Woodstock Soapstone Progress Hybrid Stove

[greenbrierwv]

its really a beautiful stove. i love the soapstone and cast iron contrast. really looks nice. you are going to really love the stove. P.S. It is extremely heavy, use your brain and ingenuity more than your back. i moved mine with one other guy, a flatbed dolly/truck thingy, and a ramp i built to bring it up porch steps. worked well, but for real, this stove is a beast. but all that weight pays off in efficiency and heat retention. Im a big fan of thermal mass, and this stove has it!!

 

[Slow1]

Im a big fan of thermal mass

That sounds like a good T-Shirt slogan to me

 

[ddddddden]

. . .I think the charcoal looks more "contemporary" because it doesn't highlight the cast iron trim so much. The black creates alot of contrast with the lighter grayish stone, and highlights the cast trim more making it look a bit more colonial. . .

Yeah, that's pretty much how I see it. The trim on the Fireview is more prominent, and I wanted to de-emphasize it. . .went with "charcoal," which is probably not the most accurate description of this color. It's a lighter grey than what I would call charcoal, and to my eye, there's a bit of blue in it that goes very nicely with the blue-ish stone Woodstock uses. However, the paint seems to shift toward greenish grey in different lighting. . .might just be my eye. I think this pic of Todd's Keystone shows the charcoal paint pretty well. The cast iron grill and the black hearth tools provide good reference points.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/cookin-on-the-keystone.94965/#post-1253202

Note that there is a bit of sheen to the paint. I think this is true for all of the colors except flat black. A point raised in previous discussion has been that the black shows dust/ash more than the lighter colors do.

Why so many dang decisions!!

At your request, Woodstock really will use any hi-temp color Forrest makes. Does that help?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/soapstone/1923326134/

They'll also mail you that color sample card, if you like, but I didn't find it much help in visualizing what the color would look like on the stove. Note that there are colors available not shown on the card.
http://forrestpaint.com/index.php?page=hi-temp-paints

 

[Machria]

What is the best length to buck wood for the Progress? I know it says 18-22" in specs.... If you were to cut all new wood for the Progress, what length wood you make it in an ideal world (perfect sized logs....). I'm about to cut a bunch of "sandy" wood.

 

[greenbrierwv]

id probably cut it to match my saw blade length. 20 inch. gives a little room for error.

 

[evilgriff]

I really like the look of the Progress Hybrid, it's nicer looking than my Sirocco. Unfortunately it would not have worked for my house, but it is one nice looking stove, that's for sure.

 

[Slow1]

What is the best length to buck wood for the Progress? I know it says 18-22" in specs.... If you were to cut all new wood for the Progress, what length wood you make it in an ideal world (perfect sized logs....). I'm about to cut a bunch of "sandy" wood.

I've been cutting at 21" - ask me in about 3 years how it worked out

 

[Waulie]

I've been cutting at 21" - ask me in about 3 years how it worked out

Nice! I'm excited to try some longer stuff out next year. I cut all next year's wood to 19" for two reasons. One is I eyeball it and I don't have great eyeballs. Two is I like larger diameter splits and those things get darn heavy at 22". Actually, I guess three reasons. It's working great for me at 16", so I'm not looking for a big change.

I guess the "perfect" length depends on how you split, how long you have to let it dry, how strong you are, and how much heat you're going to need.

 

[Slow1]

Nice! I'm excited to try some longer stuff out next year. I cut all next year's wood to 19" for two reasons. One is I eyeball it and I don't have great eyeballs. Two is I like larger diameter splits and those things get darn heavy at 22". Actually, I guess three reasons. It's working great for me at 16", so I'm not looking for a big change.

I guess the "perfect" length depends on how you split, how long you have to let it dry, how strong you are, and how much heat you're going to need.

All so true - I'm not sure yet how large a diameter to split into for the PH. My current supply of 15-17" splits about maxes out at 5x5" pieces with the majority of what I'm eyeballing right now looking to be on the order of perhaps 3x4" on average (estimating from across the room). Certainly it is burning without a problem but I wonder if larger may do better to make it easier to get a longer lower temp burn. Of course if I want to do 21" then I have to figure a bit smaller may be better for drying out time...

 

[rdust]

Of course if I want to do 21" then I have to figure a bit smaller may be better for drying out time...

Yep, oak cut 21 inches and split bigger like 6x6 or 8x8 squares will take a long time. Heck even at 16 inches it's a solid 3 years stacked in single rows.<sigh>

 

[Waulie]

All so true - I'm not sure yet how large a diameter to split into for the PH. My current supply of 15-17" splits about maxes out at 5x5" pieces with the majority of what I'm eyeballing right now looking to be on the order of perhaps 3x4" on average (estimating from across the room). Certainly it is burning without a problem but I wonder if larger may do better to make it easier to get a longer lower temp burn. Of course if I want to do 21" then I have to figure a bit smaller may be better for drying out time...

I really do like large diameter splits as they seem to tame the secondaries and lead to longer burn times. I probably burn about 70% split of 6" plus (and some as big as 9") with the rest smaller all mixed in the same load. I do a large split in the back, then the smaller splits in front on the coals I've raked forward, then more large splits on top. If I'm getting crazy, I'll fill in with smaller splits on top too to get as full as possible, but I rarely get crazy.

 

[Waulie]

Yep, oak cut 21 inches and split bigger like 6x6 or 8x8 squares will take a long time. Heck even at 16 inches it's a solid 3 years stacked in single rows.<sigh>

After all I've read here, I'm either sad or thrilled that I have no oak on my property.

 

[rdust]

After all I've read here, I'm either sad or thrilled that I have no oak on my property.

I don't get a ton of it but I have probably 6 cords(give or take) of it at varying points. My main wood is ash but we all know that's not going to last much longer. With this BK I've found I could probably heat this place all year with pine if I had to with little effort, I figure if things get dry for my wood scrounging I can always find pine. I'm sure your PH is about the same since it seems to sip wood at a similar pace.

 

[Waulie]

I don't get a ton of it but I have probably 6 cords(give or take) of it at varying points. My main wood is ash but we all know that's not going to last much longer. With this BK I've found I could probably heat this place all year with pine if I had to with little effort, I figure if things get dry for my wood scrounging I can always find pine. I'm sure your PH is about the same since it seems to sip wood at a similar pace.

I've never really tried anything in the PH lower on the BTU scale than ash. Now I sound like a snob. I just have so much ash as well as other hardwoods to deal with, I haven't bothered yet. As Dennis says, it takes the same amount of work to process the good stuff as the not so good stuff. So, as long as I have the good stuff...

 

[Machria]

Well, I spent all day Friday and all day today bucking, splitting and stacking wood. Oh, and building a couple new wood racks. Anyone have a new back?

As it turns out, the log splitter defined my lengths. It only handles up to 20", so 16 to 20 it was!

Yep, oak cut 21 inches and split bigger like 6x6 or 8x8 squares will take a long time. Heck even at 16 inches it's a solid 3 years stacked in single rows.<sigh>

3 years? I have and get mostly red oak in my area which I love. It's ver hard, and burns long with a lot of heat. On LI, it dries nicely in 1 season,sometimes if its really green wood, it will take 2 years. But I've never needed 3 years. I tend to split the hell out of my wood though, maybe that's why...?

 

[rideau]

I have a few (very few) oak on my property. But I'll take Ironwood every day. Dense, tons of BTUs, dries very quickly, great all round firewood.

I have a dry cord of sugar maple and ironwood, 20 inches. Have not started burning it yet. My thinking is that it may be hard to load the stove full of that stuff. The door isn't all tht big..may be easier to load 18 inches. Gives a little wiggle room. I put in as much wood as I want, then, sometimes, put some real short stuff crosswise just inside the door.

Agree with Waulie about the size...I like big splits or rounds, but i can't get many of them in the door...two in and there often isn't room to get a third in, so I resort to smaller stuff.

 

[Machria]

My main wood is ash but we all know that's not going to last much longer.

Why no more ash?

 

[rdust]

Why no more ash?

EAB, can read up on it here. http://www.emeraldashborer.info/ Not many living/mature ash trees around these parts anymore.

 

[Ashful]

I have Angela get mostly red oak in my area which I love. It's ver hard, and burns long with a lot of heat. On LI, it dries nicely in 1 season,sometimes if its really green wood, it will take 2 years.

Who's Angela, and where can I find a woman to scrounge wood? Second, I was not a believer until this fall. Three years to season oak? Sounded absurd to me. Then I tried burning some 1-year seasoned oak this fall, and it actually just about put my fire out every time I loaded it into the stove! Definitely made cat burning impossible. I'm not far from LI, and our climate is virtually the same, with respect to drying wood.

Right now, I'm burning 9-months seasoned Walnut, which his marginal. I also have some pine, poplar, and cherry the same age, which is burning well. About 9 cords split and stacked as of last weekend, so I'll be in good shape a year or two from now, but struggling with under-seasoned wood until then.

 

[Machria]

Who's Angela, and where can I find a woman to scrounge wood?

"Angela" must be the girl in my dreams as I nurse my body back to health from working with wood all weekend!! OR, she is my iPads error correcting girlfriend!

 

[Machria]

Anyone ever thought of making something like a 2nd set of Andirons, in the back of the stove so you could set a pizza stone in there on the top of the andirons? Just let the fire burn down to coals, then set a stone just wider than the door entrance (turn it a bit to fit through the door), then set it down so it rests on top of the front andirons and the "new" back ones. Now just slide a small rectangular pizza onto the stone and cook a few minuntes in there!!

Maybe I will contact woodstock and see if they could make something? Maybee something fold down or something? Make the back of the andirons have a 10" peice of metal that folds up towards the back and locks into place in a horizontal postition to hold the stone? ?

 

[Waulie]

You could just set the stone right on the coals. Otherwise, you could fashion some king of bracket that slips behind the firebick in the back of the stove.

 

[Ashful]

Anyone ever thought of making something like a 2nd set of Andirons, in the back of the stove so you could set a pizza stone in there on the top of the andirons??

Yep... tried this several times on an outdoor fireplace with a grill. The stone shattered during the heat-up cycle, every single time we tried it. Seems placing a cold stone over an established coal bed is a far cry from inserting it into your oven and slowly heating the stone from all sides equally.

 

[Waulie]

Yep... tried this several times on an outdoor fireplace with a grill. The stone shattered during the heat-up cycle, every single time we tried it. Seems placing a cold stone over an established coal bed is a far cry from inserting it into your oven and slowly heating the stone from all sides equally.

Maybe a soapstone pizza stone?

 

[Machria]

Maybe a soapstone pizza stone?

Yea, OR a cast iron "stone". Got to be a material that would hanlde it. I expect Woodstock to design and implement this into my Stove before shipping it in Dec!