cast bronze cabin stove?

[peter s]

Since the recent posting about building a cabin heater I've been wondering about having one cast in bronze or gunmetal.I'd make the patterns,I do quite a few for other projects.The stove I have in mind is for burning wood and maybe coal........Any comments,would the bronze or gunmetal be OK with the heat?,how about expansion? The main reason for suggesting bronze is that it's hard to find an iron foundry around here while there is an excellent nonferous one.

[Smacksman]

After getting a good charcoal fire going I would have thought your stove would look like a Salvador Dali watch! A cast iron bogy stove glows deep red after a while and can succome to a goodly blaze. You guys are in a different financial league to even think of such a beautiful thing!

[peter s]

Smacksman,reasonably now.....if I have a stove cast that weighs in at ,say 12kg,that will cost me Australian $12 per kg =$144,not really that much,especially for you....the A$ is bringing US 55cents so the whole thing would be cheaper over yuor way.What's the sterling conversion?My main interest is in whether bronze or gunmetal can stand the heat.I'm used to running wood stoves and yes,I have seen a few glowing red,but NOT one of mine!

[Moray MacPhail]

Smacksman is right, I'm afraid. Stay with iron or steel for a stove.

[Smacksman]

I'm sorry Peter, I didn't mean to be rude. It's just that when the word bronze is mentioned around here then the word gold is not far behind. But it would be lovely to sit by a bronze stove if it were possible to get a high temperature alloy.

[Mike Field]

Go for it, Peter -- bronze is wonderful. And it seems to me that in our part of the world it's nowhere near as expensive as it is for Smacksman.

On the other hand, Smacksman's mentioned the only thing that WOULD worry me a bit, and that's how well it would stand up to the heat.

Since apparently no-one here has had any fist-hand experience, I reckon your next step is to talk to your foundry and get their opinion. (If that's difficult for some reason or other, let me know and I'll find out from one of the two we use here in Melbourne.)

Good luck. (If it works, I'll hire your patterns!)

Mike

[Dave Hadfield]

Bronze? Smacksman is right. You need to plan for the worse case -- a distraction causing you to ignore the fire which then gets really really hot. (There's a reason why the Bronze age came before the Iron age.)

Also, doesn't bronze get brittle if it's subjected to many heat-cold cycles?

I would install a cast-iron stove if I could find one, but if you can't, I know from repeated first-hand experience that they can be made quite simply and cheaply from sheet-metal. How to make one will be up on my website within a couple of weeks (we're still getting the bugs out of it) in connection with camping and canoeing articles I've written.

Good Luck,

Dave

[peter s]

Thanks all.....I guess it's another learning curve and trying to find an iron foundry.

[Bob Cleek]

Amazing that "nobody has any first hand experience" with stoves... NO WAY, JOSE! The problem with a cast yellow metal stove of any type is the firebox and grate. I'd expect you'd melt down the grate in no time, particularly when you opened the draft to get the fire going. The effect on the grate under those conditions is a lot like a blow torch. If you like the look of bronze, what you want is a bronze trimmed stove... finestkind. Check out Paul Luke in Maine. They've been making "Rolls Royce" soapstone stoves trimmed in brass or bronze for years. Or check out the nice little number Davey and Co. London has for sale. If you are talking about stoves, iron grates are required, soapstone is the top of the line body material (for heat holding and transmission qualities, but very expensive) with cast iron second and heavy sheet steel third. There is no fourth place entry.

[Dave Hadfield]

Peter,

Here's a photo of the portable light sheet-metal stove I made, set up in the centerboard inspection slot of Drake. The pipe goes up through a simple thimble set into one half of the skylight.

It really works, and is easily stowed when not required (during the heat of the summer).

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1527849&a=11565901&p=40926149

[rbgarr]

I think a bronze or bronze and soapstone stove with an adjustable kerosene burner could make a wonderful project and unique addition to a boat. I do wonder about the safety of a solid fuel one made out of bronze, though.

[Dave Hadfield]

I know I've beat the small portable sheet-metal stove idea to death, but for the record, how to build one is posted on my new website, at http://www3.sympatico.ca/rhadfield/Bush_Gear/Portable_Wood_Stove/portable_wood_stove.html
Sorry for the long address -- we're changing that.

Dave

[WILLIAM E. HARRIS]

I heard about modifying a wood burning stove to burn kerosene using one of those circular wicks from a kerosene heater. Seems like it was Lin and Larry Pardy that wrote about it. Anybody know how that can be done so it is safe to fire up the stove in a seaway? I would like to make a stove like this, and I have access to stainless steel and TIG welding, but don't know how to use the circular wick idea.

[Ross Faneuf]

Wick-type kerosene stoves are notorious producers of carbon monoxide. They are illegal for home heating in many parts of the US.

[Oyvind Snibsoer]

http://www.baat.aller.no/bu/41044.gif

http://www.baat.aller.no/bu/41045.gif

Here are some pictures of Norwegian made oil burning heaters/cookers. Not particularly beautiful perhaps, they're ruggedly made for small workboats in arctic and sub-arctic conditions. There's a small oil pump which requires a 12/24 V hookup. One advantage is that they'll burn diesel, so no need for an extra fuel supply/tank for the stove. And they produce a LOT of heat (4kW and up). They may also be equipped with a hot-water spiral for water heating. The two larger models at the top may also be fitted with a fan and ducts for blowing hot air to other parts of the boat.

Contact:
Pyro AS
Gamlem
6280 Søvik
Tel (+47)70 20 98 70
Fax (+47)70 20 98 90
email: pyro@pyro.no


[This message has been edited by Øyvind Snibsøer (edited 03-05-2001).]

[Peter Sibley]

The kerosene stove the Pardy's use is a Valor,they're ones with the circular wick.I saw a photo of the inside of their boat and they have the heater vented just like a wood stove ie a stainless 4" pipe......a very good idea.Does anyone know if the Valor brand of kero heater is still made?

[ACB]

Experience with solid fuel stoves? Loads of it round here, surely?

Bronze would not be my choice; embrittlement worries, melting worries, and I don't like that green colour in the cabin.