Everything Fisher

[coaly]

Anyone know how to post this to the picture gallery under ads? I figured it out. Read dummy.

I see no copyright on it at S.B. SNIDER ENTERPRISES, INC website.

 

[Nonprophet]

Making a Living with hand-made stoves

Bob's cousin Barbara Jorgensen and her husband Frank visit Bob's home. They want one of his stoves. One week later, they're building stoves. 10 years later, they've built 30,000 stoves !

Another cool news article;
(broken link removed to http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6-ERAAAAIBAJ&sjid=B-8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5253,6090982&dq=fisher+bear+stove&hl=en)

This article is how I was able to Google Map the original shop and see it as it stands today with the Street View feature. 1822 42nd st. Springfield, Or

Hi Coaly,

Great job on putting all this together--it's been a fascinating read! It's of particular interest to me because I live in the Eugene/Springfield area, the 1822 42nd st address is about 8 miles from my house! In fact, if you'd like photos of the original shop, I'd be happy to take some for you.

Thanks again!


NP

 

[tickbitty]

Making a Living with hand-made stoves

Bob's cousin Barbara Jorgensen and her husband Frank visit Bob's home. They want one of his stoves. One week later, they're building stoves. 10 years later, they've built 30,000 stoves !

Another cool news article;
(broken link removed to http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6-ERAAAAIBAJ&sjid=B-8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5253,6090982&dq=fisher+bear+stove&hl=en)

This article is how I was able to Google Map the original shop and see it as it stands today with the Street View feature. 1822 42nd st. Springfield, Or

Hi Coaly,

Great job on putting all this together--it's been a fascinating read! It's of particular interest to me because I live in the Eugene/Springfield area, the 1822 42nd st address is about 8 miles from my house! In fact, if you'd like photos of the original shop, I'd be happy to take some for you.

Thanks again!


NP

OMG be careful there he's going to have you busting in there looking for original parts left behind!

 

[coaly]

Thanks Nonprophet. That article gave a rt. 95, which I found no such thing anywhere near the area on 42nd street that the old rented garage was near. However there is a 99 which is also interstate 5. That is a few blocks from 42nd street, so it must be a cross between the route numbers in the article.
Using Google Maps "street view" you can move along the path the camera car drives and view the area online. Making a left off Main in Springfield, I followed 42nd street past Weyerhauser, and up to the 126 double underpass. There is a raised walkway on your right , then Rogers Gardens on the left. The next building is the place, behind trees at the road frontage. Evergreen at the left of the garage door, dock roof overhang on the right side of the building should still be there. Can't tell if it's connected to the low building to the left due to the tree at the old shop corner. (Is that a FIR tree in front of that building as used on the stove fronts?) Maybe you have them everywhere, but if you use that tree on the front door of all your stoves, what would you plant in front of your sales office?? hmmm. It's there in the artist rendition as well on the second page of Chapter 3 (pg. 48) here; https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/dded299f3c431e0871d2469059b795e3/

I'd like to add a note for Bob in case you're getting a kick out of our conversation. I will not post your personal information here or on the net to create needless calls or unannounced visits. I'm a collector from Pennsylvania of your early stoves that doesn't travel, so I have to ship them from your area to aquire what I want under one roof. If you know of any of your first stoves going up for sale, let me know by an email to; [email protected] Put what you sold by the ton after that "business adventure" in the subject line so I know it's you. 50 bucks back then, I can give you a call at the same number if you come up with any. (I know, West Coast time) Thanks, Paul

 

[coaly]

Since the Baby Bear showed no signs of pitting, I decided to try cleaning surface rust off without media blasting or wire wheeling.

First picture, Friday Feb. 26. PB Blaster Catalyst Penetrant is put on, rubbed in a bit with a scrub brush. Allowed to soak 24 hours.

Second picture, Saturday Feb. 27. After massaging the catalyst in to break up loose surface rust, I wiped dry with paper towels. Reapplied PB Blaster for another 24 hour soak. It was a little cleaner looking when wiped dry, since the fluid is a golden honey color when applied in picture.

Third picture, Sunday Feb. 28. Wiped dry, then wiped with mineral spirits. Looks like new dark gray steel plate under florescent lights, but the flash brings some iron red color out. One more night of catalyst soak, then I'll rub it wet with green Scotch Brite, clean with mineral spirits and it should look like new metal ready for paint.

No dust, no splatter from a wheel, and all the mess is in the dark rust-red noxious paper towels that CAN be burned in the stove for it's final cure. Of course I'd never do such a thing since it's against all those EPA regulations in the fine print somewhere.

 

[pen]

PB Blaster is great stuff. That's another great way to use not. Kinda ashamed that I hadn't thought of that!

pen

 

[coaly]

I had a Ford Ranger service truck with utility body that was over 15 years old when I went to replace the brake master cylinder. Some of the brake lines were going to twist with the fitting screwed into the aluminum master cylinder body. Major stuck. The fitting and line looked like it had become one piece. That line would have twisted around itself and I'd be into a brake line mess. It wasn't an emergency fix, the pedal crept down while holding, and I knew it was leaking past the seal in the bore. So I sprayed it, and forgot about it a few days. Since it dried up, I resprayed it. Between the engine heat and vibration, a week later I went to try it, and all the fittings spun easily loose on the fittings. That sold me. But it's also a time thing. Since rust is a slow type of oxidation, you can't reverse it quickly. Given time it is emulsified and breaks up. That stove looked a lot worse in the pictures on Craigslist. Whew.

 

[hareball]

Coaly-- Thats gonna be one sweet show stove when finished!! My GmB has been sitting right where my Father placed it when he brought it home but one of these years I'd really like to bring it out to the garage and clean her up. All I've done the last 15 or so years is shoot it with some high temp black.

 

[tickbitty]

Coaly this is the stove you shipped from afar? Why did you choose that one on CL if it looked in rough shape? Don't those come up periodically closer to you? Or is it mostly the bigger stoves that come up? I just wonder why you chose this one. That's awesome that it ended up being in even better shape than you thought.

 

[hareball]

Coaly this is the stove you shipped from afar? Why did you choose that one on CL if it looked in rough shape? Don't those come up periodically closer to you? Or is it mostly the bigger stoves that come up? I just wonder why you chose this one. That's awesome that it ended up being in even better shape than you thought.

The 3 piece top is the holy grail.

 

[tickbitty]

Ohhhhh, right. You'd think I had not been paying attention at all! I knew that's what Coaly was seeking, I just didn't realize it's what he had just gotten! I thought he was still seeking it. I guess he's still seeking a Papa of that type then?

 

[coaly]

I lift the door off each year to dip the pins in hi temp grease. I put a dab on the hinge ear where it rotates with the weight of the door, and grease the draft cap threads. Silver anti-sieze lasts quite a while too and is good for hi temps. It's better to use the anti-seize on the aluminum or brass draft cap and steel stud. Electrolisis between the two dissimilar metals could have an effect on the softer threads over the next 50 years or more. They're 20 bucks a piece when you can find them !

Here's what the original draft cap is made of;
2 inch unmarked black iron pipe cap.
2 inch long X 1/2 - 13 (course) thread bolt welded exactly true in the center of the cap.

 

[coaly]

The Papa I want ain't for sale.

 

[hareball]

Yeah my doors do some squeaking. My right door draft cap is still working great but the left one is showing wear. As I turn it it starts to shutter around the last turn and a half. Sometimes the air draw will cause it to shutter as well.

 

[coaly]

I have updated the Clifford Shirley law suit in post #3 on page one of this thread to include the settlement of both sides making consessions and signing a new agreement allowing Shirley to continue with his direct sales approach until July 1, 1981.

 

[coaly]

It’s not my intention to dwell on any particular stove or my collection, but an information source for the dating of fisher stoves and the history behind the company. So here’s my research on stove model introduction dates; If an older ad is found, I may have to edit a date or add new information as found. I have tons of these ads, and it’s not always easy to date them. ‘BEAR’ with me ;

The first models can be determined from “The Fisher Stove Story” book.
You can get it here; https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/Book_-_The_Fisher_Stove_Story/

Papa Bear;
The interview article in the Seattle Times titled “His stove was hot idea while it lasted” dates Bob’s unemployed winter and first stove to October of 1973.
The book correlates this time period with the building of his Uncle Ed’s stove, his mothers stove to repay her for the loan, and the 4th stove was going to be sold for profit. The book states “10 days none sold” and this was close to Christmas………

By May 1974 the 10th stove was built from the materials from his Uncle Ed’s loan.
Soon after, Baxter suggested having the doors cast, and Bob rented the first building soon afterward. By the end of July 1974, he was selling 4 a day.

Mama Bear;
Was added for people requiring less heat (pg. 53) approx. at the end of July or beginning of August 1974. Ron Correll was hired, and the first license to build the stoves was signed. September 74 was the TV commercial. (pg. 67)

Baby Bear;
First mentioned on pg. 69 in an article from the Register Guard newspaper on how the Baby Bear was born. Putting the start date on or before September 74. Possibly the same time when Papa was downsized to the Mama ???

By January 76, (pg. 85) Ron and wife Susie had left to go on their own, and the imitators started with Self Sufficiency, Schrader, and then Jake Jackson’s idea of a double door stove.

Grandma and Grandpa; During 1976 became the double door Fireplace Series. (possibly to compete with Jakes Frontier Stoves double doors?)


The following is my use of ads and news articles as they appeared with the newer models;

Goldilocks; (Mobile Home fireplace and radiant heater) first seen in this 10-18-78 ad;
( I also have the original 5 year warranty certificate that came with this stove with copyright 1978 that I will scan and add to this thread )

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...5267,4516782&dq=fisher+goldilocks+stove&hl=en

Fireplace Insert; Appears in this 2-13-79 ad along with “the all new XL”
XL Series; The 3000 square foot capacity “restaurant size” model confirming the 8 models made;
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AJ&pg=5749,2705804&dq=fisher+bear+stove&hl=en

Fireplace Insert and Goldilocks production are also mentioned in this 2-20-79 news article; “Fisher stoves gives contracts to two Eugene firms”
(Earl Wing of Industrial Construction Company, and Crown American Irrigation)

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...3926,6115772&dq=fisher+goldilocks+stove&hl=en

Earl later becomes the primary stock holder, sells to Vik Construction, and later regains the company back.

More dates to come; Fireplace III Series, Honey Bear Insert and ads containing the new "UL listed" stoves starting in April of 1980. More ads and articles to sort by date, to be continued…………

 

[coaly]

A somewhat rare 1976 Grandpa model. Most of the '76 Bicentennial door models were Grandma.
(notice the early springs as well) This one came out of hibernation early this year!
On eBay in Ohio.
Update; $499 reserve price, Sold for $760. New home, Columbus Ohio.

 

[hareball]

Whoa!! Thanks for posting that star. I've never seen one before now.

"bear with me" "Out of hibernation" haha you kill me man :lol:

 

[coaly]

Take a closer look;

My door hinges are not drilled all the way through ! No button head rivets for pins here !
Doors lift off, pins stay in door. I call this the Wonder Bear, since we'll probably never know why.
(But it could give me an excuse to get another stove)

 

[hareball]

Wonder Bear fits that stove very well. Do you think that was done by an owner that was a little crafty with metal? It's a great idea but in reality who really takes their doors off? Mine have been off once 12 years ago to clean them up on the inside. hmmm

 

[pen]

I would take them off and set them in the cabinet nearby if I was burning with the screen on. But that wasn't too often.

pen

 

[coaly]

I suppose since the idea was to be able to open the doors with the screen on, the first ones could have had pins pressed in to prevent you from loosing them. But in reality, if the stove is already hot, and you want to view the fire, the doors would be left wide open and never removed anyway.........

Here's something different I found today;

An add from the licensee listing all the local dealers where his stoves were available.

The license holder, none other than Dick Higgins, the good working red haired kid (from pg. 81) who left Bob the day of his sisters birthday party (pg.88) for his own fabrication shop in Post Falls Idaho !

Don't get burned buying a wood stove 11-12-78 ;
(broken link removed to http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TecRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8-0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3618,5200914&dq=steel+plate+wood+stove&hl=en)

 

[coaly]

I know it's tough to top the article "His stove was a hot idea while it lasted" from post 26 in this thread, but..............

Here it is in it's original form, with a somewhat lousy picture of Bobby Fisher working on his tractor in 1991. Titled "Former wood stove king learns money can't buy happiness"

"I was scared, I didn't know if I could do it so I kind of put my arm around in front of the paper and I signed. Only I had one of those push-button pens and the point wasn't out. And then I folded the paper and tossed it across the table and said 'it's a deal'. :lol:

"As far as I know, they never looked. They may still not know. But we ended up with a great relationship and they made a hell of a lot of money off the deal."

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AJ&pg=6935,1799059&dq=fisher+wood-stove&hl=en

 

[coaly]

The last news article I posted was from 2/20/79 when the two companies were starting in Eugene to build the Goldilocks and Inserts for the US dealers.

Here's an ad showing the Inserts are making their way to Canada 8-22-79 ;
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...&pg=5297,3920482&dq=fisher+insert+stove&hl=en

UL Listing starts to appear in stove advertisements 4-10-80 with the advent of the redesigned stoves for 1980 ;
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...881,2579807&dq=ul+testing+fisher+stoves&hl=en

Grandma and Grandpa III;
The Fireplace Series, Grandma and Grandpa get redesigned (Smoke Shelf Baffle is added to bring down emissions from 50 to 80 grams of smoke per kilogram of wood burned down to approx. 6 grams per kg. burned. Bolt on legs, and straight forward facing optional Bear Paw Feet as opposed to the older 45* angled outwards feet) The new model designation; Roman Numeral III. (These are the models that the downloadable manual in Hearth Wiki is for)
Here’s an ad dated 2-27-81 for the Grandma III;
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...q=fisher+stoves+underwriters+laboratory&hl=en

Coal Bear;
Not sure of an introduction date, but this is the earliest ad I've found; 8-27-81
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...BAJ&pg=4679,960583&dq=fisher+coal+stove&hl=en

Honey Bear Insert;
Glass door option with glass angled at the top corners at the handles gives the distinctive look for the Honey Bear Insert also available in pedestal form. Stove gray, not black like the rest of the fisher line.
(This stove is so rare they didn’t even have one for the picture in the ad !) :gulp: 1-8-84
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...=3978,1367878&dq=fisher+honeybear+stove&hl=en

Give me time, I might have an ad that has one. The inserts aren’t too hard to find today, but the
Pedestal Version is becoming difficult to find. There is one posted on the forum that looks strange with solid doors. Most were sold with brass and glass. All right side doors have “Fisher” in small letters at the bottom right corner.

 

[coaly]

As a quick reference as to when each Bear model started, you can copy and paste post #90 and #98 into a word program for a good idea of what came first. All the ads for each model are the earliest one for that model I've found so far. The bold stands out so you know at a glance.

Figuring out when they will end is easier.
Wood stove emission standards hit;
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...q=wood+stove+manufacturer+oregon+fisher&hl=en