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Small Cabin Forum / Off-Grid Living / Small Cabin Wood Stove Setup
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AU2009
Member
# Posted: 19 Oct 2011 23:15
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troll bridge...is that a wall thimble used to go through the wall? We need to go through the wall for ours and I keep seeing wall thimbles for a couple hundred bucks!!

I was thinking about cutting a large hole in wall (~2'x2') and lining it with red brick to keep the heat away from the walls, I have plenty of brick and a few bags of mortar so it wouldn't cost anything but am wondering if I should just go ahead and buy the thimble...I was planning on running double wall pipe through the wall.

trollbridge
Member
# Posted: 20 Oct 2011 10:08
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AU2009,

Yes, in our bunkhouse we have stove pipe that exits through the wall using a wall thimble. We bought it at Menards, not sure if you have them where you are but it was only around 20 bucks if I remember right. It is used with 8" single wall pipe.Basically two pipes in one is what it is. I don't know why you are seeing them for so much money??? Don't spend 200.00! I can't even imagine stainless ones being that much! Good luck!

AU2009
Member
# Posted: 20 Oct 2011 21:57
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Trollbridge,

I don't know what I was looking at either, when I put it in google I was seeing things for about 50 bucks. On the other side does it hook up to a double wall pipe? I have about 6' of stainless double wall. Was hoping to go through the wall with a thimble, into a "T" or 90 degree connector and then run the stainless double wall up 6' (~4-5' above the roof line).

We don't have Menards but do have a tractor supply, though they don't carry much stove piping in stock since I'm in Tennessee. Lowes had some galvanized T connectors and regular stove pipe, I just wasn't sure if I needed a double wall T connector to get from a single to double wall pipe, also wasn't sure on where to get the thimble.

trollbridge
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2011 10:41
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I'll ask my husband- I know the inside is only single wall and I can't remember what it does after the thimble. I know it should be double wall stainless but I have a hunch it is double wall just black,cause I know it is not stainless. I think there are connectors to switch from one thing to another. On our big cabin we had trouble finding the parts we needed and ended up with some of the more expensive stainless indoors as well. Our little bunkhouse we need to take apart and switch our pipes around cause they are upside down(OOPS) and we still need to find the correct rain cap-we needed heat and didn't really know what we were doing! I'll ask when he gets home from work and let you know.

Martian
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2011 13:14
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Check out Selkirk's website. http://www.selkirkcorp.com/ They make excellent chimney and stove pipe.

One thing to be aware of is that different brands don't always connect together correctly.

Tom

trollbridge
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2011 19:04
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Well I asked what he did and he has just single wall the whole way, inside and outside. I know it should be at least double wall outside. Looks like we need to spend the money and fix that before we use it again. It worked fine but...

My son, who made the stove, has one like it in his ice shack and I believe he has just single wall outside too.

Anyways, he said there are expanders/reducers out there to get but it may take a little asking around. If you have a fireplace store in town they would know what you need, even if you don't buy it through them.

MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2011 20:07
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I second the Selkirk chimney; I've used them in various places since about 1978.

Martian
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2011 22:18
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Money was a little tight when I first put the wood stove into the shop; so I used single wall all the way. The stovepipe was run thru the metal sidewall and turned up using a standard elbow. After about three months, the stove wouldn't keep the shop warm. I found the elbow was over 50% clogged with creasote because the single wall pipe allowed the smoke to cool and condensate before leaving the stack. The more the creasote clogged the pipe the worse the smoke condensated creating more creasote. I now have the chimney thru the roof, its doublewall from the ceiling on out, and no more problems. So, if you do use singlewall pipe and go thru the sidewall, then when the stove seems to be less effective, check the elbow. FWIW, its easier to just replace it than clean it!

Tom

trollbridge
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2011 22:37
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Thanks Tom for the info. Is your double wall stainless or no? Hate to spend the money on stainless since we really aren't even using the bunkhouse in the winter anymore. Maybe just the black double wall?

Martian
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2011 23:03
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Trollbridge, yes, I have stainless both in the shop and the cabin, but I think the Selkirk chimney is triplewall. In the cabin, I used black doublewall Selkirk stovepipe to lower the clearance requirements.

As to cost, yes, the stainless is expensive. I see 20yo stainless chimneys in good shape, but not many of the galvanized chimneys I see are that old. However, everyone has to weigh cost/benefit for themselves. Since I'll be too old to be climbing on roofs 10 or 12 years from now, I went with the best I could get and hope it last longer than I do!

Tom

trollbridge
Member
# Posted: 22 Oct 2011 09:43
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Yep, climbing the roof is NOT fun and as hard as it was to install the stainless on our "big" cabin it better last a long, long time :) The bunkhouse is a piece of cake to access in comparison! Eventually we will finish it all off on the inside (cover the cement board and base) and replace stovepipe then. I do love that wood stove though-built to go in the corner- it holds much longer logs than the one in our main cabin.

Any tips on an easy way to clean the glass?

toyota_mdt_tech
Member
# Posted: 22 Oct 2011 10:32
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Cleaning the glass is easy. I have a flat razorblade that goes into a handle, its made for scraping gaskets (automotive) and I remove the door, set it in the sink, spray it down with canned glass cleaner. Let it se/soakt for a few minutes, and it scrapes off real easily.

Martian
Member
# Posted: 22 Oct 2011 14:11
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I used to use a single-edge razor, but now I use a Doobie scrubber. That's a sponge covered with the loose weave nylon. Anytime the glass starts looking dirty, I just dampen the Doobie and scrub it. Then I take a damp, soft rag and wipe off the light film left on the glass. Since it only takes a few minutes, I clean the glass every day or two; so the buildup isn't very thick.

When I was first told about the Doobie scrubber, I was very skeptical. The thought of putting a damp something on the hot glass scared me, but after seeing how well it worked for my ex, I tried it and was amazed at how easily the crud came off. I think the hot glass causes the water in the sponge to turn to steam, while the nylon scrubber takes the residue right off.

Tom

trollbridge
Member
# Posted: 22 Oct 2011 15:00
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So clean the door when it is somewhat hot? Just dampen with plain water? I'll have to look for the Doobie at the store.That sounds easy enough. I betcha a razor blade would be necessary for the bunkhouse stove cause it's pretty thick. We would probably just bring the door home to do since we don't have running water at the cabin.
Thank you to both of you for the advice!

martym
Member
# Posted: 2 Jan 2012 11:20
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fairy-mother

Quoting: fairy-mother
I LOVE MY HOBBIT!



Now that you have had your Hobbit for a while I was hoping you could give us some more feed back.

I have searched and I cant find any reviews on the web, your post is the closest thing I could find. I am located in the states and there are no distributors here and web info is scarce.


How is the build quality? ( Casting quality and aesthetics)

Do the doors and fittings seal tight? (any smoke leaks)

Do you have any problems with smoke coming out the door when adding fuel?

If your burning wood, how long of a burn time do you get with a full load of wood?

Any help would be great!

tbjohn
Member
# Posted: 2 Jan 2012 20:37
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I have a Jotul 602 in my camp and it is great. We are 14 x 16 and a 5 x 10 washroom, with a loft and a 13" pitch. No problem heating. I have a propane brick heated for backup and temps below maybe 20 degrees.

martym
Member
# Posted: 3 Jan 2012 18:06
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tbjohn

I have a line on a used 602, they are great stoves. But the 602 is over kill for my tiny cabin. I really don't want to give up any more floor space than I have to. I am in the middle of building a 8x18 on a flat bed trailer that will be placed in the Ozarks. Space is a premium and it really makes no sense to waste the floor space on a stove that I could never use to its potential. The only stoves I can find here in the states that come close are the Navigator boat stoves. I have heard nothing but good things about them, but they are just stupid expensive for a cast iron box with sand for the firebox floor.

If you start comparing what the Euro market has to offer the Navigator line is WAY over priced. The Hobbit at half the price seems like a steal, with its primary and secondary air controls, ash drawer, smaller heat clearances and they don,t even charge extra for the glass door.

Sorry for the rant. ;)

tbjohn
Member
# Posted: 3 Jan 2012 20:57
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That is fine. What kind of price did you find on the Hobbit? And can you get it in the states? I paid 250 for my 602.

martym
Member
# Posted: 3 Jan 2012 21:15
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You got a great deal on your 602! They are hard to find here in the mid-west. I'm looking at about $400 around here.

I cant find any state side dealers for the Hobbit (bummer) but these folks will ship to the states. http://www.belltent.biz/docs/14/stove_instructions/ the conversion rate now puts it around $650 including shipping. Still pretty steep for a cheep skate like me, but for a well built stove in the right size range I think I would pull the trigger on it. I would feel a lot better if I could find some unbiased reviews.

jimmer
Member
# Posted: 4 Jan 2012 12:45
Reply 


That Hobbit looks pretty nice!
I, too, am looking for a small stove to heat a very small (10x10 + loft) cabin...
Looking at the hobbit site, i can't seem to find a BTU rating for it, nor any exact dimensions for how far it must be located from walls?
Perhaps the even-smaller 'pipsqueak' would be adequate for my small shack.

Have you looked at the Vogelzang stoves?
The 'Lit'l Sweetie' is very affordable, and looks like it might be solidly enough built... http://www.vogelzang.com/

MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 4 Jan 2012 13:31
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Not a cabin, but a small space.

Youtube video link

martym
Member
# Posted: 4 Jan 2012 15:22
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Quoting: jimmer
Have you looked at the Vogelzang stoves?

I had a larger Vogelzang in my shop years ago, worked ok for a shop stove but it was leaky (smoke) and pretty much an all or nothing burn. Kind of left a bad taste in my mouth so to speak.

If you go to the Salamander stove site there is a pdf file with all the info your asking about, just bring your metric conversion chart with you.

martym
Member
# Posted: 4 Jan 2012 15:32
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Quoting: MtnDon
Not a cabin, but a small space.


I saw that over on our other site MtnDon, I wish I had the metal working tools to give it a try. Alas I am just a humble wood butcher.

I have been tossing around some ideas for a small Russian / Rocket stove hybrid. I need to try and come up with a drawing and bounce the idea off a few of the more experienced folks out there.

tbjohn
Member
# Posted: 4 Jan 2012 17:30
Reply 


I am thinking that you will want to stay with an air tight stove. That way you can control the burn. If you do "pull the trigger" I'll be interested in how it works. I have a bunk house that needs heat. I too am very cheap..... but it does need heat at some point.

jimmer
Member
# Posted: 4 Jan 2012 17:58
Reply 


Metric should be alright, I'm Canadian :)

The stove in the VW reminded me a bit of these stoves I came across in an old thread:
http://www.fatscostoves.com

sabiggs
Member
# Posted: 4 Jan 2012 18:56
Reply 


Hi guys,

Great discussion, as usual. We just bought this little guy for our 10x12 little cabin in VT (see picture below).

http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/6_1121_0.html#msg14028

We plan to install it next weekend and just bought the kit and all the necessary pieces today. Our question is: How long do you think this will take us to install, start to finish? From putting down the cement blocks and putting up the cement board to being able to actually burn a fire in the stove? Neither my brother or I have ever installed a wood stove, though both know a little bit more than the average Joe. Just a ballpark idea would be helpful.

Are we talking 3-4 hours of working together straight or are we talking about a day and a half of working straight together?

Thanks for the thoughts everyone and I hope this question doesn't hijack the thread too much.
Steve
"Two Dog" Wood Stove
"Two Dog" Wood Stove


martym
Member
# Posted: 4 Jan 2012 21:41
Reply 


Quoting: tbjohn
I am thinking that you will want to stay with an air tight stove.

On the one hand I agree, an air tight stove would be much more simple to regulate and the learning curve on wood burned VS heat produced would be shorter.

On the other hand when your looking at a stove in the size range of the Hobbit or the Navigator line I cant imagine you could hope for more than a 3- 4 hour burn time at best. Could make for a few nightly wake up calls to feed the beast.

That is the reason I was looking at the mass of a Russian /Rocket stove hybrid. The secondary burn chamber of a Rocket stove would help with quick heat. The mass would hopefully continue to heat for 2 or 3 more hours. Maybe just a pipe dream?

martym
Member
# Posted: 4 Jan 2012 21:49
Reply 


Quoting: sabiggs
How long do you think this will take us to install, start to finish?

Hard to say for sure. My last stove install was moving my shop stove from my old shop to the new one. All the pipe was all ready cut and drilled I just had to cut a hole in the roof and reassemble. Total time working solo about 2 or 3 hours.

I did one for a friend starting from scratch and being very careful cutting through old plaster and other slow downs. I think I had about 9 or 10 hours into that. Again working solo for the most part.

soundandfurycabin
Member
# Posted: 5 Jan 2012 13:41
Reply 


Quoting: martym
On the other hand when your looking at a stove in the size range of the Hobbit or the Navigator line I cant imagine you could hope for more than a 3- 4 hour burn time at best. Could make for a few nightly wake up calls to feed the beast.


Yep, those small boat stoves weren't designed to burn all night. The assumption was that the crewman on watch would keep the fire fed.

tbjohn
Member
# Posted: 5 Jan 2012 15:53
Reply 


I agree with the short burn time...I have gotten 6 hrs with the 602 when it is almost closed. That is about how long I can stay asleep these days anyway...getting old I guess! The other thing is that you have to clean ashes about every 2 days. Not a big deal. put about 1" or so of sand in the bottom to keep it from getting too hot.

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