New guy with a question about a fisher Goldilocks

[DaveNY49]

Hello all. I’m Dave from central NY. It’s an honor to be here. Have came across the open forum topics many times when searching online for wood stove questions. But have used FB groups mostly for asking questions. I have a model that I’m not able to find much help with on fb, so here I am. But first allow me to give a history of me and wood burning so you know more about where I’m coming from

We live on 100 acres in the country in a small town in central NY. We moved on this property 12 years ago when my parents who own it invited us over to live after our daughter was born. She has special needs and we needed a place out of town to raise her and her brother. They had an old single wide mobile home they had rented to local collage kids and allowed us to move in it while we saved for our own home and land. I added a 12x30 Amish style shed as an addition to the mobile home essentially making my hike look like the letter T from a Birds Eye view. My step dad heated with wood and I quickly took after him when seeing how cheap and rewarding it is. Started with a food furnace that we put just outside the mobile home in a steel shed with duct pipe running into the trailer. Since there was no room for a wood furnace inside. Very old mobile home and is hard to keep warm when we get temps under 15 degrees. 5 years in I grew tired of having to get dressed at night to walk outside and load it. And when we lost power..no heat. Again…this was simply a wood furnace. Not a boiler. So I purchased an old Atlantic Huntsman stove to put in the addition and I made a barrel stove for the larger section of the home. We homestead, live in an old home that’s had many alterations done and don’t have insurance so we kind of do what we want. And I’ll be honest, that barrel stove delivers heat! I have it on two inches of brick under it and on the wall beside it. I love it. For a stove that size by a stove company I’d have to get a blaze king 40 and that’s $4,000. The Hunstamn stove is a two door with a draft knob on each door. I am happy with these two stoves and know them well. I love the door draft knobs on the Huntsman.

This year I’ve decided I’d like a bigger stove than the hunstman and also the doors have warped a little leaving a gap allowing air in. The barrel stove is great but…it’s a barrel and I’d like an actual stove. I found two stoves to replace them. One old big solid Bullard (looks like a big Timberline) that cost me $200 and a Fisher Goldilocks that cost me $250. DEAL!!

Now for my questions.

1 Just learned today after buying it that the fisher has the holes under the plate at the bottom of the pedestal for cold air intake. My home is old and I have plenty of cold air coming in everywhere. I’m tempted to just lay the fisher goldy flat on a hearth and use the draft door knobs for all my air intake needs. the included round ball legs are missing anyway. I’m assuming this will be no issue. But wanted to see if anyone has ever used the fisher Goldilocks in the same way? Bypassing the option for the cold air intake at the bottom and using it like a regular stove? I can’t foresee bypassing allowing cold air up the bottom to hinder burns but want to double check.

2. The baffle in the fisher is bent pretty well. There is a 2 inch difference between each side and it’s bent up a bit too. But I don’t think this will hinder draft that bad. If I do need to swap it for a straight baffle, I noticed it’s been welded in. So I’d have to remove the baffle and the two L brackets it’s attached to. So I’d have to hire a welder to make a whole new one. Any of you guys use a bent up baffle with success? Does it NEED to be dead flat to do its job?

Looking forward to hearing from you and thanks again!!

Dave

 

[bholler]

Hello all. I’m Dave from central NY. It’s an honor to be here. Have came across the open forum topics many times when searching online for wood stove questions. But have used FB groups mostly for asking questions. I have a model that I’m not able to find much help with on fb, so here I am. But first allow me to give a history of me and wood burning so you know more about where I’m coming from

We live on 100 acres in the country in a small town in central NY. We moved on this property 12 years ago when my parents who own it invited us over to live after our daughter was born. She has special needs and we needed a place out of town to raise her and her brother. They had an old single wide mobile home they had rented to local collage kids and allowed us to move in it while we saved for our own home and land. I added a 12x30 Amish style shed as an addition to the mobile home essentially making my hike look like the letter T from a Birds Eye view. My step dad heated with wood and I quickly took after him when seeing how cheap and rewarding it is. Started with a food furnace that we put just outside the mobile home in a steel shed with duct pipe running into the trailer. Since there was no room for a wood furnace inside. Very old mobile home and is hard to keep warm when we get temps under 15 degrees. 5 years in I grew tired of having to get dressed at night to walk outside and load it. And when we lost power..no heat. Again…this was simply a wood furnace. Not a boiler. So I purchased an old Atlantic Huntsman stove to put in the addition and I made a barrel stove for the larger section of the home. We homestead, live in an old home that’s had many alterations done and don’t have insurance so we kind of do what we want. And I’ll be honest, that barrel stove delivers heat! I have it on two inches of brick under it and on the wall beside it. I love it. For a stove that size by a stove company I’d have to get a blaze king 40 and that’s $4,000. The Hunstamn stove is a two door with a draft knob on each door. I am happy with these two stoves and know them well. I love the door draft knobs on the Huntsman.

This year I’ve decided I’d like a bigger stove than the hunstman and also the doors have warped a little leaving a gap allowing air in. The barrel stove is great but…it’s a barrel and I’d like an actual stove. I found two stoves to replace them. One old big solid Bullard (looks like a big Timberline) that cost me $200 and a Fisher Goldilocks that cost me $250. DEAL!!

Now for my questions.

1 Just learned today after buying it that the fisher has the holes under the plate at the bottom of the pedestal for cold air intake. My home is old and I have plenty of cold air coming in everywhere. I’m tempted to just lay the fisher goldy flat on a hearth and use the draft door knobs for all my air intake needs. the included round ball legs are missing anyway. I’m assuming this will be no issue. But wanted to see if anyone has ever used the fisher Goldilocks in the same way? Bypassing the option for the cold air intake at the bottom and using it like a regular stove? I can’t foresee bypassing allowing cold air up the bottom to hinder burns but want to double check.

2. The baffle in the fisher is bent pretty well. There is a 2 inch difference between each side and it’s bent up a bit too. But I don’t think this will hinder draft that bad. If I do need to swap it for a straight baffle, I noticed it’s been welded in. So I’d have to remove the baffle and the two L brackets it’s attached to. So I’d have to hire a welder to make a whole new one. Any of you guys use a bent up baffle with success? Does it NEED to be dead flat to do its job?

Looking forward to hearing from you and thanks again!!

Dave

So your telling me you need a double door timberline and a barrel stove to heat a single wide and a 360 sq ft shed? I don't understand how that is possible

 

[DaveNY49]

So your telling me you need a double door timberline and a barrel stove to heat a single wide and a 360 sq ft shed? I don't understand how that is possible

The addition is 12x30 by 16 feet high ceilings The windows in the shed are single pain. All windows in the mobile are aswell. And not a lot of insulation. So when it gets real cold each stove will heat its designated part. But it’s hard to move the air around corners and down long areas of room if that helps. I believe I stated that it’s not air tight and I need two stoves.

But apart from that my post wasn’t “hey guys I need two stoves can you help me understand why?” It was “here is my wood stove set up and why, I’m getting different stoves and would like to know if I could bypass the cold air intake on one”

I did look for a section on this forum that offers people to learn how to read details but didn’t find one. So you will have to go learn to do that on your on my man. Until then I’ll re ask you a very easy simple question and toss me your thoughts.

If a person was to install a stove that has a cold air intake option, could bypassing that cold intake option truly hinder the stoves burn ability?

Thanks man

 

[bholler]

The addition is 12x30 by 16 feet high ceilings The windows in the shed are single pain. All windows in the mobile are aswell. And not a lot of insulation. So when it gets real cold each stove will heat its designated part. But it’s hard to move the air around corners and down long areas of room if that helps. I believe I stated that it’s not air tight and I need two stoves.

But apart from that my post wasn’t “hey guys I need two stoves can you help me understand why?” It was “here is my wood stove set up and why, I’m getting different stoves and would like to know if I could bypass the cold air intake on one”

I did look for a section on this forum that offers people to learn how to read details but didn’t find one. So you will have to go learn to do that on your on my man. Until then I’ll re ask you a very easy simple question and toss me your thoughts.

If a person was to install a stove that has a cold air intake option, could bypassing that cold intake option truly hinder the stoves burn ability?

Thanks man

As long as that air intake can get enough air to it no it it won't be a problem. I will say it doesn't sound like you have nearly enough hearth. And probably not enough clearance to the wall. What moisture content is your wood at?

 

[DaveNY49]

As long as that air intake can get enough air to it no it it won't be a problem. I will say it doesn't sound like you have nearly enough hearth. And probably not enough clearance to the wall. What moisture content is your wood at?

I never gave any description of my hearth other than it’s made of 2 inch thick brick. The hearth on both my stove locations are made with 2 inch thick of brick with an inch of cement board under the brick. This is one the floor and the wall. And around the brick on the whole wall that the stove in on I have steel. My barrel stove is 15 inches from the wall. But like I said, the wall is 2 inch brick with 1 inch cement board under that with ceramic insulation in the wall and steel studs. Nothing combustible is on or in any wall my stoves are on. My hearths are about 16 inches wider and longer than the stoves. But apparently this new fisher Goldilocks stove requires less of a clearance due to how it’s designed.

I burn mostly 10-20 percent moisture wood. I try and shoot for under 15. But have on occasion burned 25-30 percent moisture. I just have my stoves drafts knobs wide open. Or I’ll split the wood smaller. I burn oak, ash, cherry, maple, and have burnt some pine here and there.

Thanks for the help.

 

[bholler]

I never gave any description of my hearth other than it’s made of 2 inch thick brick. The hearth on both my stove locations are made with 2 inch thick of brick with an inch of cement board under the brick. This is one the floor and the wall. And around the brick on the whole wall that the stove in on I have steel. My barrel stove is 15 inches from the wall. But like I said, the wall is 2 inch brick with 1 inch cement board under that with ceramic insulation in the wall and steel studs. Nothing combustible is on or in any wall my stoves are on. My hearths are about 16 inches wider and longer than the stoves. But apparently this new fisher Goldilocks stove requires less of a clearance due to how it’s designed.

I burn mostly 10-20 percent moisture wood. I try and shoot for under 15. But have on occasion burned 25-30 percent moisture. I just have my stoves drafts knobs wide open. Or I’ll split the wood smaller. I burn oak, ash, cherry, maple, and have burnt some pine here and there.

Thanks for the help.

Ok well that sounds much better than your previous description. What is the siding on the outside of the wall?

I'm curious how you get to 10% moisture content in NY. Is it kind dried?

And yes that fisher has some shielding so it doesn't need as much clearance. I would strongly recommend cutting tge baffle out and replacing it. But don't weld the new one in. Welded baffles can lead to cracked stove sides. Just leave a lip for the new baffle to sit on

 

[DaveNY49]

Ok well that sounds much better than your previous description. What is the siding on the outside of the wall?

I'm curious how you get to 10% moisture content in NY. Is it kind dried?

And yes that fisher has some shielding so it doesn't need as much clearance. I would strongly recommend cutting tge baffle out and replacing it. But don't weld the new one in. Welded baffles can lead to cracked stove sides. Just leave a lip for the new baffle to sit on

Siding is wood. I ran a test using a digital laser thermometer and when my stoves are running full out (which is as much as 600-700 degrees if I want) that heat will cause the brick by the stove to only teach 250 degrees. So highly unlikely that heat passes through two inches of brick, inch of cement board , through insulation, and reaches outside wall

I get 10 percent often. Especially with seasoned wood. Last year I had some oak that was wet. Came in at 32 percent. Sat it by my stove and a few pieces on top (while I’m home and can watch it) and got it down to 20 in 3-4 hours

The baffle in the Goldilocks is rusty and the L shape lips are bent. One is pointing up and one straight. Somehow they were moved.

 

[coaly]

Can’t set the Goldilocks directly on a flat surface. It will get no air at all.

Air comes up through the pedestal, through the clean out area under ash fender (shelf) and enters right behind doors across the front. (there is a drop down door - clean out for ash that falls through the intake slot across stove at front)

In conventional housing that doesn’t require an outside air source, raise the stove with bricks under corners allowing air under floor plate into pedestal. That’s all it needs.

Baffle should only set on angle iron supports and can be removed. Flatten with a sledge hammer on flat surface with hearing protection.

 

[coaly]

Sounds like OP is measuring moisture on the outside end of logs?

Always split a larger piece and test on the freshly split surface.

Goldilocks has a double heat shield on the rear that passed for 12 inches clearance to combustible wall at rear.

 

[DaveNY49]

All my moisture readings are taken from split wood cut and split for the exact size my stove needs.

The cold air intake feature….doesnt that essentially bring constant air into the stove even when draft door knobs are closed making your stove burn through wood? Is there anyway to close it up completely? I suppose I can do some tests myself by leaving the gap open and putting something around it.


Thanks sir!

 

[coaly]

Keyword testing the inside of the wood on a *freshly* split face. Not on an exposed surface that reads lower than the inside. Air and sunlight on the surface gives lower readings. In the winter, bring a piece inside to reach room temperature before splitting and testing. Meters are calibrated for about 70*f. Best to allow wood inside overnight. When bringing in very cold wood, the warm indoor air containing more moisture than outside condenses on the wood, taking time to dry the surface.

The air closes completely when the air damper is turned clockwise. Only the left knob rotates on Goldilocks. The right side is only for looks to balance the two doors.

Fisher Stoves that use indoor air get air through the adjustable dampers. There is an opening behind the knob where air enters.

With Goldilocks; Instead of atmospheric air pressure pushing into the air damper openings behind the knob, air pressure pushes into the opening in the base, up through pedestal. There is a flap across the intake opening that the left door knob opens and closes. If you open both doors and close the left, you can rotate the air adjustment damper to watch the flap open and close.

When you open the left door, the damper control no longer makes contact with flap, so flap is wide open. When door is shut, the adjustment is retained where it was.

This was patented as the Bear-O-Matic Draft Control.