Posted on 01/08/2015 6:19:04 AM PST by woodbutcher1963
I have one of those Stihl helmets too. However, I bought a pair of mesh glasses/goggles from the Baileys Logging Supply catalog a few years back. I like those better. They protect your eyes without fogging up.
I had a former neighbor who had a similar fireplace system he also plumbed it into the forced hot air ducts of his house. He had to go down in his basement to flip a damper so the hot air from the fireplace would circulate through the system. His was a retro into a 40 year old house. His fireplace was also on an outside wall so it pulled air in from the outside to burn the wood.
I had another buddy who actually built his own dumbwaiter about 30 years ago. His house had a garage under/basement. He would stack the firewood in his basement and bring it upstairs with the dumbwaiter. It eliminated a lot of the mess. His originally had a big flywheel on the bottom to give him enough torque to bring a 50# box of wood up 8’. Eventually, he added an electric cement mixer motor to it.
I have seen Tulikivi’s in Fine Homebuilding magazine and other places. They are beautiful. I always figured you had to put a full cinderblock foundation under them. I assume you built the house around the stove? I looked at these when I built my first house in ‘89. I could not afford them at the time.
Prior to deciding on buying the Harman Pellet insert I was going to buy a Woodstock Progressive Hybrid Soapstone stove. It blends the concept of the masonry heater like yours with a extremely efficient catalytic wood stove. They are also side loaders with a air wash system similar to a Jotul. This keeps the front glass clean. They are not cheap either(about $3000 installed). However, they have very long burn times and are 80% efficient. They are also made right here in NH. The stove I was looking at weighs 700 lbs.
http://www.woodstove.com/progress-hybrid
(h/t Newhart)
I never heard the term "Lumbersexual" before today.
By the way, starting this week, the "Antenna TV" cable channel is now showing two episodes of "Newhart" each evening at 10 PM eastern time.
The fireplace does use 100% outside air for both combustion and cooling the outer shell of the steel-tube chimney - outside steel stays cold regardless of heat of fire.
I also built my own woodwaiter - couldn’t afford the one on the web. Used lift/hoist motor/cable unit from Northern Tool - lift capacity is 440 lbs - more than the bin will carry.
I live on 24 acres of forestland. Mainly fir, pine and alder, aspen and cottonwoods in my creek bottom.
I’ll be thinning trees for the rest of my life here. And yes, the pine does burn fast, but I only need a few cords of wood and I have plenty of it. Now I’m burning beetle killed pine. Took out 50+ trees last spring, only used 4 for firewood. Burned the rest in huge burn piles.
Yes, we did. Had the stove specs in hand when we designed the house. Then had the engineer make sure the support was sufficient. Lots of big beams in the downstairs to hold it up.
More mass the better. But I still can't help looking at the Tulikivi and imagine another less expensive stove in it's place ... and a newer pickup truck in the garage.
d:^)
Maybe IF I ever build another house I will consider one again. Masonry heaters really make the open concept house. I am still surprised you did not just continue the foundation for yours right down to the basement floor.
However, my last two houses, including the one I bought two years ago were both built in 1972. The current abode was originally at least a custom built house for a doctor. Therefore, they put in Pella windows, hardwood floors and several built ins you don’t find in a speck house. Also, the previous owner of 25 years was a hobby woodworker like me and added several custom things himself. I have added insulation, exterior doors, remodeled two baths, painted all bedrooms, installed the pellet insert, added crown molding, put down new stone flooring, built a fence, and logged 8 of the 12 acres. I also added a drywell for my dishwasher, kitchen sink and washing machine to flow into. I am hoping this will extend the life of the 1972 leach field. I am like an episode of This Old House.
Wow. Went there on the first post. When I clicked on this page I thought I’d have to scroll at least a third of the way down before I hit that!. Guess us older folks are Python fans!
Oh, my. It’s amazing how much fine detail that guy can produce using such a huge brush.
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