# Fisher Stove door gasket?



## ASETECH (Oct 5, 2008)

I have an old fisher stove with double doors on the front. Are these stoves supposed to have a gasket in the groove behind the doors or just a tight metal seal? Sorry for the dumb question I have heard conflicting reports.


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## danrclem (Oct 5, 2008)

I bought my Fisher Stove new many moons ago and it never did have a door seal on it. I can choke mine way down with the dampers so I guess it's pretty tight.


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## AOD (Oct 5, 2008)

I think some of those older stoves are meant for the incoming draft to pull air in through the doors, which creates negative pressure or suction inside the firebox, which sucks the doors tight against the stove front. I have opened my friends Silver Star stove and noticed the door needed more force to open when a hot fire was burning than when the stove was cold.


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## excess650 (Oct 5, 2008)

We have a pretty large, double door Fisher at our hunting camp. We bought the stove used, but excellent, and there was no gasket. A few years later my brother fit (asbestos rope?) gaskets, and its now much easier to regulate the draft. Its a great stove!

We had a stainless tank made, and it fits on on the rear of the stove. The top is open, and it has a valve at the bottom. This is our sorce of hot water, and it protects the wall from radiant heat.

...yeah, its a pretty modest place, but we do have cold running water and electricity.


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## Wood Doctor (Oct 5, 2008)

ASETECH said:


> I have an old fisher stove with double doors on the front. Are these stoves supposed to have a gasket in the groove behind the doors or just a tight metal seal? Sorry for the dumb question I have heard conflicting reports.


If you can seal it with a Ruttland gasket kit that only costs about $5 to $7 around here at a home improvement center, I would do it. That's what I do every other year with my Federal Airtight stove that has double doors on the front. opcorn:


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## Old Goat (Oct 6, 2008)

We heat our home with a Momma Bear fisher stove. I have bought and sold many fisher stoves over the years from the Grandpa Bear down to the Baby Bear, in fact I just sold a Baby Bear stove two weeks ago. None of the fisher stoves have had gaskets. I guess you could install one, but they didn't come that way. I have been able to shut the stove down air tight without a gasket. Fishers are great stoves, I have never seen one warped or with broken welds as a result of over heating it.


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## Wood Doctor (Oct 6, 2008)

excess650 said:


> We have a pretty large, double door Fisher at our hunting camp. We bought the stove used, but excellent, and there was no gasket. A few years later my brother fit (asbestos rope?) gaskets, and its now much easier to regulate the draft. Its a great stove!
> 
> We had a stainless tank made, and it fits on on the rear of the stove. The top is open, and it has a valve at the bottom. This is our sorce of hot water, and it protects the wall from radiant heat.
> 
> ...yeah, its a pretty modest place, but we do have cold running water and electricity.


:yourock: Take a shot at those gasket kits. I remove the doors (they lift off) apply the cement, apply the rope and cut it to length, one for each door, pressing it into place. Then when you close the doors tight and let them sit that way for awhile, the rope molds itself the surface and sets the seal.

Sometimes this will last three years for me, and I think it's worth it. Your air controls suddenly take on a whole new meaning.


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## ASETECH (Oct 6, 2008)

*Gasket material*

When I bought the stove 6 years ago I put a seal in it. IT WORKED WELL. ONCE i replaced that one I have never gotten another one to fit right since. The one I took out from last year the doors would not close all the way allowing an air leak. If I can't find a thin seal I' run without one and see how I get along.

Greg


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## johncinco (Oct 6, 2008)

They did not come with one. They seal up pretty tight without one. I put one on mine and made it seal very tight. Too tight, once it got hot I had a heckuva time getting the door to release so I could open the stove back up. You have to use a thin layer tape, not the rope type. To close and latch properly it can't be too thick. If you put crayon on the door, close it up tight, and then open it back up, You can see the door touches the stove itself. The fit together very well.


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## lazermule (Oct 27, 2008)

I have a Fisher insert at my cabin that is about 25 years old. This one has and has had the gaskets on the doors since new. 

This has been a great stove, heating the northern WI cabin in some extreme cold weather. Over the past few years though, even choked down all the way, damper and air feeds closed, it will not hold a fire all night even loaded with a bunch of oak. In the past it would hold a fire all night, but not anymore. I'm talking like load it at 10pm and it is out before 6am.

When it is dampered down and the air bleeds are shut, it seemingly reacts as the flames shrink and it doesn't appear to be getting any air anywhere else.


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## ASETECH (Oct 27, 2008)

*1 week with no gaskets*

I have been burning for about a week now. no gaskets. I don't have as good of control as I used to. I think I will be getting some thin gaskets for the stove soon. Mine will hold a fire all night. I hate it when the wind changes significantly overnight, such is the wood burning life. I could turn the furnace on.


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## Zodiac45 (Oct 27, 2008)

Most hardware stores (at least around here) have a stove section and sell gasket material by the foot in rope or flat form on rolls. Easy enough too fab one up if need be.


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## Len Sholder (Feb 6, 2009)

*Fisher Stove*

I have a two door Fisher stove. Bought it new in the early 70's. It did not have a door gasket and I never installed one. 

One question. I need to replace the door draft controls. One has the threads stripped and I cannot adjust it. I did get it closed (almost) and sealed it temporarily with high temp. cement. Can anyone direct me as to how I can get a replacement spinner and the mounting bolt, I don't know which is bad. I suspect the spinner since it appears to be cast aluminum. I would be interested in new or used. e-mail me direct ([email protected]) or on this site

Thanx in advance.
Len Sholder


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## Len Sholder (Feb 6, 2009)

*Fisher Stove Catalytic Combuster (Converter)*

Can anyone tell me if a Fisher Papa 
Bear can be retrofitted with a catalytic combuster. Mine did not have one when new and a dealer who advertises a combuster for Fisher's said if it didn't come with a combuster one cannot be installed.

Any help ?

Thanx,
LenS.


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## fishercat (Feb 7, 2009)

*why in the hell would you want that in there?*



Len Sholder said:


> Can anyone tell me if a Fisher Papa
> Bear can be retrofitted with a catalytic combuster. Mine did not have one when new and a dealer who advertises a combuster for Fisher's said if it didn't come with a combuster one cannot be installed.
> 
> Any help ?
> ...



you couldn't pay me to ruin my fisher with that EPA crap


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## Old Goat (Feb 7, 2009)

Len Sholder said:


> Can anyone tell me if a Fisher Papa
> Bear can be retrofitted with a catalytic combuster. Mine did not have one when new and a dealer who advertises a combuster for Fisher's said if it didn't come with a combuster one cannot be installed.
> 
> Any help ?
> ...



I wouldn't do a thing to my Fisher. I have thought about adding secondary burn air tubes like many have done to their stoves on here lately, but it does not have glass doors so I would always be wondering if it was working, sorta like "does the light in the refrigerator actually go out when you shut the door?". I guess if you are required to have a catalytic stove for local laws or code I could see needing one, but I wouldn't do it otherwise. I can get a smokeless fire going in our Fisher with dry wood and the right air mix.


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## danrclem (Feb 7, 2009)

I'm not going to change my old Fisher either. It puts out a boatload of heat. I'd almost bet that while putting out the same amount of heat as the newer stoves that it doesn't use a lot more wood. I'm sure that I'll get some disagreements on that statement but my answer to them would be prove it.

I bought my old Fisher in the late 70's or early 80's and I haven't even painted it.


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## arborealbuffoon (Feb 8, 2009)

A long term neighbor of mine had me come help him install a mama bear in his place.

It never had gaskets, weighed about 18 tons, and burned exceptionally well with usable air controls. Big. Simple. Effective. And it was free to whoever could figure out how to move it......


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