ID my Villager, please.

Leon_W

I'm working on fitting the flue at the moment for the Nestor Martin above which involved a partial dismantle so thought these pics might be of interest to Stove Nerds !   The firebox looks like a part you'd find in a jet engine When I first looked at it I thought the chamber on the back of the firebox was some sort of water back boiler but it isn't.  It's just a chamber to extract the most heat from exhaust gasses and does this via ports at the bottom and top of the firebox.  How well this thing will work in practice I've no idea !!

Looking down from the top. Hot plate removed,  and a couple of side shots.

Bendy_House

That is strange, indeed.

Does the flue from the firebox enter that rear chamber at a low position - am I seeing that right?! If so, what's happening inside the main fire chamber - it surely cannot be drawing the flue exhaust out of there at that low point, so is there an upper flue outlet inside that main chamber which then travels back down a hollow skin and into that separate rear chamber - then back up and out?! What's going on?!

Looks like they're trying to extract as much heat from the flue exhaust as possible - a bit like a condensing boiler!

With that thing running, there must be an astonishing column of air shooting up out the very top...

Damn - you have made me a stove nerd.

I've decided the Villager is too big for its location (and it certainly wouldn't conform regs-wise), so I'm picking up a much smaller multi-fuel stove this afternoon that will also need a bit of titivating, but should do the job better. I'm enjoying the Villager, tho' - I just fill it with scrap - mostly soft - wood I've stored up nice and dry in the garage, set it off early evening at a fast lick, and by the time it's all burnt away - well under an hour - the stove is throwing out a lovely amount of heat, and then continues to do so for a few hours as it cools down again. Like a high-powered storage heater.

Apodemus

Leon, I wonder if the low ports are to aid lighting and warm-up, minimising the barriers to draw before the stove has warmed up?

Your jet-engine pipe made me think that you could easily convert it to a rocket stove, but on further thought, I guess (with the flue so low on the back, and the pipe extending further up) it may already be operating like that.

Leon_W

Yes Bendy. Your just about right.

There are two low ports in the firebox which enter the bottom of the "chamber".  I'm not quite sure what to call it but it looks like the firebox is wearing a haversack !   Then, there are two high ports in the firebox which enter the top of the haversack with the flue to the rear about equidistant between both. It is obviously some sort of heat scavenging device which came apart in many cast pieces that didn't fit particularly well together when rebuilding ! I have had to use plenty of firerope and cement between the joints.

In the top picture, the top of the stove has been removed which has a hotplate for a kettle or such like and in earlier pictures you can see this can be covered by an ornate cast enamel cover when not in use.

I've now had all the black twinwall flue delivered (expensive !) so will start knocking a hole through the wall next week.

I'll add a few pics here when I'm a bit further along.

By the way Bendy, your fire surround looks fantastic. Is it sandstone ?

QrizB

Bendy_House said:

I've decided the Villager is too big for its location (and it certainly wouldn't conform regs-wise), so I'm picking up a much smaller multi-fuel stove this afternoon that will also need a bit of titivating, but should do the job better.

Isn't this your third stove in the past six weeks or so? You seem to be collecting stoves!

Bendy_House

Leon_W said:

Yes Bendy. Your just about right.

There are two low ports in the firebox which enter the bottom of the "chamber".  I'm not quite sure what to call it but it looks like the firebox is wearing a haversack !   Then, there are two high ports in the firebox which enter the top of the haversack with the flue to the rear about equidistant between both. It is obviously some sort of heat scavenging device which came apart in many cast pieces that didn't fit particularly well together when rebuilding ! I have had to use plenty of firerope and cement between the joints.

In the top picture, the top of the stove has been removed which has a hotplate for a kettle or such like and in earlier pictures you can see this can be covered by an ornate cast enamel cover when not in use.

I've now had all the black twinwall flue delivered (expensive !) so will start knocking a hole through the wall next week.

I'll add a few pics here when I'm a bit further along.

By the way Bendy, your fire surround looks fantastic. Is it sandstone ?

How can these low ports work? Drawing flame and exhaust from down at fuel level - if that's what happens?

You can get parts for it - phew. It's not as old as it looks? Have you looked for a 'how it works' diagram on line? Anyhoo, it's a beaut. Where's it going?

Yes, a quite large Minster fireplace - a weird anomaly in a traditional 1930's bungalow. There were three bungies built at around the same time; our 3-bed, a 2 and a one. The '2' had an identical 'place. Not sure if the 'one' has/had as that was bought and demolished to make room for a completely new house a few years back.

Bendy_House

QrizB said:

Bendy_House said:

I've decided the Villager is too big for its location (and it certainly wouldn't conform regs-wise), so I'm picking up a much smaller multi-fuel stove this afternoon that will also need a bit of titivating, but should do the job better.

Isn't this your third stove in the past six weeks or so? You seem to be collecting stoves!

Tee-hee! Yup! Can't resist a bargain :-(

I should be able to sell the Villager quite easily, and will likely get enough for it to have 'bought' all three stoves. 

Picked up the new one this afa' - it's a typical boxy ~5kW multifuel stove, (a Sirius Classic 405), again a rust-bucket, but solid ("What the hell?!" commented wife at the pile of rusty pieces in the back of the car). Probably paid too much for it since they aren't exactly expensive new, but all the bits are there, and it should work like new. I LOVE the transformation when it's all wire-brushed down and painted. It should look less silly in the fireplace, and be powerful enough.

 

Bendy_House

Leon, how come I can't find any reference to the 'Corso 5' on the interweb?

1_eyed_jim

Bendy_House said:

Leon_W said:

Yes, I think it's the smaller Flatmate. We have the "A" Flatmate which is larger and measures about 730mm width across the top plate.  We've had it about 20 years and the glass is retained by nuts rather than clips so suggest your's is older than that.  It's a fairly good stove, but built to a price in the day !  If i'm honest, I made the mistake of oversizing it for the room that it's in, although large, this thing going at full chat is still too much.  In order to address this I've padded out the firebox with extra bricks to leave a smaller area for the fire itself. I can now set smaller, hotter fires which it seems fine with.  Villager are now Arada stoves but still made in Devon and spares should be readily available. Best of luck with the restoration.

Very similar - tho' thankfully smaller :-).

Yes, I imagine it's old - can't find these clip-types anywhere, but not a prob as I've redone them in SS, anchored via a wee hole at the far end. Nuts all SS too. First fire was last night - worked beautifully.

Hello there.  I have recently bought a house and it has a villager flat mate stove in.  I'm replacing the main grill, 2 bricks, full respray but it also needs it ropes changing.  Do you know what rope size it needs?  My best guess is 12mm??  Also, is it suppose to have rope on the middle where the 2 doors meet?  Would it be possible for you to post a picture of the inside of both doors so I can see the rope?  Lastly, my villager has a boiler inside that we don't plan to use just now but maybe in the future but is it supposed to have a baffle plate as well if it has the boiler insert??  Thanks

Leon_W

Hi Jim

I can answer a few of your questions I think.  I've just looked at my Flatmate and I think you're right about the rope size, it looks about 12mm.  They sell a kit on ebay  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281858438735?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=EL6YYmJ5SiW&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=6xDTQee2SMS&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY   Although you'll probably find it cheaper loose somewhere.

There isn't a rope between the doors, it just runs around 3/4 of each door.

I've never had much luck with the rope adhesives either.  I always use a builders type clear silicon in a gun to stick rope on, it lasts much longer, sticks better, and doesn't burn like you think it would do !

Bendy. I'm nearly there with the Nestor Martin so i'll post a few picks in a couple of weeks.  I've found a date on the casting so can acurately date it to 1932 !