The Stove

Discussion in 'Wooden Boat Building and Restoration' started by steveroo, Aug 29, 2009.

  1. steveroo
    Joined: Dec 2008
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    Location: Portland,Oregon

    steveroo Junior Member

    I got this beautiful old 1955 Monk a 36 footer, and the stove on board has been there since Neptune knows when. The remnant bit of instructions on it say to turn a valve on below decks to open a diesel line, and then to flip a toggle to allow 5-6 gallons to flow to the stove reservoir. Well that's all i know about it. I've never fired it up, and I'm rather anxiuos to give it a try. The controls say "Singer" but other than that I have ZERO information. I am enclosing a few pix in case someone has actually operated this kind of unit previously, and in the hopes that it can be identified as to make.I have tried to find out more info online, but it's terribly tedious, and I was hoping one of the old salts might recognize this little beauty. Any help would be totally appreciated. There is also an external filler aperture for this unit, but I have yet to uncork it and check for fuel assuming that once I open the fuel valve and toggle the pump, the diesel will actually go to the unit. Any Ideas???
     

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  2. mark775

    mark775 Guest

    It has been a long time but I think it is a Dickinson, probably the "Pacific" model. Is the top 22" across? Anyway, just get ahold of them in BC:

    Tel: 1-800-659-9768 (toll free)
    Email: info@dickinsonmarine.com
    Tech Support: tech@dickinsonmarine.com

    You need to have good ventilation, a secure exhaust, get all old soot/corrosion out, and 5 or six gallons seems like a lot of fuel. Start at the source (the fuel) and make sure it is reasonably clean, runs through a filter, and is completely dry. Make sure that the stove pipe is completely obstruction-free and stout and the fan is working, if one. The burn chamber is that thing on top and remember that if things go haywire, simply close the lid and shut off the fuel. Consider taking that stovetop outside and sanding it to get it back, then see a restaurant supply for a griddle cleaner and always make your polishing marks (every day of use a few strokes) run the same direction to look nice. Slap those who would pour coffee over the now gleeming, toasty, cozy stove.
     
  3. Tad
    Joined: Mar 2002
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    Location: Flattop Islands

    Tad Boat Designer

    Steve,

    It's a typical West Coast boat stove, built by many small firms along the coast, Washington Stove Works, Olympic Stoves, etc, Dickinson is almost the only one left now http://www.dickinsonmarine.com/ You can find user manuals on their website. But you have the old style carburetor and all Dickenson's now use a newer one.

    The stove burns diesel oil, and they were built in the days when consumption was not a concern. They were often left on (low setting) year round. The problem with starting and stopping these is that they take forever to get hot from stone cold. You need to think well ahead (like hours) if you want to cook something. Forget flashing her up to boil a kettle....it ain't happening. Usually folks also carried a colman white gas pressure stove for those situations in summer.

    Usually these stoves were fed oil from a small gravity tank on the roof. This tank was often filled via a hand pump from the main tanks, or with the overflow (return line) from the main engine. Sometimes there was no day gravity tank and they use a tiny 12V impulse fuel pump plumbed directly from the main fuel tank to the carburetor.

    There's probably (should be) a fuel line shutoff valve somewhere between the tank and the carb. Turn that on. Then you need three things, a flashlight, a bit of toilet paper, and a match. Turn that carb control all the way to start, lift the lid and look in the burner with the flashlight to see if it gets wet in the bottom. When it's wet, light your paper and drop it in the bottom of the burner. Once the oil catches, close the lid and turn on the blower (push-pull switch under the carb). There's a oven damper knob over the oven door on the front of this stove. Pull that out before lighting, push it in once she's going which will circulate heat around the oven.

    Keep an eye on it, don't let the top get red hot or she'll warp. Turn it down as she warms up, you'll get the hang of it quickly. Never trust this stove, a bit of dirt can jamb the carb float and flood the stove. This usually results in the boat burning up, it used to happen all the time.
     
  4. mark775

    mark775 Guest

    I don't like the gravity feed for the reason stated (fire). Don't trust any fire on your boat but don't be afraid of this thing - it will keep you warm if you take care of it. I feel a need to emphasize the "cleaning/checking" and that you don't just fire it up if fuel gets there.
     
  5. thudpucker
    Joined: Jul 2007
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    Location: Al.

    thudpucker Senior Member

    It now only keeps you warm, but there is no heat like that Diesel stove for drying out a cold wet cremember.
    As mentioned it ran continous in the winter and chilly months and Rainy seasons.
    You had to let some oil get into the Chamber, then drop a flaming news paper or such down on the oil. Some guys put the wadded up paper in and let it soak, but that always caused a bunch of black smoke.

    I believe it helped to keep the moisture out of the boat too.
     
  6. Tad
    Joined: Mar 2002
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    Location: Flattop Islands

    Tad Boat Designer

    Good advice.....
     
  7. steveroo
    Joined: Dec 2008
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    Location: Portland,Oregon

    steveroo Junior Member

    The Stove (con't)

    Thank you gents for your words of wisdom. I DO utilize a little 2 burner propane Coleman for coffee and quick meals.The pipe and it's connections are all good. and TRUST Me, it will look as near new as possible, and probably more thoroughly cleaned than she has ever been long before I put a flame to her. I had also heard that these stoves were in high regard when kept properly maintained, and that indeed, many were left on continuously to have a warm spot, to keep the humidity down, and to be ready at a moments notice to heat up some chowder for the crew.Much obliged for the starting info, and again be reassured that I will take every precaution including a handy extinguisher on initial fire up. The stove is flashed below, on both sides, and up the cabin wall as well, so someone was thinking right when it was originally installed. When all is right with this valuable piece of equipment I'll post pix and the procedures I used to get it running, for archive's sake if nothing else. On to my next post ...about paint
     
  8. thudpucker
    Joined: Jul 2007
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    Location: Al.

    thudpucker Senior Member

    You'll make little Copper wire 'hooks' to hold the Coffee pot and some other stuff in place if you are heating near a wake zone or out on the river somewhere.
     

  9. Sapphiresea
    Joined: Apr 2023
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    Location: British Columbia, Canada

    Sapphiresea New Member

    Curious to see if you ever fired up the stove?

    We have one on our commercial fishing boat and we use an Olympic stove as a heat source for cooking, drying out clothes/gloves, and pre warming water for when we need to boil water (we also use a butane stove for quick boiling and making meals, which are always time sensitive when working.)
    We have our stove fed from a gravity tank on the roof. If this is something you want to do, I’d recommend adding a pump from the bottom of the fuel tank that pumps the diesel to the top, this way if there are any leaks posterior to the fuel tank, it won’t drain out your entire holding tank and potentially cause a fire.
    A fuel filter between your holding tank and the stove can come in handy for clearing the stove of debris.
    For stove maintenance, cleaning your stove pipe is recommended every spring before you start your stove to prevent a chimney fire.
    If your stovetop cracks or warps, we use JB weld to repair them, or a TIG weld every 10 years or so.
    For starting the stove it’s pretty standard, but there are some things to watch for.
    If the stove goes out for whatever reason, don’t just add a match and keep it going. You have to shut off the fuel valve, and burn off the excess fuel. Then restart the stove as you normally would. If you don’t do this there will be too much fuel in the reservoir which won’t burn off, and it will cause the stove to bellow smoke and potentially be a fire hazard.
    If it’s not getting up to a hot enough temp, there is a dampener (mine is on top, backside of the stove), left will close it, right opens it. Pull it to the left and allow the stove compartment to heat up for boiling water, cooking on top, and general heating.
    To use the oven compartment, pull it to the right to allow heat to flow into the oven. This will be better for oven cooking, but not stovetop. Once you get used to the different dampener temps you will be able to time your cooking much better for different meals, (from cooking wings to bread and pastries.)
    You can make fasteners for kettles, pots and pans by taking a piece of steel and cutting two (V) shapes on the bottom (1-2 inches apart.). If you attach a metal rod to it (4-8 inches) and bend a 90°arm that faces towards the stove surface, you can easily stabilize cookware on the stove guards without having to use chicken wire or waxed nylon. A small fan will help circulate air, but make sure there’s no power fluctuating through the wiring, or the fan will eventually be intermittent.
    Hope this could be of use to somebody :)

    Also, we use black Tremclad for the stovetop. They make a heat resistant one for stovetops. (We also use Tremclad for painting other parts of the boat)
     
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