Civil War Re-enactments

Memorial Day. Pembroke Ma. Center Cemetery. Saluting our veterans.

I was recently contacted by a customer seeking a stove for use in his Civil War Re-enactment work. He kindly provided me with a great education in this "sport". But rather than try and paraphrase, I'll let Rob tell you himself...

"We are the 22nd Mass. Infantry. If you look at the coming events you will see the events we will be attending.

"I love re-enacting. It's a major step back in time. Especially at night. When all of the campfires are lit and the tents and streets are lit up by candles. I can't wait. Right now we cook over an open fire. The trick is to get your food somewhere between cold and burnt. Or just have it fall in the fire. That's why I'm looking for a small stove.

"We have a bunch civilian re-enactors. Every now and then some of these women dress in blue and join us in the field. (at Battles) They dress the kids up it's a good time.

"There is a village that is called 'Serenity' or something like that. They are all civilians. They are at all of the weekend re-enactments. If you are interested I will get you this information.

"Be prepared though! We do camp and live just like it is 1864. Obviously there are coolers but they are covered up. All cooking is done over an open fire. It is primitive camping. Some find a hotel near by and come for the day and sleep a hole lot better than we do. Although I am getting used to this. You can use cots to sleep on. Some of the really professional civilians actually bring beds.

"It's great to walk around and see the different setups. I'm purchasing a cot for this year.

"We are a great family orientated, professional group. We really do a great job when we talk to the public. We have a couple of families that come from out in your direction (Goshen, MA)."

Borderland State Park, Ma.

Forbes Museum Milton Ma. The big guy in the middle is me, Rob

Lincoln Day, Old Ship Church, Hingham Ma.

Sunrise on the civilian Camp. Groton, Ma.

Our youngest recruit. Groton, Ma.

Groton, Ma. Sunrise on the Union Camp

Group of civilians that I met at Cedar Creek, Va.

Breakfast

How will I know if I have fired my stove beyond its heat tolerance?

How will I know if I have fired my stove beyond its heat tolerance? First you will find hairline cracks after repeated such firings bubbles occur, then peeling. If need not happen if you hear with wood or coals as directed. These stoves are not incinerators.

Can Glass Dishes Be Used with a Wood Cook Stove?

Question: Can glass dishes be used with a wood cook stove? Like casserole dishes or pie plates?

Answer: Pyrex glass dishes are OK.
Cast Iron OK.
All others OK, subject to test.

Read This before Stoking Up your Antique Stove

Read this before Stoking Up your Box Stove


Protect the stove's bottom. Protect the bottom with a two inch layer of ashes or sand. This is absolutely necessary in the box stoves - to prevent loss of heat and protect the bottom plate.


Protect the enamel finish = Urgent!
The first few times you build a fire in a stove or fireplace that has been enameled, some condensate will be formed. This condesate contains sulfuric acid. Open the top plate slightly to allow the condesate to escape. In th event that some comes in contact with the enamel finish, the surface should be cleaned immediately, or the condesate leave a permanent stain. Clean the enamel surface with any scouring cleanser or metal polish. As soon as the stove is thoroughly warmed, the condesate stops forming and the top plate can be closed.


How To Build your First Fire:

1. Make a small fire with kindling near the door in the front of the stove.
2. Then place full length logs on top.
3. Allow for ample draft in the beginning. Later regulate the vent down to the desired burning rate.
4. The fire will now spread slowly backward toward the rear of the stove.
5. Not until the wood is completely burned up, and there are only embers left, is it necessary to reload.
6. Rake the embers up to the front and reload.

If you like Pot Belly Stoves then You Will Enjoy this Blog!

If you like Pot Belly Stoves then you will enjoy this Blog!
Pot Belly Tales
The pot belly strove becomes a dear friend during the cold winter months in the mountains of West Virginia. Its belly radiates a soul warming heat which has a magnetism drawing folks to gather in The Smith General Store to gossip, spin tales, or perhaps join in on a friendly game of checkers. Pot Belly Tales is about stories I recall from growing up in my parent's store in French Creek, West Virginia. Some are true and some are not...you'll have to decide! THANK YOU for visiting!

Why no thermostatic controls in antique stoves?

Why no thermostatic controls in antique stoves? Various forms of thermostatic controls have been tested periodically over the last 50 years. It has been determined that such controls are unreliable and unnecessary.

Monkey Stoves?

Maybe you know something I don't know...Ever heard of a "Monkey Stove"? I have not, but maybe this blog will help get some answers.

Richard writes, "My Grandmother used to talk about a "Monkey Stove" that they used in their covered wagon. I think she said it had two holes (not sure, could have been only one hole). Do you have any idea or have your ever heard of such a stove? I need a picture of it for my Genealogy project.

"She said it had two holes and if you wanted to bake you could set a little oven on top of it. It sat in the back of the wagon surrounded by tin to keep the heat away from the wooden sides of the wagon.

"One quote I found was 'A stove such as was formerly used in railway depot,
having a long slender top section and a bulging round base.' Another quote, 'An old
monkey heater with room for two small pots. one beans, one coffee.'

"Sounds like a pot belly stove to me."

After looking through pot belly stoves, laundry stoves and other small models, we zeroed in on the Shoo Fly. But if anybody has more information about this spefic terminology, "Monkey Stove", your input would be deeply appreciated.

How many stoves can be hooked up to one chimney?

How many stoves can be hooked up to one chimney? For every 12 square inches of chimney opening, you can hook up one stove, For example, a 9 inch by 9 inch chimney opening (81 square inches) you can hook up seven box stoves. Never hook up two stoves to the same chimney at the same level.


How about fireplaces? Preferably only one per chimney. 7 inch by 7 inch is minimum size smoke outlet. It should never be smaller than the one half of the fireplace opening.

Enameling and the Antique Stove?

What about enamel finishes? It is a melted glass baked in two layers in high temperature kilns. The shiny finish has a heat tolerance of about 1100 degrees.

The Efficiency of Matchless Heating

Most antique stoves are specifically designed to burn wood slowly with only an occasional replenishment required. This mean that the stove can be loaded at night before going to be and if the vent is turned down, the room will be warm in the morning.


Besides the obvious conveniences in not having to rekindle the fire, round-the-clock burning saves wood and give a more even temperature.


The reason for the fuel saving is that when a room is warmed. the first things that are heated are the walls, floor and ceiling. If you rekindle your fire everyday, you must wait until these are heated before the air tin the room becomes warm. Also, it is tempting to cause the stove to burn the stove very hot. When you do this, you are burning up more fuel. The extra fuel you use in this way is often equal to the amount you save during the night by letting the fire go out.


If you let the fire go round-the-clock, you retain the heat in the walls and floor and cause the heat distribution around the room to be more even and complete.