Replacing VC Intrepid with Ideal Steel

I dont have anything handy with me at the moment. Here is a video I shot to send to my wife when they had just installed it.


I will try and take a couple pictures when I get home. Being that it is top venting it really doesnt stick out into the room very much but I will see what I can do.

 

Dark colors with simpler stove top improves the look of the stove.

 

Here are some side shots.

 

ZeeB, one question (for now), does the stove pipe collar bolt down to the stovetop with a gasket?

 

I wonder if they'll charge extra for a custom water-jetted side panel motif?
Elk, Mule deer, Antelope, bunnies, pheasant, eggs-n-bacon,.... anything that might find it's way in a stew pot on the griddle plates. That'd be cool.

 

I am trying to remember, there is a gasket, I cant recall if it is on the collar or on the stove itself. You switch between rear and top vent by swapping a plate and the collar. Maybe Briank or Flamstead will recall off the top of their heads.

 

I am actually pretty curious myself as to how the pricing is going to work in the end. Woodstock was ready to let me cut anything I wanted for the sides and the cooktop inserts as well. I got lazy after the work to come up with the side designs. From my discussions with the staff it seems like they intend to have a number of stock designs that people can choose from or let people go wild. Once a design has been created and cut once there really is no difference other than waterjet time to cut a pattern so I wouldnt think that part will cause any price difference.

 

In the end I like the way our stove turned out, if I had my way and wasn't negotiating with my wife it probably would have involved alot more color. That is actually the beauty of the stove allowing for that much customization. If I ever get to build the shop I want in the yard I could see myself getting one of these with a very loud color scheme.

 

Pretty sure the Beta stoves are not a good representation of how the pipe collar will look and function. I have seen several designs of the collar. Not sure how the final design will function.

 

I believe it is a gasket sandwiched between two flat surfaces. I don't recall if they had one side cemented in place. They swapped it from top to rear vent once they got here, with the 4 screws holding it down tight, so it is not cemented on both sides.

Very nice, clean install - let us know how it is doing for you!

 

Flamestead my house is warmer than it has ever been in the 2 previous winters we have owned it. I have been using a load very similar to the one in my avatar image every night. I seem to be running it at between 25-35% air and the top is staying between 450-525 depending on the draft pull. I usually toss another couple splits on it after 4 hours. I havent been loading it up before bed, the house has been 75 when I go to bed, its been 72 when I get up in the mornings with a good usable coal bed. I havent been reloading in the AM due to schedule. No one home for close to 12 hours, just seems a waste. I do wish I had a model with the ash pan on it. My old Intrepid had one and it made life easier for sure.

 

Ok Briank and Flamestead, what are you guys doing for stove operation now that the outdoor temps have come up to seasonal. I have been putting far less wood in and running near zero air but I still seem to have the room where the stove is approaching 85. Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

Last load was yesterday afternoon. I let it go out and dusted the cat off this morning. This is the first I took off the top since we started burning it in November and there was just a little dust on the bottom side of the cat. It was in the mid 40s and we were heading out of town for the day so I didn't build a fire today at all.

I think the answer to your question is to just build a small fire, two or three small splits, keep the air low, then let it go out. It was too warm in the house yesterday afternoon.

 

My wife loaded the stove this morning before I was really awake enough to tell her I was thinking of checking the cat. We checked the weather forecast for the coming week, and they are expecting it to get cooler again, so we let that one load run its course. Around 3:30pm I checked the cat, and reloaded. Right now I'm looking at a bunch of coals (10" or more), and will reload again before going to bed. We are not pushing and are much warmer, but not too warm (kitchen got up to 75 so we kicked on a fan, which got it back down to 70), and it is 34 outside now.

Sounds like you have a better house than we do. Less wood, let it almost go out before adding a few more. Monitor and try to minimize your stovetop temp yet keep the cat working.

I see opportunities for fun experimenting on how to limp along. Shorter and wood running N/S? More spacing between splits?

 

Our house was built in early 80s. Its a modern contemporary and was a failed passive solar design(I say that because they had sealed up all the venting and retro fit hot water baseboards rather than just the electric radiant ceiling heat it was built with. The walls on the north side of the house are doubled with an air space between. There is lots of insulation to go around, the windows are decent for their era. Its not rock solid tight, but its not an old farm house for sure. I've been tossing two sticks in when I have opened it up. I think I started on 3 sticks this am. Went out a couple of time so I think I have burned 7 sticks total today.

 

Beautiful stove and hearth!

 

Thanks Steve!

 

I have to tell you, that 3 years ago when we were looking for a stove for our kitchen, I would have jumped on this one. Great looking stove and great company! Enjoy and post more. I love wood stoves!