Jump to content

School Days - Adding a mini-stove


Featured Posts

Growing up (ie: many moons ago) we had a coal fire in our house and it was glorious. If you've never had the pleasure of being beside a real coal fire then, I'm sorry to say, you've never lived.  :D

With winter approaching I was wanting some sort of heating for School Days. Initially I had an old Alladin lamp (Alladin is the company, not the character). It's good, but most of its heat rises from the chimney, and with only having 6ft in height I couldn't put it on at full welly. I tried a camping stove (yes, I have a CM monitor) with butane gas canisters. It was good, but it wasn't a coal fire.

I discovered mini-stoves on eBay. They're (at widest) 5" by about 12" high and top loaders. About the same space as a 2LTR plastic bottle. I ended up going for this one on Amazon as it has a 45-degree angle from stove to chimney. Some are 90-degree angles. Which I don't think is great.

7179rewKyzL._SL1500_.jpg.ab074e12ff85477bfbf829b873189fdc.jpg

I looked at the corner with the cupboard and decided that I could put a stove in there.

5a4a57a88d211_unnamed(14).jpg.8c7985ebdf9405d390f4ea53831bc439.jpg

With the help of many kind folks in this thread. I bought a mini-stove, some flexible exhaust pipe, aluminium sheets, and got to work planning.

I ended up going with a stone slab (1/2" thick) as a base with aluminium surrounds. After much drawing, cutting and bending... here's my prototype:

IMG_20180101_152329.jpg.faf4cde792a1d166b9eb365e60921124.jpg

You can't see it very well in the photo, but the bottom left of the slab has a 4" lip and the bottom right has a 2" lip. The 4" lip is because that's roughly the edge of the cushion (in the before pic) and the 2" lip is where the cupboard door used to be and just to stop anything from rolling off the edge. 

The black square is approximately how much space the stove will take up on the slate. I was initially going for a 3FT flexi-pipe, but after demolishing the cupboard and measuring properly it looks like I'll need a 4FT pipe. The idea being to secure the flexi-pipe to the wall with munsen rings and have the end of the pipe (aka: flue) going out the hole currently occupied by the mushroom air vent.

That's it for now. If everything arrives on/before Saturday (and it doesn't rain) then I'll hopefully get it all installed and tested!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is it my imagination or is the handle on the front of your stove made from a bullet casing? I too love an open fire and I really miss not having one at the moment. I've been looking at a Davey Hot Pot for my shed / workshop so I'll be interested to follow your progress as this might be a good alternative. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Tumshie said:

Is it my imagination or is the handle on the front of your stove made from a bullet casing? I too love an open fire and I really miss not having one at the moment. I've been looking at a Davey Hot Pot for my shed / workshop so I'll be interested to follow your progress as this might be a good alternative. 

It may well be. I hadn't noticed that before. Good spot! I'll let you know when I get it.

If you do think about getting one, and I mention it in my post, be sure to keep an eye on the back of the stove in photos as most have a sharp right 90-degree angle on them and I don't see how that can help with getting smoke out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't say that I had considered the 90-degree angle, I think that I have seen then but I just presumed that they worked because of the draw from the flue, I could be mistaken though so I'll go and have another look. 

We have quite a few good stove shops round where I stay so it's fairly easy to get a look first hand. 

Thanks for the tip.

 

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It should make no difference in top or rear flue exit as once the temp is correct it will draw the same for both top and rear flue, it needs to be a short rear 90% for the rear flue but will be just as good.

I am interested in what the heat output is on this wee stove. I liked the Pipsqueak that i was tempted to get a few times and for this cruiser now. 

https://www.savvysurf.co.uk/stoves/wood-and-multi-fuel-stoves/pipsqueak-mini-wood-burning-bell-tent-stove.html

 

 

 

Edited by W+T
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, ronnietucker said:

 

If you do think about getting one, and I mention it in my post, be sure to keep an eye on the back of the stove in photos as most have a sharp right 90-degree angle on them and I don't see how that can help with getting smoke out.

Your new pic shows the back of the stove much better, with the 45deg bend in the flue being more satisfactory than the 90deg bend in the alternative you were considering (in the other thread) which could more easily become blocked with dangerous consequences.  You're still going to have to make sure there is no soot & tar build up in such a narrow flue, though.  Interesting to see how a stove with such a tiny footprint performs.

Edited to agree that there should be little difference in draw between the 45deg bend and the 90deg, but the horizontal bit in the latter will be difficult to keep clear.

Edited by Mac of Cygnet
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, W+T said:

It should make no difference in top or rear flue exit as once the temp is correct it will draw the same for both top and rear flue, it needs to be a short rear 90% for the rear flue but will be just as good.

I am interested in what the heat output is on this wee stove. I liked the Pipsqueak that i was tempted to get a few times and for this cruiser now. 

https://www.tinywoodstove.com/salamander-pipsqueak-stove-review/

2

Some videos and photos of it have the user pointing a contactless (laser) thermometer thing at it (or equivalent model) and getting readings of ~300-degrees C. I think (from the videos) that's it loaded to the brim with coal though.  :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, W+T said:

 

I am interested in what the heat output is on this wee stove. I liked the Pipsqueak that i was tempted to get a few times and for this cruiser now. 

https://www.tinywoodstove.com/salamander-pipsqueak-stove-review/

 

I love that Pipsqueak too, but I wonder how long would it stay in for if you banked it up and left it for a while?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, ronnietucker said:

Some videos and photos of it have the user pointing a contactless (laser) thermometer thing at it (or equivalent model) and getting readings of ~300-degrees C. I think (from the videos) that's it loaded to the brim with coal though.  :D

I run a 2kw propex LPG heater and on full wack it will heat the boat to 18oC  when outside temp is -3deg with ease.  If that stove can do tat its a good buy at that price.

Mind you i have the benefit of not having to fill it up with coal/wood he he :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

I love that Pipsqueak too, but I wonder how long would it stay in for if you banked it up and left it for a while?

Thats just it, these small stoves need filling often, reason i decided against getting one as i will be spending a lot over overnights on the boat and didnt want to wake up freezing.

 From memory it needs a refill every few hours.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

W+T 

That was the main reason I was thinking of the Davey Hot Pot. I read about it here on this forum somewhere, and the person who posted said that she could bank it to stay in all night. Again they do cost quite a bit more Than Ronnie's one. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

The Pipsqueak looks good.  There's been some discussion on here previously about it.  one difference is that it's five times the price of Ronnie's stove!

very true but then it is down to the efficiency and quality ( although the Pip is made in China, not always a bad thing nowadays i guess ) of the stove and if it does what you wish/happy with it.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Tumshie said:

W+T 

That was the main reason I was thinking of the Davey Hot Pot. I read about it here on this forum somewhere, and the person who posted said that she could bank it to stay in all night. Again they do cost quite a bit more Than Ronnie's one. 

 

That was probably me. I have one and I write about it sonetimes. But I'm not a GURL! 

(Not last time I checked anyway.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyone remember Paul (donuts) on Nulife4-2 ?

He sold his boat and bought a twin axle (huge) camper van. He travels all over the country even the Scottish islands and to keep warm he has a choice of electric, gas or a tiny solid fuel stove called a NESTY which he fitted and maintains it's a great bit of kit. 

Phil 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 01/01/2018 at 22:18, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

That was probably me. I have one and I write about it sonetimes. But I'm not a GURL! 

(Not last time I checked anyway.)

Actually you could be right - on both counts. ;). And I would never prezoom to question your lack of GURLishness. :D

Edited by Tumshie
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

The Eagle Has Landed!

So Ronnie is this your job for tomorrow, then? To get it fitted and reekin'? 

ah yes,i would fire it up outside first to burn the paint as it will stink your boat for days on end.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Tumshie said:

The Eagle Has Landed!

So Ronnie is this your job for tomorrow, then? To get it fitted and reekin'? 

'Fraid not. Still waiting on the flexi-tube for the flue. Oh, and I have to go to work too.

Bah. Blasted work. Always getting in the way of fun. I am tempted to take it out into the back garden and fire it up to see what it's like.  :D

Saturday, all going well, is when it'll be plumbed in.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.