Let the big cat eat! Buck 91 up and running. Advice, tricks and tips welcome...

[omnipotent]

Ok...so a couple of things...I did confirm with bypass open smoke was coming out....not a lot, but visible. When I closed the damper, Cat probe at ~800 smoke was gone meaning Cat was doing it's job. So came back in and added a couple of more pieces of wood to the box (hot reload I guess you could say) the new wood caught right away, and within a few minutes wood was burning well and temps going to ~1000. Closed down the primary air and reduced the secondary to about 1/8....temp is holding ~1100. Mind you this is only with 4 splits, 2 of which had been charred pretty good, 2 fresh splits and a hot bed of coals from a previous split. So I think things are working OK....just thought the cat probe would get hotter once it took off, even though there wasn't as much wood (smoke) in the box...guess I was wrong :D

 

[clemsonfor]

You were. Wrong . Sounds as if ur running right

 

[omnipotent]

Cats need the "three Ts;" Temp, Turbulence (provided by the expanded-metal screen below the cat,) and Time. If you have the air open too far and the cat isn't hot enough, smoke will get pulled quickly through the cat before it has a chance to burn in there. When closing the bypass, I'll let some flame burn for a few minutes but then I'll start cutting the air close to my cruise air setting. Less air=less flame=more smoke for the cat and more "Time" in the cat. When I see that probe temp rising over 1000, I'm pretty sure it's lit.

So this is interesting...the turbulence part....just to make sure I'm good here, when you put the metal screen into the bottom of the housing, you just let it sit as close to flush on the bottom as possible, right? Mine is a little curved on the sides so it doesn't sit flush, but still sits near the bottom. The Cat is then loaded on top of that and rests on the "pegs" within the housing.

Also, do you put any gasket around the "outside" of the cat steel container? Meaning the Cat comes in a steal container and has a gasket inside the steal container, but when I put the cat into the housing, there is space all the way around the cat, not a big space mind you, but a space none the less. I'm thinking maybe a gasket should be placed there as well to force all smoke to go through the cat.

 

[Woody Stover]

I don't like to sleeo at 71 but he does I guess. I'd rather him be at 69 or 68 but wife wants warmer.

Sounds like you're out-numbered.

 

[clemsonfor]

A few things. I don't have a Buck so I don't uave a screen thing. And yes the cat should be wrapped in a thin 2" wide gasket. This is called like cat gasket. You wrap it around cat then wrap with masking tape then slide in housing.

Here is how mine is done. I also put flat door glass gasket around the outside of the flange where it meets the stove so that there is no way the smoke will sneak around and is forced thru the cats.

 

[omnipotent]

So this is my cat, you can see the cat is wrapped and then there is a steel can. This whole "can" then goes into a housing similar to yours. The question is should a gasket also be wrapped around the can....

Here is a pic, hope it works.

 

[clemsonfor]

I would. But the gasket expands so if its snug it will fit tight, but if loose I would put gasket around the whole thing so air can't bypass it. Applied ceramics will tell you call and talk to mike p.

 

[Woody Stover]

Mine is a little curved on the sides so it doesn't sit flush, but still sits near the bottom.

That's fine. I think you can bend the screen a bit as well, but it is no doubt doing its job as is.

do you put any gasket around the "outside" of the cat steel container?

Yes, but as I remember, it was a real tight fit; The gasket would stick to the rough cast housing sides, and the slick steel 'can' wanted to slip out of the gasket. I think the sides of the housing tapered in from top to bottom. Wrap the gasket real tight around the can, then tape the end with masking tape.

 

[omnipotent]

Yes, but as I remember, it was a real tight fit; The gasket would stick to the rough cast housing sides, and the slick steel 'can' wanted to slip out of the gasket. I think the sides of the housing tapered in from top to bottom. Wrap the gasket real tight around the can, then tape the end with masking tape.

Yeah so had some extra gasket (the right kind) laying around and tried to wrap the can....everytime I slid it into the housing it would come up an inch or so...could never get it to sit flush...so after pulling and taping and pulling and breaking the gasket I just left it off. Guess I need to go back now and try putting it in again....great!

 

[clemsonfor]

Wrap the whole thing with tape.

 

[_CY_]

just finished installing a stainless steel 8in liner for Buck 91 .. the big cat is drawing excellent. runs completely different .. putting out LOTS of heat!

 

[_CY_]

ended up with a huge bed of coals, they are getting in the way .. what's the best way to burn off bed of coals?

 

[clemsonfor]

Open the air all the way up as well as bypass. They will be gone in an hour

 

[_CY_]

ok .. both opened wide .. thanks,

 

[Jacyte]

I have been reading this forum since deciding to get a wood stove for my raised ranch in CT. I ended up with a High Valley 2500 from craigslist in OK shape for $600. I lined my chimney with insulated duraliner oval "8" and left a massive 38" section exposed out of the top (out of stock on shorter sections). I learned basically everything I know about stoves from this forum and especially this thread. I got the stove up and running quickly with great success heating the 1200+sqft upper living area in my home to nearly 80º at 30º outside temps and 75º at 10-20º. I look forward to contributing anything I can and learning everything I can from you guys.

 

[Woody Stover]

I have been reading this forum since deciding to get a wood stove for my raised ranch in CT. I ended up with a High Valley 2500 from craigslist in OK shape for $600...I got the stove up and running quickly with great success heating

Welcome. Nice find on the stove, and I'm glad it's working well for you. I believe it's similar to the Buck. Frankly, I'm surprised that this thread didn't scare you away. I kinda feel bad about it now because looking back on it, it all seems so simple. But I had some problems figuring out the stove...sometimes I ain't too quick on the uptake. I've been thinking of posting another "final, bottom line" thread and will do it soon. Even though my gaskets seemed pretty good and passed the "dollar-bill test," I guess they weren't that great. I replace all the gaskets a few months back; Door, door glass, ash pan, bay windows. Now I have good control of the air entering the stove and no longer worry about the cat going high. The ash pan gasket doesn't have a groove, and you have to make sure it's high enough across the top, to get a good seal. Glowing coals over the ash dump lid, indicating air entering there, are virtually non-existent. The door glass stays very clean except a little bit in the lower corners. I've gotten pretty good at establishing new loads and getting the stove to do what I want. Here it is in a nutshell if you're interested, post #8. https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/help-me-help-a-friend.138781/

 

[Woody Stover]

It's a coincidence that you happened to post on this thread. I was just looking at it earlier to try to grab some pics to transfer to the thread linked above. That didn't work for me, though. Then I see this thread at the top of the forum and I'm thinking "WTH, did I press a wrong button??"

 

[Jacyte]

Thanks. I was a little intimidated by the entire thing at first but as this thread developed I gained confidence. I have almost all of the same issues as you did when it comes to burn times. I am getting 8 hours with medium splits N/S tossed in haphazardly to capacity. Better wood and better loading can probably help a lot. My ash pan is definitely leaking air and as a temporary fix I used 300º aluminum tape around the edges until I can find a better way to seal it. With a laser probe I measure temps around 220-250 at the ash pan so the tape should be OK for a little. Next I have to figure a way to tighten up the sliders for the primary and 2ndary air. They are not quite the same design as the buck stoves and are actually inside small enclosures and V shaped.

 

[Woody Stover]

am getting 8 hours with medium splits N/S tossed in haphazardly to capacity. Better wood and better loading can probably help a lot.

Even though my splits are only 16", I'm pretty sure I could still have 200 stove temp at 16 hrs. on primo wood. I generally mix in some soft Maple or Cherry so the coals will be will be manageable for my 12-hr loads. I put those on the sides, figuring they will gas faster at the end of the load, and hold better stove temp.

My ash pan is definitely leaking air and as a temporary fix I used 300º aluminum tape around the edges until I can find a better way to seal it. With a laser probe I measure temps around 220-250 at the ash pan so the tape should be OK for a little.

Can you post a pic of your ash pan and gasket? Maybe you saw a pic of the Buck and can say if they are pretty similar?

Next I have to figure a way to tighten up the sliders for the primary and 2ndary air. They are not quite the same design as the buck stoves and are actually inside small enclosures and V shaped.

Get a pic of those while you're at it...

 

[Jacyte]

I can't get a picture of the ash pan gasket but it is very similar to the buck 91. Here is the right side primary slider. The blower is under the left side. Btw I am burning 100% sugar maple 3 year split and always kept dry