Production Woodstock IS

Yep that's the one, love the idea... I think if the whole door were copper it would be too much but just the handles... perfect. I wondered how well painted trivets would last if used much. My install would be horizontal so I could mainly use the cover over the top vent as my cooking surface, and if I need to use the front also I could remove the nice fancy trivet and just cook on the stove top, or have a plain trivet. Or maybe I am too worried and should just use it and repaint it if it wears out. I was also thinking about the side medallions being black as well, so only burners and handles are copper.

I like so many of the current designs, and I assume I can mix and match andirons and trivets. However I am thinking about a custom side medallion... I'm thinking a scene with mountains in the background with a lake and canoe in the foreground, perhaps a tent on the shore with a campfire. Hiking and paddling in the mountains are probably my most favorite things to do. A compass for the center burner, and maple leaf andirons, which are already in their books. They are all outdoorsy related, so I think the mix should go well together. Was debating asking if they could do some kind of maple tree for the small side burners, think I saw that done already as well.

 

Just re-paint them. I think it is 10 dollars a can of paint.
Also, I have maple tree side burners. So they have the template for it already!

 

Sounds like you have some very cool ideas for your design. I enjoyed being in the design phase for the stove too, and could have gone in other directions and been just as happy. Then once it's installed you'll be impressed with the performance. After having heated with the IS and the PH for one season, in retrospect I would have been perfectly happy with two IS's and saving a grand!

 

OK so here I mocked up the hearth and stove...


Actually used Eco-bricks for my mock up 'brick' hearth
As you can see the current 'layout' needs some changes. The eco-brick hearth template is right at the minimum specs. That insert in the pic is flush mount (I recently pulled it out) so there is actually about 4 1/2' between the edge of that couch and the insert. The big ledge sticks out 16.5" so that puts a free-stander into the room a ways. The cardboad cutout is the body dimensions of the IS. That sectional is huge and obviously the two aren't compatible. The rest of my house is more broken up with smaller areas so thats the only room the sectional and aquarium can go. The TV is right where I am standing so the main part of the sectional was pointed that way. I think my best option is to move the aquarium. Its deceiving in the pic with my wide angle lens, but the aquarium is actually 8 foot long and the top edge is eye level. It too is stuck to that room. I can move it to the side where I am standing but then not sure what to do about the TV.
First world problems I suppose.

But since the aquarium is currently not in use and I haven't reinforced the floor under it in that spot yet, might as well be the one to move. It takes a monumental effort though - its actually heavier than a stove and at 8' long and almost as tall as me its a challenge to move. If I move it, then I can slide the sectional back against the wall and I think there will be enough clearance. Hope the IS has more radiant heat to actually keep the couch warm, back by the walls would get a little chilly even though its the 'stove room'! Made worse by usually having to have the ceiling fans on to keep some of the heat down from going straight up 20'.

Hard to tell but if you see the reflection in the aquarium glass, the wall to the left side of the pic is full of windows. Don't want aquarium or TV up against it. I don't like the couch being up against it either since without AC we are constantly opening and closing the windows spring-fall. With the short end of the couch though, it only makes 2 of the 6 windows on that wall hard to access.

I think I can make it work though. And since I plan on moving some time in the next few years I don't want to do any permanent mods to the existing hearth, I'll make the 'extension' something I can just take back off, and keep the existing insert to re-install. Its a beautiful insert, and does work well if you can feed it more often than my 14hrs away for work allows.


Unfortunately I don't think the IS will look nearly as nice sticking way out into the room. But hopefully not bad either. But now that it's just me here I am all about function now, and hopefully if I move in the near future I can build a more suitable hearth for it.

Are those the one with the sap buckets? I saw those and I think that is what stuck in my mind. Might just go with them. Would fit better for someone into making syrup though, when I first saw them I was wondering for a second what the odd shapes were lol (but I realized very quickly). I bet they could modify the design to just be the tree without buckets.

 

I'll read the post in a second. What did that buck on the left score?

 

That is one big aquarium! Have you ever considered mounting your tv above your mantel? You could then maybe move the aquarium where the tv is? We have ours above our zero clearence gas fp, and really like it.

Edit: now that I'm thinking about it, you said you were moving. If you reinstalled the insert, too hot for a tv up there...

 

A) I think you will melt your couch that close to the front of the IS. It will put out a lot of heat from the front. Also, it looks like your wood is on the opposite side of the door opening for the IS. Once that door is open with a load of coals, you will catch your couch on fire. I bought a 45" coal rake to move my hands back from the front of the stove. The sides give out radiant heat but it is not too bad.

B) Yes, the side burners are the ones with the sap buckets. There is a "tree of life" tree available for the andirons and side panels, they might be able to do them for the side burners as well.

 

Seems to me the easiest thing to do would be to move the piece of the sectional without an arm over under the windows for the winter, making that stretch long during the winter. Would move the couch four feet further away from the IS. You would not want it closer. Then, when the heating season is over and you want to be able to get at the windows, move back to the configuration you now have.

A heck of a lot easier than moving the tank.

Just my reaction.

 

Ah right to the important stuff! Hehe. But unfortunatly, IDK. Was told it would have made an Ohio big buck if I would have got it scored but I didn't bother. I'm really not a trophy hunter, I've shot more spikes, crotches, and sixers than anything. The 10pt on the right was my first big buck with a bow and arrow, and my inlaws paid for the mount for christmas. The bigg'n next to him, 16pt non-typical, I debated but it was so big I knew I'd be upset later if I didn't have it mounted. Unfortunately the mount turned out horrible will have it redone some day with another cape. I've always hunted to fill my freezer, eating natural free range and being more self sufficient, not for sport or trophies. But sometimes you just get lucky too! Was probably 10+ years of hunting until I even saw a deer bigger than a small 6-8 pointer.

Hadn't thought about the pieces being modular like that, I'll have to check when I get home tomorrow! That may work if so. Its the first sectional I ever had, to be honest I'd not get something so huge but when my wife moved out I let her take the couch and love seat from that room so I really didn't have anything except a chair. A friend at work gave me that sectional. So I'm not super attached to it either, but it was free and being as large as it is with 3 recliners and real leather, its got some worth. And it was a major pain to get in there! So now I have it I'd like to keep it.

Well when I reinstall the insert when I move, I'll take the tv with me so its not going to be a problem! Yeah I thought about putting it there but its to high. Go back up and look at my first pick. Look where the seat of the couch is and then the mantle. The mantle is almost 6' high. So the TV would be what, 8' high? Not sure if thats going to work well. BTW that pick wasn't taken at eye level - I was standing on a coffee table to get a higher vantage point.

Yeah seems like every single stove I've had in that house (3 so far) have all had doors that opened the wrong way.

Not sure what you mean about the couch, I have no intention of leaving it like it is there... Certainly too close for combustibles! You can see from my mock up hearth that the couch corner actually goes onto the hearth pad area (the missing corner in my mock up since it was in the way). But I would of course have to build the hearth fully out to that corner even though I didn't in my mock up.

 

You can still get it measured and if it is a record it will still be entered into the books. They even make tools that you can buy and do it yourself. Rackulator. If it is a record it would need to been seen by an official person for scoring.

 

Or manually enter the measurements

https://www.boone-crockett.org/bgRe...sp?area=bgRecords&type=Typical+Whitetail+Deer

 

If the tv height is a concern, you can use a tv mount that allows a tilt. That's what I opted for, and has worked well. May not be for you, but I like sharing when things I do actually work out! Lol

 

True... I guess I have seen those ceiling mounts as well, so I guess its not all that unusual to look 'up' at a tv. Just struck me as odd at first but perhaps. Might make placing the dvd player and gamins systems a bit odd though. I guess they can sit off to the side as long as I get long enough cables, I'd just have to rig up my son's wii sensor by the tv so your still pointing at it.

 

Well, now I'm down to the last day and am re-thinking this whole thing. For one I've been reading up more on the Progress, I really prefer the looks. I've been debating between the two for months. IS definitely has the value though. Function wise, it seems the Progress can throw more heat on a high burn, but Ideal is better on the low burns and air control. Problem is I need both! This place is drafty and not insulated well. I'm guessing beyond the ability of either to heat completely by themselves, so I need every bit of btu I can get. I've had my Rockland running regularly 700-800 stovetop and the room gets mid/upper 60's in the dead of winter (as the highest), by the end of the cycle more like 50's. I could certainly use the higher end of the Progress. But I also will need good low end... every workday I'm 14 hrs door to door, so a 14-15hr burn time will be critical often as well. So the slightly larger firebox and more efficient low burn is important too.

Going back to my hearth mock up on the last page, the Progress with ash lip will allow me to trim off the front layer of bricks in my mock up. It will have to be wider, but its the amount of space sticking out into the middle of the room that bugs me more. And the Progress I can get the door to open on the right side. Seems ash control may be better with Progress, and the ash pan covers more of the stove (easier raking?). I like that the Ideal is more idiot proof, I've been known to forget about the stove... a lot. Steel is more forgiving and member report the air control will bring it down better than the Progress. I worry too about the durability of soapstone, I want something that will last, including if a do a few screw-ups. I like how the cat handle is in the way of the door on the IS, so you can't forget to disengage it.

There are so many things I go back and forth with! Must... make.... decision....

 

I was just agreeing with you and letting you know how hot the front gets. Hope you get it figured out, and of course, we like pics.

 

I agree with you. I was torn between the 2 stoves. Being on public NG just made it too hard to spend the extra for the PH. Heating 3000 sf I could have used the extra btu's but my little 2 cf Quad does a pretty good job so I hope the larger stove and longer burn times will make this worth it. The rated heat output between the IS and my Quad are about the same, so we will see.

 

As an owner of both stoves you're considering, in my experience this past winter the IS throws off just as much heat as the PH at the top end. From what I've read on the subject, the numbers the wood stove co's have to report are based on outside testing, and don't really reflect what the stoves are capable of. The IS with the slightly larger box at 3.2 compared to the 2.8 PH is actually probably capable of throwing off more heat at the top end.

I'm with you on the great design on the IS bypass on the cat. I have forgotten once or twice to disengage the cat when opening the door of the PH (doh!). You're also right about the PH not strewing as much ash as the IS. You have to keep the IS pretty clean of ash to prevent it from dumping some on the ash lip.

One area where the IS clearly tops the PH is how clean the cat stays in the stove. The PH cat just seems to get plugged much more often. I've had to clean it out five or six times this past winter. I haven't had to clean out the cat in the IS once, and it still looks great. That has meant we can just keep the IS plugging along.

As far as control is concerned you're right on the money that the IS does top the PH. It's easier to get a long, even burn.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but in our Victorian home the PH does seem to fit in a little better. The soapstone is gorgeous. I haven't seen a picture yet that has done it justice.

 

Just for the record, Woodstock themselves have tested this with hardwood for BTU output, I am pretty sure. You can check with them. They will tell you the PH has greater high end output potential.

Re the Problem of needing to choose between the PH and the IS: I think you should call and talk to Woodstock. As long as you know you want one of the two, I believe they would let you put a deposit down and secure the sale price on either stove, and make your final decision within the next month or two. I doubt they would be building your stove before June. They are very reasonable people. I recommend you give them a call. I don't think it would make any difference with whom you speak, but if the first person tells you no, then ask to speak with the head of customer service. Woodstock works with its customers.

 

I'd second calling Woodstock on this, because in house or outside testing aside, that's not what I recall from my conversation with Penny from Woodstock. Larger firebox = more heating capacity.

 

Makes sense. Larger firebox stuffed with wood Will produce more overall BTUs than A smaller one stuffed with wood. (All things being equal between the two- same wood, moisture, and loss of BTUs through chimney.) I think the IS is rated slightly more efficient than the PH, no? Either way, based on all I've read from owners, you can't go wrong with either performance-wise. Really boils down to your budget, your layout, and aesthetics imo. I ordered an IS this week b/c it fit my budget, and I actually prefer it aesthetically over the PH.