Federal Airtight 264CCL Questions
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Looks good, I have to wonder when they started making these stoves in Taiwan. Must have been about the time I bought my 288 -- 1986 or 87. I think you will get a dozen or more years out of this one before needing repairs. The back panel inside the firebox may be the first item you will replace. That's a piece of cake. Just measure and buy a 1/4" or 5/16" steel panel from a welding shop and drill two holes for the hanger bolts. These stoves were not designed to fall apart in the short run.
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That would be great. I just need a proper latch for the ashpan--a generic one will do albiet pia to find. I can lock it shut with the origional latch, the bolt stripped and I have a different bolt. No big deal, the backing plate looks great and I have a steel replacement center grate--box--well done. I do have a new center grate $45-50. I thought Taiwan was prior to USA. I thought mine was 86-89?. I added rope and tapped the center bolt with 4-5 threads, it ll do the job. I bought a bolt to act as thread and a nut to run up the washers to make it tight. Being that I revived the thread--thx for input--I wonder how everybody else is doing with their stoves? I guess I am going to cement the front and back ropes as they don't look high enough. I also cemented the flu. Maybe tomorrow night I ll have a if install goes ok.
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N.Y.
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Instal went well, although we didn't linsulate the chimney: 2" screws connecting to the zc fireplace, up the existing 8". I need a connecting pipe, appliance connector I guess. I lit a fire starter with the top just layed on top of it--no smoke. Amazing as the gaskets on the front and rear are slightly above the lip. So no real pressure ppl on screwing down the top, if you gasket it like I did above. Now top is much more accessible. I polished the brass, and have the optional bar on top. Finally!!!! Pretty pumped, 12 yrs would be great. I ll buy some 3m fire block foam to help seal bottom of liner, and get some concrete board painted black to place in the hole.
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Does it getting any better than this??? Just started combuster, clean air whatever $70 is over 700. Now. It was knocked in the reviews, but seems gd as it climbs.
My son was married there in 2004 at the naval base. Good view of Manhattan. He now lives in Portland, Maine.
Now, remember that you need to find dry firewood to fuel this stove. Once that flue gas reaches 600 F, that cat combuster can kick in and take it from there. I usually wait close to an hour before I close the block off damper. That usually means the bed of hot coals is established. At that point, you can throw in another log and let rip.
Cheers!
Now, remember that you need to find dry firewood to fuel this stove. Once that flue gas reaches 600 F, that cat combuster can kick in and take it from there. I usually wait close to an hour before I close the block off damper. That usually means the bed of hot coals is established. At that point, you can throw in another log and let rip.
Cheers!
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My brothers neighbor gaveme the arse of his wood pile...great stuff. I just hooked up the blower!!! Burning mostly Red Oak and Maple. I worked to back in down when it got up to 1290F. 2200 sq ft with an extra for center hall and 10' ceilings in mbr plus 2br. 71F and 26 outside: I got it going just in time
DrewUth
Jack of all trades, master of none.
Baffle I made for mine. 1/2" steel rod around the three sides to combat warping. 1/4" steel plate. Used 3/4" threaded rod couplers in the corners. Works great, a huge improvement in cat operation over the old warped and cracked unit.
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Great! You may have gotten by with fewer holes, but that's just an observation. I think that when I made mine using a plate of steel that lifted out from a fixed frame support for cleaning, that was also a plus.
I'd love to see these get red hot, but on a cold day, I know that they do. Good show.
I'd love to see these get red hot, but on a cold day, I know that they do. Good show.
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Cool engineering. I still have not screwed top down, but weight and rope keep it air. My side door bolt is bent, next yr I ll take care of it. Also need pin for ash latch. I m glad I replaced the baffle $50 saw it gor $30 elsewhere. Burning away at 1230 cat, 400 on stove
Years ago, wifey usually always wanted to screw top down. Did I say that? Gasp!
Please make sure that your stove top is tight as a drum to the sides. 1230 F cat is about right. I made it to 1320 F today without a cat (as illustrated n earlier posts) but with the draft blockoff securely in place. The cold wind was blowing out of the northwest and barometer was at 30.7. These are ideal wood stove burning conditions. My customers are not calling up and complaining about all the firewood that I delivered. Makes sense to me.
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Big test Fri. Am it ll be 5F. I wish i replaced the side door gasket: only getting 5-6 hr burn time. I believe I got 8-9 for a while, gasket sucks now.
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First fire, after using soot eater ($48) to clean chimney from my Living room with a drill. Cool brush that uses weed wacker line. My 2 cats cleaned ready to go.
Once again,. here's my flue collar plate that I used to replace the cat combuster. It works flawlessly:
But, remember that I also rebuilt the frame that it rests on:
Angle iron works along with some machining and four bolts.
But, remember that I also rebuilt the frame that it rests on:
Angle iron works along with some machining and four bolts.
DrewUth
Jack of all trades, master of none.
Mine has had an air leak for the past two seasons (this year and last) that I cannot find. I know its on the bottom somewhere as if I let it fill up with ash and just shovel out the firebox (leaving the pan and underneath area packed full) the burn times increase by 2-3 hours.
I did put a new cat in this year and WOW what a difference...I think it had the original one in it that wasn't crumbling but certainly was taking more heat to get burning that it should. This one rockets up to temperature as soon as I close the damper, I can watch the probe needle move. I come down in the morning after 9-10 hours and there is a nice bed of coals. Toss a few oak logs in with the air fairly open and the damper open as I set up the percolator in the kitchen. Return 5 mins later and close the damper as the fire is now roaring- probe reading around 250-400*. Walk back in the kitchen to check the coffee pot, walk back (around 2 minutes) and its at 1000-1100* . With the old cat, that temperature change might have taken 20mins instead of 2. Plus, it will hang up there at operating temp (1000-1300*) for twice as long at lower air inlet settings and fewer loads of wood. House is easily staying 5-8* warmer overnight than previous years.
I did put a new cat in this year and WOW what a difference...I think it had the original one in it that wasn't crumbling but certainly was taking more heat to get burning that it should. This one rockets up to temperature as soon as I close the damper, I can watch the probe needle move. I come down in the morning after 9-10 hours and there is a nice bed of coals. Toss a few oak logs in with the air fairly open and the damper open as I set up the percolator in the kitchen. Return 5 mins later and close the damper as the fire is now roaring- probe reading around 250-400*. Walk back in the kitchen to check the coffee pot, walk back (around 2 minutes) and its at 1000-1100* . With the old cat, that temperature change might have taken 20mins instead of 2. Plus, it will hang up there at operating temp (1000-1300*) for twice as long at lower air inlet settings and fewer loads of wood. House is easily staying 5-8* warmer overnight than previous years.
Bill Corey
Hand made splitter made by a guy in Templeton, MA
RE: SIMPLEST instructions I can come up with on how our family can best run our FA264:
Hello lads and lasses, thanks so much for this Forum and particularly this thread. Well, my dear old Dad and Mum purchased our 264 pre-1991. Dad left no or very cryptic instructions on how he used it. But over the years I've finally mastered it.
It's in great shape with no major cracking in the fire box, shaker grates, etc. There's a blower motor with a neat auto sensor On/Off switch that attaches to the back surface of the stove via magnet. Last year I replaced all the gaskets (except the bypass gate gasket, which from what I can feel with my fingers is entirely gone -- I'll replace it sometime when I open the stove top). It might have the original cat, which still works great!
Anyway, as other members of the family are clueless about how to run it, and seem reluctant to learn (a "handy" neighbor's verdict when Dad was gone but Mum was still alive: "Trash it!") ... and since I'm not always around ... I thought I would produce a visual guide to attach to the side of the chimney, with pertinent pages from the Manual.
I'm sharing my labeled photo here, along with the first page of the Manual with my notes. Basically I found the original Manual not completely helpful, so I gleaned info from this Forum (thanks Wood Dr!), YouTube (you're the best Spudpail), and friends (hats off to John Neilon in Gardner, MA).
Considering it's been 0-20°F for over 2 weeks now, this has been potentially life/house saving information.
Thanks all, Bill
Hello lads and lasses, thanks so much for this Forum and particularly this thread. Well, my dear old Dad and Mum purchased our 264 pre-1991. Dad left no or very cryptic instructions on how he used it. But over the years I've finally mastered it.
It's in great shape with no major cracking in the fire box, shaker grates, etc. There's a blower motor with a neat auto sensor On/Off switch that attaches to the back surface of the stove via magnet. Last year I replaced all the gaskets (except the bypass gate gasket, which from what I can feel with my fingers is entirely gone -- I'll replace it sometime when I open the stove top). It might have the original cat, which still works great!
Anyway, as other members of the family are clueless about how to run it, and seem reluctant to learn (a "handy" neighbor's verdict when Dad was gone but Mum was still alive: "Trash it!") ... and since I'm not always around ... I thought I would produce a visual guide to attach to the side of the chimney, with pertinent pages from the Manual.
I'm sharing my labeled photo here, along with the first page of the Manual with my notes. Basically I found the original Manual not completely helpful, so I gleaned info from this Forum (thanks Wood Dr!), YouTube (you're the best Spudpail), and friends (hats off to John Neilon in Gardner, MA).
Considering it's been 0-20°F for over 2 weeks now, this has been potentially life/house saving information.
Thanks all, Bill
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I have a simple rule of thumb when burning fires in my 288. Wait an hour after lighting the fire before closing the block off plate. Then throw in another log or two. Once you master that, it seems rather simple to operate this stove. With a hot bed of coals in place, it will burn about anything. Mine's still operating after 31 years, consuming an average of five cords of wood a year.
Not made anymore, and parts are getting scarce, I still intend to use it a few more years. The 288 handles a longer log than the 264, but it burns no longer duration. The ash pan and shaker grates are a terrific convenience. The complete control of the fire is matched by few stoves. I figure today I would have to spend three-to-four grand to equal it. It's a 550-lb keeper.
Not made anymore, and parts are getting scarce, I still intend to use it a few more years. The 288 handles a longer log than the 264, but it burns no longer duration. The ash pan and shaker grates are a terrific convenience. The complete control of the fire is matched by few stoves. I figure today I would have to spend three-to-four grand to equal it. It's a 550-lb keeper.
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Nice instructions. Yr 3 going fine. I put a rope gasket on the outside of the side door. A tiny bit of air gets through the glass, but is acceptable. To fix would need to drill and tap. Bought metal window holders. It will run from now till April, due to Global warming of Long Island, ny.
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