Quick tour of our Beta version of the Ideal Steel Woodstock Stove

First fire in the Beta Ideal Steel Woodstock stove

 

Yes, it is. I had not remembered that until just now when I got down and looked.

 

Brian, tell me how well the andirons work and if they are something you like on the beta. I always wanted something like them on my Oslo to keep the "rollers" off the glass.

 

I've got mixed emotions about the andirons. 90% of the time they sit on my hearth under the stove. I only use them now if I'm loading EW. When loading you drop them forward to load then just put them back up when you're done and close the door. A metal tab on the far right inside bottom corner of the door holds them upright.

My 17yo got scared one day when he put in a big load of wood on a big bed of coals. Coals rolled onto the lip of the door frame, the logs were lighting off, and he couldn't get the andirons to set back up properly. They have a nice slit and groove system to insert and remove the andirons assembly quickly but if they get a little out of alignment they can be difficult to get straight and get the door closed. It happened to me once too and I just grabbed them and removed them. Fortunately I have a high quality pair of stove gloves. They have a very pretty Fleur de lis branding on one of the fingers after that episode. They were too damm hot to be handling that way even with the stove gloves.

Woodstock is sending out a new shorter set of andirons. From the looks of them it will be easier to load around/above them without dropping them to load.

 

Thanks Again Brian. Did u find the burn times for E/W differ from N/S in the beta too?

 

I think we can get a bit more in loading NS than EW but I can't honestly say which lasts longer. The longest burn I had was with 3x6" oak blocks packed in tight EW but that was a very carefully packed stove and controlled burn. Frankly it's just easier loading NS and I only burn EW to use up long splits that don't fit NS.

 

Tell your son that happens to everyone at some point. I grab a flaming log more than once each winter and I'm sticking a gloved hand inside the firebox to move hot coals more often than I care to admit.

I think the short andirons are the way to go. If it is an option, that is what I would opt for with my purchase.

 

It's nice to see that Woodstock is fine tuning the beta stove to actual user input... They should pretty much have a bullet proof stove once the final design is ready for production...

 

The pics earlier in the thread look like soapstone side and rear walls of the firebox? Or is it firebrick? Do other models of soapstone stoves use stone in direct contact with the burning fuel and if so, how well does it hold up to the temperatures and mechanical bumps of loading?

 

Im not 100% but I believe the Ideal steel stove is soapstone lined on the inside. The fire view is all soapstone and its holding up very good. When I first got it I was being very careful and trying not to bump the stone at all but I realized that its some pretty tough stuff. Im still careful not to slam stuff into it but the soapstone holds up good.

 

Yes, soapstone lined, and no issues to date. The same with the PH - 12+ cord through that with not a single issue with the stone. I've read of some people's small stone below the door, inside, on the PH coming loose, but we have not had any issue with the stones inside.

 

Soapstone is stronger than firebrick.

 

Flamestead or Briank, any idea about clearances on the stove?? I am looking at planning for a new hearth and working on some details for a couple of stoves. Any ideas regarding clearances on this unit would be appreciated!!
Thanks,
Builder Bob

 

I'm not sure, but I don't think the official clearances have been determined yet. I'd look at the PH specs for the front, but keep in mind the height on the Ideal Steel adjusts, so a lower setting likely will increase the requirements. A lot of heat comes out the front glass on both stoves when the secondaries are rolling strong.

The PH has a heat shield on the back, attached with a couple of off-set studs, and there is very little heat behind it (as I recall, you can usually touch the shield bare-handed). The beta stove we have has no off-set shielding on the rear, which makes me think one might be added as necessary, depending on how their tests go.

Underneath, the left third is very cool due to the air inlets there. The center is very cool due to the ash pan. The right third is not so cool, but again, it is a beta, and shielding might be added as they gain experience (the stove we have is at one of the lower settings on the adjustable legs). Our fireplace install with a built-up hearth sitting on top of a thick granite slab meant they didn't have to be too particular with shielding for us.

Give them a call - they have a number of stoves out being used, and in all likelihood can give you some level of guidance. {spelling edits}

 

Thanks for the reply Flamestead! I am still in the preliminary stages of this but am working on getting the layout together so I can start working toward the finish product. As of right now I am trying to fit it into a existing opening that will be cleared after the gas logs and zero clearance insert has been removed. I may have to wait until the stove gets closer to release and see how the clearances work with the space I have available. One stove will fit but this one I am not sure about.

 

Pure speculation here: Shielding is cheap and very easy for the manufacturer to add to a steel stove. I bet it has tight rear clearances and ember only hearth protection, the legs will double as side shields. The huge glass door will through some serious heat though.....

 

Well, based on a well informed guess on my part, I'd predict your pure speculation will prove to be very close to reality.