Wood Stove

[naturerules1]

Does anybody Know about the Monarch wood cookstove? Robbie bought me one for christmas, old and delapatated but we fixed it up! It's on the bus and ready to go. did not have time or energy to try it out. Cynthia

[Washkeeton]

Hey Jenny who is the guy that you were refering to in the earlier posts, that you bought your wood cook stove from? If I am able I would love to see some wood cook stoves. I have every intent to get one to cook on. What do you use for heat in your cabin?? How big is the cabin??

[Jenny]

We bought our cookstove from Steve Rasic. When we met him, he was just getting ready to open his own store in Eagle River. Now he also has one in Anchorage and a new one in Wasilla. They're called North Country Stoves. I'm looking at the MTA yellow pages under Stoves. His ad says his site is www.northcountrystovesinc.com

We were very pleased with him, the stove, and service. He's very knowledgeable.

We were hoping our cookstove would also heat our cabin year round. It does great until the temperatures start getting below zero. For heating below zero, we have a barrel stove that Chuck made. I think the door, draft, and pipe fitting were a kit from Lehman's. Chuck cut one section off the drum to make it smaller. Originally we used the whole thing, but it took up too much room, and we really didn't fill the stove anyway. Works just as good and takes up less space this way.

We're working on our new log house, which will be one story (except for the root cellar) 24' x 36'. We're pretty confident that, even though it will be a larger house, the barrel stove will heat everything just fine during the winter. We hope to get a nicer, more efficient heating stove soon.

Our current house (18' x 20') is frame that we built with used lumber, mostly 2x4's. It's a 2 story partially open to the top in 1/4 of the house. We also have used windows here that are very drafty. Chuck built a beautiful, heavy front door, but it's draftier than we'd like, too. In the new house, I think we'll have to trade beauty for warmth, and just go with a standard, store-bought door. With our next house being logs, and having new windows, our old cookstove may keep the house warm at even colder outside temps. The Waterford stoves are really efficient.

Cynthia --- I don't have any first hand knowledge of the Monarch stoves. I spoke with a woman who has a Waterford cookstove, and her sister has a Monarch. She says the Monarch is prettier, and does work well, but that it is not as efficient as the Waterford, and not as easy to control for cooking. But, everyone I know who has wood cookstoves says they have no problem controlling it for cooking once they get used to it. You may want to contact a Monarch dealer to see if you can get an instruction and parts booklet, or visit a dealer to see if they can provide some information and give you some tips on using it.

Jenny

[Washkeeton]

line your door frame with rabbit fur
will cut down on the drafts and is very thin so it shouldnt change much for the door with the opening and closing

thanks for the sites
I went to them about the waterfords
they were the ones that told me that the waterfords will not be carried in the us any longer. I havent found any one else that carries wood cook stoves but leahmans.

[naturerules1]

Thanks alot Jenny...I'm sure it will be fine. I just thought someone may have personally used one. I know it will take a little use to get used to it. Cynthia

[Jenny]

washkeeton said:

line your door frame with rabbit fur
will cut down on the drafts and is very thin so it shouldnt change much for the door with the opening and closing

Great idea! Never thought about something like that. Someone gave us a bunch of rabbit hides several years ago. If we still have them, I'll dig them out and try that.

Thanks,

Jenny

[lacyj]

I really liked using my HOME COMFORT, but I wouldn't be able to get homeowner's insurance if I installed it in our new home. I would still like to put it in an out building, someday. I have a summer kitchen that we built about 10 years ago, that I would like to convert to a summer, winter kitchen, with removable windows. DH's small shop it attached to the kitchen and I want to convert that to a bath house (for the claw foot tub that didn't fit in the new house). Maybe even convert my old outhouse to a flush toilet. Then it all would be set-up for company...

[Jenny]

Sounds like you have quite a setup. We'd love to see some pictures sometime. Maybe you could post some, or post a link.

Jenny

[lacyj]

Jenny, I pm'd you...

[babaji]

I am looking at a Sheepherders stove. Has anyone heard of these? The web link is www.transoceanltd.com/appliances/stoves/bigbear.html. There is the Big Bear and a smaller model also available. They are VERY reasonably priced. The larger model is said to heat home upwards of 2100 feet and the smaller one, upwards of 800 feet. The smaller one is priced at 695.00. The outfitters are in Utah and I am checking on shipping options, if anyone else would be interested. If anyone has any experience or knowledge with these stoves, please share!

[hollybear72]

I love to cook on the wood stove. My stove is propane with a woodbox so you can cook both ways.

[Jenny]

We have an old sheepherders stove we picked up at a yard sale years ago before we moved out here. It's OK, but I would not suggest planning on using it to heat a cabin, even a small one. I could not get your link to work, so maybe the newer ones are different. Ours did have a little oven toward the back. It worked ok for baking a small pan of biscuits, cookies, or even a small loaf of bread. Had to turn things often. Ours heated quickly and was not very airtight so didn't hold the heat long. The firebox was also small, so could only use small chunks of wood. Our neighbor out here said he had one a number of years ago, but sounded like a newer one than ours. The design was different. Said it took over an hour for the oven to heat, and the thing was much heavier than he expected. Overall he was not pleased and either sold it or gave it away. We used ours when we first moved out here and were living in a wall tent. We used it even before we got the wall tent up. Just set it on rocks I think and cooked on it rather than a campfire. But, once we got some of our barrels out here, Chuck cut one down and made a barrel stove. Worked much better. Not the kind you have to use a kit for the door and such. This one uses one end on top so you have a flat surface to cook on. I have a huge stainless steel bowl that I propped up on smaller rocks (overturned the bowl) and used it as sort of an oven for baking breads, cookies, and anything else that needed to be baked. Worked much better than the sheepherders stove both for cooking and heating. But, again, maybe the design is better now. Wish I could get the link to work.

Jenny

[Jenny]

Just thought of something. Are you looking for an inexpensive stove to use for cooking and heating? If it doesn't have to be terribly effecient at the moment, why not make or have someone else maka a barrel stove for you. Chuck has made several like the one I mentioned in the above post. (also made some of the other kind using a kit from Lehmans I think is where he got it --- for the door, draft and pipe) He uses part of the barrel to cut out and make a door, handle, draft, etc. He usually cuts out the back to put the pipe in, then an elbow for the pipe going up. That way it doesn't take up so much room on top of the stove surface. In the Alaska How-To book, there are instructions. I think the book is out in our shop right now, but you may be able to find it online. If you can't locate a copy, let me know. I'll try to remember to look for it and post where it can be bought. Maybe somebody else here remembers. Maybe it's through Alaska Fish and Game, or maybe DNR. Maybe neither. I'll have to check.

Jenny