New Design Preview: Modified Designs

We are still working on our designs and changes to our beta designs. Thanks to everyone who responded to our Design Preview and Survey!

We had almost 600 surveys and over 1700 comments so far on our beta designs. The Tall Shaker design has elicited the most number of comments and questions. Based on those comments, we have new previews of a few potential design changes. The stoves have been digitally placed in a home setting to help give a better visual perspective.

Changing the art on your Ideal Steel Hybrid

Changing the art designs on your Ideal Steel Hybrid is quick and easy. If you would like to change the theme on your stove at any time, the video below will show you how simple the process is.

Keep in mind, if you order new designs you can also get them in different colors to give a different look.

New Hybrid Dimensions and Specifications

These are projected dimensions and specifications for our new steel hybrid.  They won’t change much, but as noted below don’t build a hearth or install a chimney thimble based on these specifications.  EPA testing is scheduled to begin in 3 weeks, with UL testing (clearances) following immediately thereafter.

"V-Dubbing" Proposed Test Protocols

The video below shows the “endpoint” of a high burn, according to a new draft protocol industry has suggested for cordwood testing.  This “endpoint” would also be the “start-point” for medium and low burn cordwood tests.

Cordwood High Burn Test Data

Below is data from 2 Cordwood High Burns (which followed the Cordwood Cold Starts on 11/24 and 11/27 – see previous posts).  These are R & D Tests.

Each load was about 25 lbs. (in a 2.5 cu. ft. firebox).  The fuel was all Hard Maple with average moisture content of 22%.

Answers to questions about cold starts

Here are answers to a few of the questions asked about our cold start post:

1. Are you using special kindling or fire-starter?

No, we generally use the same hemlock 1x4s that we use to crate stoves.  We get the same results if we split test wood (+ 22% moisture maple) into kindling and shavings, but the 1x4s are easier and faster.  The keys are surface area, and some elevation (i.e closer to the fireback is better).

Cordwood Cold Start Test Data

We have shared “beta” aesthetic designs for our new hybrid, and we also plan to share “beta” test results for those who are interested.  This is the first of what will be several posts about beta emissions/efficiency testing for our new (and still nameless) Model 211 Hybrid, which is scheduled for EPA emissions testing in January, 2016.

New Stove Design Preview

Form & Function! As a wood stove manufacturer it has always been important for us to produce stoves that will perform year after year to keep you warm, as well as compliment the home. The wood stove is often a central fixture and the majority of our customers want a design that will look good all year round. As part of our Beta testing process for our R2Z Stove, we are presenting a few designs with varying styles. Our goal is to offer a stove that is versatile; tall or short legs, ash pan or no ash pan, right or left loading door option, as well as top or back venting. Going one step further we would like to offer a basic version without the Franklin style wings for those who prefer a clean look, as well as several embellished options. 

Click here to look through our current designs, then we welcome you to fill out our design survey and let us know what you like and don't like about our proposed designs...and if you have other design suggestions, don't be shy, let us know!

New Stove Design Preview

2015 Owners Open House

Thank you to all of our stove owners, over 500 of you, who attended our 11/7/15 Owners Open House. We served over 450 lunches, had John & Ida Mae Specker performing live music, and had an all around wonderful time connecting with stove owners. We certainly hope everyone that joined us had a great time! Below is a sampling of images from the Open House.

We’re making our own furnace cement!

We recently started making our own furnace cement.  It has been interesting learning to mix a highly viscous material (almost 500,000 centipoise; water is 1 cps) and then fill caulking tubes, but Yankee Ingenuity has prevailed.  Our unique ingredients are soapstone powder, and very small strands of chopped fiberglass.