piece of plate steel (1/4 or 5/16 thick) is required about an inch larger diameter than the flue opening. Drill 3 holes, evenly spaced in a circle the size of the flue diameter. Insert the hooked end of three 5/16 dia. 2 inch long J bolts into the flue collar. Hang the round baffle plate on the three J bolts hanging down and nut the bottom to support the plate at 1 1/2 inch air space to flue collar. Tighten a second nut to double nut the J bolt from moving.
The creosote on the inside of this stove is not from normal burning. The owner only kindled a couple fires in it, and never filled it with wood to bring it up to temp. There was NO ash between the bricks when I removed them for moving it. No fine powder like you usually find between and behind the bricks. Just crumbly black creosote / soot ? flakes like a chimney was cleaned and it all fell into the stove. Strange there was absolutely no ash inside this stove.
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This seems like a logical efficiency improvement. However, would it affect the existing baffle/damper in my insert, the one that closes & opens with the pull chain?
For the creosote mystery, could it be that this new baffle design causes the smoke to further recirculate in the stove, and therefore for the creosote to deposit in the top of the stove? or is the stove too hot when in use, and this is impossible?
The round baffle should work good on any stove of the Bear Series. The stove it's on is designed for closed door burning like the Bear Series stoves with 6 inch flues. Fireplace and Inserts are 8 inch, so that restriction during open door burning (with screen) may allow smoke in. It's worth a try in a Fireplace Series though. Most owners don't have a screen to burn them to view the fire anyway. I don't know if you have any flue collar extending down in your insert. If it's there, I'd try it. It may be welded flush with the inside of the top plate.
You wouldn't get any creosote on the top of the fire box. That's the hottest piece of the appliance and vent system. The top of the one I've burned since new looks like clean bare steel. Any moisture from the wood or combustion has to condense on cooler operating chimney or pipe parts to form creosote and build up.
I know this stove has seen little to no use since there was no ash between the firebrick on the bottom. Lots of black flakes and crispy creosote, so it wasn't vacuumed. It only takes a few logs to create ash between the brick when you burn them down. The inside of the glass cleaned up with windex, so it never got hot. The owner told me the doors were stuck shut from paint or rust. He was trying to open the LEFT door first, by trying to move the solid welded handle on the left door. That handle doesn't move on double door stoves. I had to bump upwards on the RIGHT door handle since it was pushed down too tight. Both doors opened easily. That's the first clue he hadn't used it. Later, I wiped the stove down with mineral spirits before painting the back from hand truck marks. Rag comes up extremely black. That tells me the stove paint was never heated for it's final cure. Once they burn off and smoke up the house the first time, mineral spirits won't touch the paint.
Somehow they burned it cold, maybe never opened the air shutters? A Honey Bear doesn't have air damper knobs. They have a sliding plate above and below the doors. They are air slots above and below the glass for an air wash over the glass. A little tab with a hole in it sticks out behind the right door hinges. If you don't know where to look (or read the book)..... well who knows.
Below are pictures of the Honey Bear Pedestal Stove air intake system. Slider IN is closed, OUT to open.
With the doors shut, it's hidden. The dollar bill is to show the size of the stove. They are tiny. The overall stove box is only 19 inches square.
You wouldn't get any creosote on the top of the fire box. That's the hottest piece of the appliance and vent system. The top of the one I've burned since new looks like clean bare steel. Any moisture from the wood or combustion has to condense on cooler operating chimney or pipe parts to form creosote and build up.
I know this stove has seen little to no use since there was no ash between the firebrick on the bottom. Lots of black flakes and crispy creosote, so it wasn't vacuumed. It only takes a few logs to create ash between the brick when you burn them down. The inside of the glass cleaned up with windex, so it never got hot. The owner told me the doors were stuck shut from paint or rust. He was trying to open the LEFT door first, by trying to move the solid welded handle on the left door. That handle doesn't move on double door stoves. I had to bump upwards on the RIGHT door handle since it was pushed down too tight. Both doors opened easily. That's the first clue he hadn't used it. Later, I wiped the stove down with mineral spirits before painting the back from hand truck marks. Rag comes up extremely black. That tells me the stove paint was never heated for it's final cure. Once they burn off and smoke up the house the first time, mineral spirits won't touch the paint.
Somehow they burned it cold, maybe never opened the air shutters? A Honey Bear doesn't have air damper knobs. They have a sliding plate above and below the doors. They are air slots above and below the glass for an air wash over the glass. A little tab with a hole in it sticks out behind the right door hinges. If you don't know where to look (or read the book)..... well who knows.
Below are pictures of the Honey Bear Pedestal Stove air intake system. Slider IN is closed, OUT to open.
With the doors shut, it's hidden. The dollar bill is to show the size of the stove. They are tiny. The overall stove box is only 19 inches square.
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Can you help with the year the Grandpa Bear was manufactured? We have one without the arches. On the inner side of the doors it is stamped with (Left Door) L. G/P A B & I 9294 (Right Door) R. G/P A B & I 9293. Don't know if that helps determine year it was made. Ours does not have any stars on the front.
Thank you
Laura
Thank you
Laura
1977,78, or early 79.
The study of door markings from different foundries would be an endeavor within itself.
A door casting date wouldn't date the stove anyway. They were shipped from foundry to Fisher. Handles and dampers were added, then to fabricators as needed. A few people that bought out leftover stock still have new doors that haven't had a stove made for them yet.
If it has 4 fin air dampers, there's a better possibility of it being an early date. Once Bob designed his own aluminum with 5 fins, they were cheaper and most fabricators went with those. However...... there were some still with the more expensive 4 fin, possibly due to lack of the newer type ?? Or just using up the first style on doors shipped to fabricators. Spring handles with the tighter wound spring are an early date as well. Each coil will be tight against the other, unlike the newer style with space between each coil. (and the plating wears off)
The study of door markings from different foundries would be an endeavor within itself.
A door casting date wouldn't date the stove anyway. They were shipped from foundry to Fisher. Handles and dampers were added, then to fabricators as needed. A few people that bought out leftover stock still have new doors that haven't had a stove made for them yet.
If it has 4 fin air dampers, there's a better possibility of it being an early date. Once Bob designed his own aluminum with 5 fins, they were cheaper and most fabricators went with those. However...... there were some still with the more expensive 4 fin, possibly due to lack of the newer type ?? Or just using up the first style on doors shipped to fabricators. Spring handles with the tighter wound spring are an early date as well. Each coil will be tight against the other, unlike the newer style with space between each coil. (and the plating wears off)
Okay so ours has very tight spring handles and silver/grey 4 fin dampers you put that at pre 1980 or is there really no way to get actual manufacturing date?
Thank you
Laura
Thank you
Laura
All straight top doors are pre 1980.
Yours is after 76 without the 76 Star doors, and before mid 79 since they started arch top doors about then.
The type spring handles you have and the 4 fin dampers makes it "early" within the years I gave you; 1977, 78, 79. Probably a 77, possibly 78, probably not a 79.
The only stoves with a manufacturing date are UL listed after 1980 on the tag.
A B & I stands for American Brass and Iron. The number was probably their pattern number. They are still in business in California.
Yours is after 76 without the 76 Star doors, and before mid 79 since they started arch top doors about then.
The type spring handles you have and the 4 fin dampers makes it "early" within the years I gave you; 1977, 78, 79. Probably a 77, possibly 78, probably not a 79.
The only stoves with a manufacturing date are UL listed after 1980 on the tag.
A B & I stands for American Brass and Iron. The number was probably their pattern number. They are still in business in California.
hello. im new to this whole wood stove thing...i have a few questions.
1- ive read about the damper being needed, i have a stove that vents out the back...when i install the pipe from the stove to the fireplace, then 90deg up into the flue....where do i put the damper?
2 i have hardwood floors. im needing to either install a hearth or build one but height is an issue due to the height of the vent pipe going into the fireplace. any sugestions?
thanks in advance. i love this site its VERY informative
1- ive read about the damper being needed, i have a stove that vents out the back...when i install the pipe from the stove to the fireplace, then 90deg up into the flue....where do i put the damper?
2 i have hardwood floors. im needing to either install a hearth or build one but height is an issue due to the height of the vent pipe going into the fireplace. any sugestions?
thanks in advance. i love this site its VERY informative
Welcome to the forum;
Anywhere in the straight pipe is OK for the damper. Or you can run the first piece pitched upwards toward the elbow, and put the damper in the next straight piece. (It only takes a piece of straight pipe 4 inches long for a 6 inch damper) Putting it within reach is the best too.
As long as the connecting pipe is sloped upward to the chimney connection you're ok. If you run out of height, by raising the stove too much, adjustable elbows with a slanted pipe, or even a staight pipe out the back sloped upward is fine. As long as the hole in the chimney, or fireplace block off plate is above the stove outlet, you're ok.
Be sure to make the hearth pad in front of the stove at least the minimum as shown in the installation instructions. (manuals available in Hearth Wiki) If anything glowing spits out, or a log rolls, you'll wish you had more. It's good to have extra room to lay a few pieces of wood when you're loading it. I like 2 feet in front for a place to set the ash pail, shovel, poker..... wet boots....
First, you'll find burning wood gives you the needed place for a water pan to humidify the air. Second, it dries clothes. Folding clothes racks dry a load of laundry overnight. There are Amish made racks 40 inches wide made with 1/2 dowel rods that are heavy duty, 5 feet high. We do run our clothes and towels through the dryer 10 minutes on air only to soften them. Next, you'll learn anything made in a crock pot and cooked slowly cooks for free, usually with a trivet to raise it off the stove to simmer and prevent fast cooking. Once you learn to start cooking anything an hour early, you can cook just about anything on the stove. Next you'll save by not needing to buy salt, sand or kitty litter for ice anymore. Then one day you'll realize your cold unless the stove's going. Welcome to wood burning!
Anywhere in the straight pipe is OK for the damper. Or you can run the first piece pitched upwards toward the elbow, and put the damper in the next straight piece. (It only takes a piece of straight pipe 4 inches long for a 6 inch damper) Putting it within reach is the best too.
As long as the connecting pipe is sloped upward to the chimney connection you're ok. If you run out of height, by raising the stove too much, adjustable elbows with a slanted pipe, or even a staight pipe out the back sloped upward is fine. As long as the hole in the chimney, or fireplace block off plate is above the stove outlet, you're ok.
Be sure to make the hearth pad in front of the stove at least the minimum as shown in the installation instructions. (manuals available in Hearth Wiki) If anything glowing spits out, or a log rolls, you'll wish you had more. It's good to have extra room to lay a few pieces of wood when you're loading it. I like 2 feet in front for a place to set the ash pail, shovel, poker..... wet boots....
First, you'll find burning wood gives you the needed place for a water pan to humidify the air. Second, it dries clothes. Folding clothes racks dry a load of laundry overnight. There are Amish made racks 40 inches wide made with 1/2 dowel rods that are heavy duty, 5 feet high. We do run our clothes and towels through the dryer 10 minutes on air only to soften them. Next, you'll learn anything made in a crock pot and cooked slowly cooks for free, usually with a trivet to raise it off the stove to simmer and prevent fast cooking. Once you learn to start cooking anything an hour early, you can cook just about anything on the stove. Next you'll save by not needing to buy salt, sand or kitty litter for ice anymore. Then one day you'll realize your cold unless the stove's going. Welcome to wood burning!
thanks for the info. but im still a little "baffled"... about the placement of the damper. if im thinking correctly...you have the stove, the pipe from the stove going through the metal(the piece that "seals" off the fire place) then the elbow .....if i put a damper on the inside of the metal (which will be on the inside of the existing fireplace), its not accessible.
also, as to the connection of the pipe coming from the stove, im assuming it needs to be a really good connection as not to let smoke, co escape. an if i angle it up...im thinking it may leak.
OR am i just over thinking this whole thing?lol
also, as to the connection of the pipe coming from the stove, im assuming it needs to be a really good connection as not to let smoke, co escape. an if i angle it up...im thinking it may leak.
OR am i just over thinking this whole thing?lol
Yep, your over thinking it. Put the damper where you can reach it somewhere between the stove and block off plate. Normally the crimped end faces down, and you can shove it in and angle it a bit. Try a piece on the back of the stove, if it's only pushed in about an inch, you can angle it quite a bit. I have a hand crimper that is a good tool to have if you shorten pipe and need to crimp it down smaller. They're like a pair of pliers with deep jaws that press a W shape in the wall of the pipe. You can over crimp it by taking a deeper bite and squeezing too hard easily. This makes the end smaller than normal so it can tilt more too. Three screws, 1/2" long should be used at each pipe joint after it's put together to keep it from moving or coming apart.
Coaly,
My parents have a Grandpa Bear in their home that my grandfather bought in the mid-late 70's. It's an early model based on your description of the tightly wound handles and 4 fin air damper knobs.
The question I have here is: the stove is in the basement of a ranch home, and the chimney is very short, just one story up, so total chimney length is about 15-20 feet or so. They want to begin using the stove again as it hasn't been used since 1993. We were going to get the chimney lined and that's where the question is, do we need to get an 8" or can we use a 6" diameter stainless steel liner? I was thinking of reducing directly out of the stove to 6", add the intermediate swing damper in the vertical flue before it 90's into the chimney and go with a 6" diameter stainless steel liner thru the masonry chimney to the top.
My grandfather had a bad habit of burning the stove very slowly, which as we know created creosote. He did experience a couple chimney fires due to this and then completely rebuilt the chimney from the ground up. I would like to install a smaller flue to establish a stronger draft so the stove will burn better.
What do you think?
Thanks,
Craig
My parents have a Grandpa Bear in their home that my grandfather bought in the mid-late 70's. It's an early model based on your description of the tightly wound handles and 4 fin air damper knobs.
The question I have here is: the stove is in the basement of a ranch home, and the chimney is very short, just one story up, so total chimney length is about 15-20 feet or so. They want to begin using the stove again as it hasn't been used since 1993. We were going to get the chimney lined and that's where the question is, do we need to get an 8" or can we use a 6" diameter stainless steel liner? I was thinking of reducing directly out of the stove to 6", add the intermediate swing damper in the vertical flue before it 90's into the chimney and go with a 6" diameter stainless steel liner thru the masonry chimney to the top.
My grandfather had a bad habit of burning the stove very slowly, which as we know created creosote. He did experience a couple chimney fires due to this and then completely rebuilt the chimney from the ground up. I would like to install a smaller flue to establish a stronger draft so the stove will burn better.
What do you think?
Thanks,
Craig
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