Re: masonry heater doors
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Re: masonry heater doors Ned Simmons 12-06-2007
Posted by Ned Simmons on December 6, 2007, 12:18 pm
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On Thu, 6 Dec 2007 08:25:30 -0800 (PST), zeb7k@hotmail.com wrote:

>I'm planning to build what they call a masonry heater or Finnish
>heater. A problem is the cast iron doors required cost $800 and up.
>I'm an OK welder and I have plenty of scrap plate around. I'm trying
>to find out if it would be a good idea to fabricate my own doors out
>of plate.
>
>My concern right now is the finish: First question, is the flat black
>appearance of cast iron a black iron oxide or something else?
>
>There are apparently more than a few phophatizing/bluing/parkerizing
>methods available but the few I've seen cant take 750F heat. My only
>other criteria is that I want a flat brown or black or dark gray
>color. What finsh or treatment (if any) is available to the DIYer?

"Stove polish" or "stove black" works well on cast iron, but rubs off
of steel. Thurmalox paint is remarkably durable, at least the stuff I
was buying from Dampney 25 years ago was.
http://www.stovepaint.com/
In addition to using it on stoves, I painted the bottom of the
aluminum pot I use for backpacking as an experiment to see whether a
black bottom would improve heat transfer. Though I didn't expect it to
last very long, it's still on there after about 15 years of regular
use. I'm sure there are other comparable brands, but Thurmalox seems
to be widely available.

A bigger issue is getting a tight seal on your door. I went thru
several iterations before coming up with a simple design that seals
well. I'd be glad to describe it if you're interested.

--
Ned Simmons

Posted by Ned Simmons on December 8, 2007, 5:12 pm
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On Sat, 8 Dec 2007 07:40:05 -0800 (PST), zeb7k@hotmail.com wrote:

>> A bigger issue is getting a tight seal on your door. I went thru
>> several iterations before coming up with a simple design that seals
>> well. I'd be glad to describe it if you're interested.
>>
>> --
>> Ned Simmons
>
>Thanks. I'm all ears... or eyes.

Here's a few pics of our emergency stove, the only 12" stove I built.
I used it as my only heat for a couple years in a small place. The
others I made with the same details ranged in size up to 3 that
accepted 48" logs.

http://www.suscom-maine.net/~nsimmons/news/StoveDoor01.JPG
http://www.suscom-maine.net/~nsimmons/news/StoveDoor02.JPG
http://www.suscom-maine.net/~nsimmons/news/StoveDoor03.JPG

The door panel is made from the piece cut out of the door opening. The
flange around the opening is 1/4 x 1 flat bar, fillet welded on the
outside corners and seal welded to the stove inside the opening. The
door frame is 1-1/4 x 1-1/4 x 1/4 angle. A ceramic rope gasket fits in
the gap between the door panel and the frame. You can use cement to
stick the gasket to the door, but if you get the groove right the rope
is a snug fit and the cement isn't necessary. It's not necessary to
seal weld the angle to the door.

Hinge pins are turned from bar stock and placed away from the flange
to avoid problems with the door interfering with the flange as the
door swings. Weld the hinges up with door in position and the gasket
in place.

The damper turns on a bolt welded thru the door. The damper has a
piece of round stock tapped to fit the bolt welded to the back. The
door and damper are tight enough that it's possible to all but put out
the fire.

It's convenient to have a lathe to make the various parts, but with a
little ingenuity, not required. Any questions?

--
Ned Simmons

Posted by Ned Simmons on December 10, 2007, 10:41 am
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On Mon, 10 Dec 2007 05:11:56 -0800 (PST), zeb7k@hotmail.com wrote:



>
>Thanks for the thorough reply. The explanation and the pictures make
>pretty clear. I will have to give a little more thought about
>mounting something imilar to this to masonry. I will not have much
>clearance for the hinges. One thing, what to you mean by "seal
>weld"? Full penetration?

Placing the center of rotation of the hinges well away from the flange
makes getting the clearance between the door and the flange less
fussy, but you can certainly move the hinges in closer as long as you
make sure the door won't hit the flange as it swings.

I was using "seal weld" to mean "only enough to prevent leaks." The
object is to keep air out without running a heavy bead that'll warp
the flange.

For a door assembly to be imbedded in masonry, I'd think about making
the door jamb out of angle or small channel, like a picture frame,
rather than plate. That would provide some resistance to twisting and
a way to key the door into the masonry.

Let us know what you do - my uncle is building a camp and is planning
a Russian fireplace, so I'm interested in what works for you.

--
Ned Simmons

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