Howdy. I found this stove over a year ago and have been working on getting it right. First a 6" insulated chimney liner that runs forty feet up through the brick & clay flue, which resolves any draft concerns quickly. Then the tiling of the fireplace walls, cement board floor, and tile for the stove pad to create the alcove. All this action was being observed by the wife & daughter, who did not know what to make of the Dad muttering his plans and saying "Vermont" randomly. I knew all about the VC Aspen 1920 issues and was confident this one had good flow, lol. It was on FB marketplace, local, and when I saw its condition, I quickly took it for $800. I used the color to sway the girls with cozy images of a second wood stove tucked in at this end of the house. The other end of the house runs the mighty Jotul F50 Rangeley (the beast). So, after fiddling with stove pipe parts for a few weeks and feeling confident, I assembled the Tee to a Damper to the Collar and lit it off the Vermont Green on Christmas Eve. Everything that gives the VC Aspen a bad rep was solved. Great draft, clear air passages, dry wood, and the confidence this site provides to us Hoarders. With the Rangeley running on one end and the VC Aspen on the other end, the entire house is now warmed evenly, and I have to say, I am happy. Also impressed the women of the house who may just be beginning to understand what all this firewoodhoarding has been about!
