Spontaneous Ignition - 1978 Vermont Castings Cast Iron Wood Stove
Vložit
- čas přidán 29. 08. 2024
- Our indoor wood stove is an old friend that keeps us warm, and we have recently begun exploring cooking food with it. The 1978 Vermont Castings Vigilant Parlor Stove has an amazing amount of draft because of the 2 story chimney that comes up through the center of the house. It stays warm even when not in use and actually has a 'rocket stove' effect when you leave a narrow opening like the door open a crack.
If there are a few embers left, the kindling will sometimes catch on fire by itself because the air rushing by.
A couple of tips mentioned in the video:
If you gather and save sticks and twigs out of your yard all summer, you will have free kindling all winter.
Welding gloves are the best thing when working with a wood stove. They keep a lot of the heat off and have high cuffs to protect your lower arms.
Had he same stove, wonderful piece of equipment. Even put in the coal kit, incredible even heat! Would not hesitate to buy another Vermont Castings Vigilant (old style)!
This stove has been an old, reliable friend. Loving this stove! Thanks for the comment!
Gonna try this
Nice stove. Heats well.
Yes, it does. We have to wait until the outdoor temp drops to 20 degrees F in order to make sure it doesn't run us out of the house!
That’s me. Curious. Do you have short legs on the stove or is it sitting on something else. I have 1977 model Vigilant. Minuscule differences if at all. I Iike it a lot. Good idea taking in outside air into stove, but you bypassed an very convenient accessory, the thermostatically controlled air feed. With that and the baffle vent, utilizing the channel in the rear of the firebox allows for burning off the gasses, extracting more heat from smoke molecules. To each his own. Relaxing video. As a matter of fact, I’m about to light ours for the night. Thx
To fit in the fireplace, I had to take the legs off, I placed it on 3 inch black gas pipe plugs. They've worked great for years. Thanks so much for the comment and advice!
I leave my hot coals in the stove, I push them aside and remove only the ash.
Nice stove there.
Thanks so much. We really love this old stove. A reliable old friend.
@@firedcastiron Most Welcome.
Just bought an old vigilant.
Excellent stove! Puts out a lot of heat. The 10 inch Lodge Dutch oven or deep skillet fit perfectly inside!
Clarify the spontaneous ignition hazard. Was it something you did to the wood or is it something chronic about the stove? I've had a wood stove for many years and never encountered any issues but maybe I've been lucky.
Actually, there is no undue hazard. During the course of the video it is shown that I shovel out the ash from the previous burn, leaving a lot of coals in bottom. This allows the small twigs I put in first to catch on fire without a match. This stove has lot of draft and that is key to fanning the coals to make this happen. Watching the full video shows this is good thing, not an assumed hazard.
Works very well, but you threw out lots of good hot glowing coals that were still burning.
Yeah, that was intentional. Since it starts so easily, making room for new wood and coals means I won't have to shovel again until the next morning. The cast iron retains good heat so the new fire takes up where the old coals left off. Thanks for the comment!
Yes, seems pointless to throw out all those good coals...
...and then start will cotton balls. Makes no sense
@@johnbullard902 One use for the old coals is in the garden as biochar. They add more value as char than the ash. It all depends I suppose on how much kindling or time you have. I personally like to get every bit of the wood out and I have an ash pan so it is powder when I dump it.
why not make a full length no talking no music doors open burn video?
Mainly because every time I make a video of that type, fires burning, rivers flowing to music, etc, hardly anyone is interested in watching it. Sorry about that.
I just pulled a mid 80s VC stove out of my house - installed a Morso Squirrel stove! - and now what do I do with that old stove - I sad maybe I can use ion my patio for patio cooking and so i looked for a channel like yours!
Yes, we have an outdoor stove of a different type that we love to cook on. It would also be good in a building or cabin on your property somewhere.
ya i got same model = Vigilant!!!
What size area is the stove heating?
This old stove is rated at 50,000 BTU. Because of the configuration of the house, it is in a huge room with a balcony above it with 2 bedroom doors up there, it can heat our 1900 square ft house until it gets close to single digits Fahrenheit. A house with hallways wouldn't work so well.
@@firedcastiron Im waiting to close on a 1200sqft place and was told to find an old vigilant and have it restored. Looked at the new VC Stoves and was not impressed at all.
@@andrewseamans1419 The original company sold out years ago, and the new company simply didn't maintain the quality. Sad, but if you can get an old one, excellent!
Iam looking for ovale to rond tube . 6po rond...
Hello! I found what I needed at my local hardware store, or there are wood stove specialty stores around here that can give you everything you need. Also, online I suppose would have a large variety of parts. Thanks for commenting! Be warm!
I have the same one. Would you be able to tell me what in the world the handle on the left (if you are facing the stove) is and the small door or vent on the back, bottom left and right are for. Are they suppose to be open or closed?
The handle on the left is for downdraft mode. On the lower right corner of the firebox, there is a hole in the back. Start the fire with the handle up. This allows smoke to go up the chimney normally. When it gets going well. Put more wood in it, close the doors, and pull the handle down. The suction sound is normal. The burn is much more efficient as it goes in a serpentine path up the back of the stove. Make sure to operate the handle again when you open the front doors to add more wood or smoke comes out. Up for doors open, put in wood, close doors and pull the handle for more efficient operation.
@@firedcastiron I guess I should have mine looked at. If I put the handle down my fire starts to cool rapidly.
@@dannycoxwest Some of the old stoves were stored in barns for a while before being put back into use. It's possible the serpentine channel in the back of the stove is blocked. Then there would be no air flow, and the stove would simply stop burning, Maybe smoke a bit...
I’ve got the same exact stove. Do you ever adjust the vent on the back or close the damper?
For the handle on the left side, look at the other comment. The vent on the back is supposed to adjust itself as the stove gets hotter and cooler. On the left side bottom, in the back there is a small slide that can be adjusted to bring more or less air the the front of the firebox.
The one on the back is supposed to adjust itself as the stove heats and cools. On the lower left side in the back is a slide that allows more or less air into the front of the firebox.
I just picked up a used vigilant. There’s no firebrick or grate in it. I purchased a fireplace grate bit I assume there are supposed to be firebricks inside. Anyone have any good resources for the stove? Not much out there on it that I can find
I have burned my 1978 model for years without a separate grate and no fire brick. I did initial research then and discovered the stove isn't supposed to have either one. A coal version was made with a shaker grate, but not for wood versions.
Ok. So you just burn right on the bottom of the stove and no cracking or anything? There’s nothing in my stove, just the bottom and that seems so strange to me!
Ok. So you just burn right on the bottom of the stove and no cracking or anything? There’s nothing in my stove, just the bottom and that seems so strange to me!
@@kevinshedlarski5177 There's a built-in grate at the bottom, kind of like a cast iron grill pan, and you just build on that. I have been doing this for years. Leave a small layer of ash in the bottom, and that will give adequate protection. No fire brick are needed, as a matter of fact, without filling it up with brick, you can burn a 21 inch log in there.
Why do you take out the burning coal?
If I take out some of the coals, I only have to shovel out ash once a day. It's an older stove, and this method works for me. I leave plenty to start the fire for the new day. Thanks for the comment!
Why do you need to throw so much hot ashes ???????? !!!!!!! What a waste ! Then you throw cotton balls......A nonsense .
ridiculous video - no knowledge of fire.