Well, it's in and it works, so we're happy. We're also quite tired. When the fellows got finished with the installation (it only took 2 and 1/2 hours from the time they drove up to the time they drove away), we had quite the mess on our hands. The photo above will remind you of what the empty fireplace looked like.The photo below was taken during the festivities. When they finally broke through the old damper, approximately 50 gallons of ash and soot fell into the room and pretty much covered everything. They carted it out, bucketfuls at a time. Nasty stuff, that.
I hustled my hind-end, trying to get things at least serviceable before my beloved arrived home. Once MeeMaw got home, we ate a quick bite and set about cleaning the ash and soot from everything. We did a good enough job to get by for the evening, but we'll have to re-clean the floors, etc. tomorrow. After we got everything put away, I took my Woodsman's Pal (my best friend Doug got it for me for my birthday) outside and cut some of the firewood into kindling. Then I came in and we built a fire.
The process is a slow one; we have to season the stove just as one does a cast-iron skillet. Build one small kindling fire, no hotter than 400F, then let it cool to room temp. Build a slightly larger fire, no hotter than 500F, then let it cool to room temp. Build a small fire with a log or two and let it get up to about 600F, then let it cool to room temp. Finally, build a regular fire and adjust the damper so that it burns really slow at about 600-650, then let it come to room temp. The stove is then seasoned. If one rushes this process, one can cause the brittle cast iron to snap like a cookie. This would not be a desirable outcome.I ran outside before dark fell and got a shot of smoke coming out of the chimbly (as the folks in Scott County say). A first for Possum Cough!
MeeMaw is enjoying the warmth. This little stove is very attractive and puts out a good amount of heat on just a small kindling fire. We're very pleased.
The two fellows who installed the stove were filthy by the time they left. Their faces were covered in soot. I told them they looked like minstrels. They gave me a funny look for some reason.
It's time for me to take a shower, too. I got quite a bit of soot on me in the cleanup phase.
Rest well, loved ones.~ PeePaw
