We just got one of the old Romeagle Lassies. Thankfully, I found this as it's a working stove and we plan on using it, either in a cabin or in a covered, outdoor kitchen setup. Thanks! BTW...I live in Knoxville so it was neat to see that Mealmaster in the video!
Thank you so much-I learned a lot! My hubby and I have put in an offer for our little self sustainable homestead. The house was designed by a builder that believed in off grid sustainability. The only cook source is the wood cookstove. So, in case we are blessed enough to get this small acreage and home; I need to learn as much as I can! This video and your part 1 video were is great help!
Your idea with kids is wonderful. Thank you for sharing - we're doing all we can to teach others skills like canning, dehydrating, soap making, cheese making, etc. to help them along and now if I can figure out all about my cookstove so I can do it more easily, it'll be great. Thank you!
Great video! We use a Findlay cookstove in our cabin (northern Ontario,Canada) for heat as well as cooking. The firebox liner has become badly deteriorated and I have had no luck finding a new one. Your idea of making one is fantastic! Thanks for the great idea!
Super informative! Thank you so much! I'm currently building a mobile home in a retired School bus and as a complete novice on Wood Cook Stoves I now feel really informed! Thank you for your help!
@openfireforge it's nice to see others passing on the skills that seem to be often lost. I'm new to the wood cook stove (and EXCITED);-however, I've long since been growing & "puttin' up" my own veggies, processing my own meats, etc. I've noticed many folks these days are going back to the old ways and wanting to learn, so I started offering tips on what little I know. I also cook a lot with cast iron so going to check out your videos on that- sure I'll learn something. THANKS AGAIN. God Bless!
my dad always turned his pipe up thru the ceiling and not out the wall This allowed him to install, and use a damper in that pipe.He would damper it down when the stove was hot and you could feel the stove getting hotter. The coals would glow and continue to burn, but the heat didn't escape straight up the chimney. It was held down more in the stove top. More heat from less wood Just another variation on the pipe. He grew up in logging camps in the 1920s around Asheville NC.
We need some help. We have installed our antique wood cook stove, but it keeps smoking us out. Smoke is coming out of the chimney just fine... but it's also coming out of the top of the stove pretty bad too. I have photos. Is this something you could talk with me about?
I have the exact same stove. The flu pipe goes straight out the back and through the wall and then turns 90ﾟ and goes up. So only one elbow. Some of The Times I have a hard time lighting the stove and it smokes out the whole house. of course I have to open all the windows and doors to air it out and then I lose all of the heat that I already had in the house. Could you give me any insight on the proper way to light this stove? Do you have an email address I could send pictures to?
@suprhandyman On the rear of my mealmaster there is an 8 inch opening. I had a 8 to 6 inch reducer where the pipe connected to the stove. I changed it to 8 inch pipe and that helped. Also powder dry kindling to start your fire will help to reduce smoke. Hopefully this helps.
Dear Mr. Lester; Thank you sir so, very much for this two parts on the Mealmaster. It was so educational to me. My Grandma who was my adopted mother together with her daughter who I also consider my second mom, used to tell me stories about the time she used a wood burning stove. I love those stories. I hope to one day live off the grid as they say. I hope to be able to own one of this fine jewel of a stove. God Bless you.
A water tank is very handy. Some types are removable, if that is the case i recommend doing so. That will give you a chance to clean and inspect it for leaks. Having hot water to do dishes or even bathing back in the day was a great comfort. If it turns out the water tank is not removable then only add a small amount of water at a time to check for leaks. If the water tank is bad it is possible a sheet metal shop can make a new one.
I have the exact same stove as you. It was my aunt Lola"s.My firebox is likewise deteriorated. I appreciate the information on how you patched yours up.Both sides of my box, the concrete substance is competely gone,and both ends of the box it is filled with cracks.I guess I will replace it all. I have a friend who is a boiler maker. I noticed that you took out the old cross member that was at the top of the firebox on the right.Mine is bowed really bad too.. It looks like your stove is doing quite well without it.I've welded all of the breaks in the firebox lid of mine, 'with nickel"and am about to install it on my back screen porch. I havn't been able to find a temperature gauge for it. The one on the door is missing the needle.I guess I'll look for one to go inside, like yours. It looks as though you have taken out you grate? I've seen several places to purchase them on line.I just Googled Mealmaster Parts.Thanks for taking time to make this video. It was really timely, and much appreciated,Larry P.
@suprhandyman I will admit out of the 3 stoves i have the meal master smokes more than the others until the draft takes effect. It has to do with the outlet gate being horizontal where the others are more vertical. The vertical smoke gates seem to draw better when the fire is still in the green stage (more smoke than heat).
This is an excellent video. Thank you so much for sharing this information. I am building an out door kitchen where I have limited access to fuel and gas. Therefore all cooking has to be done using wood. I have to cook for 45 to 80 volunteers a day. I already had plans for a wood/charcoal griddle as well as a large barrel grill. The part that I was missing was an efficient wood stove top and oven. The video that you posted has solved all my problems. Thank you so Much...
great video. I have the same stove. I started having problems with smoke coming out of the top so I cleaned it out and it's still smoking and that's not good in the middle of winter to have all the windows and doors open to clear the smoke out of the house. I have one elbow coming out the back and straight up from there. I have a metal pipe chimney and I think it needs to go up higher to make more draft. Have you had any problems with smoke?
Thank you Mr. Lester. Very good tutorial! Question: My Meal master firebox liner is wearing out and now looks too thin. I was just wondering if you poured the refractory cement pure into a make-shift mold you made with a piece of sheet metal OR did you use it to bond firebricks to the sides of the firebox? Thanks again, Frank. Burlington, NC.
I just got my Home Comfort cook stove (circa 1930's) today for Christmas! It needs a little work, but all in all it's in good shape. I am anxious to get her in the kitchen. Never thought about 3 elbow turns costing me use of my oven, THANKS for that tip! We have a little farm in NE Middle TN on the KY line.I come from a long line of WV hillbillies, which explains my strong desire to learn and keep lost skills & crafts of real living. Are you familiar with Home Comfort models? Thanx!
sorry about delays on responding to comments. we don't have internet at our home. refractory comes either in a powder like concrete or in clay form. Either works well. companies sell it on line or find a shop that works on boilers that heat large buildings they always have some on hand.
Very nice - I've still got a struggle with getting a big coffee pot boiling. I can can, bake, etc. - - - I struggle with this unless I have a lot of small, super dry wood . . . any help??? Thank you!!! Oh - I have a pioneer maid
What did you all call that stuff you poured the firebox liner with and where did you all get it? I need it spelled out. Thank ya kindly. My 1922 Monkey Wards stove's cast iron firebox liners are burning out already. Imagine that.
Mr. Lester, I have gained a wealth of knowledge from your videos. Sometimes, I watch them for entertainment. I guess I have no life. With that being said, I have decided to purchase a wood cook stove, and I have decided on the knox meal master wood cook stove over the heartland wood stove for obvious reasons of it being more economical and your great video. Is the water reservoir tank removable? From my research, I know that it fits into the far right warming oven? If you had to rate the meal master wood cook stove to the other stoves that you own, how would you rate it, as this stove will be the main source of cooking for my family? Have you considered doing more videos, your ability to explain concepts concisely, is just great. What about a youtube cooking lesson using your meal master cook stove? Thanks and job well done.
@TheLeslie244 Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it...It is our goal to teach self sustainable living to any and all who chose this life style. We do plan on posting a lot more as time allows.
Hello Rickie. I have made more videos but they will not upload due to changes in RUclips. I will have to find someone who knows computers better than me to help. It tells me audio and video doesn't match and kicks them out. As for the water reservoir most all of them can be removed and repaired or replaced. I personaly keep a couple of old coffee pots filled with water on mine. The meal Master stoves are good stoves and somewhere in the comments a couple of years ago a fellow listed he was selling parts for them. Feel free to email me with any questions. Gary openfireforge@yahoo.com
We just got one of the old Romeagle Lassies. Thankfully, I found this as it's a working stove and we plan on using it, either in a cabin or in a covered, outdoor kitchen setup. Thanks! BTW...I live in Knoxville so it was neat to see that Mealmaster in the video!
Thank you for this information really appreciate it
Thank you for this - we just bought (3 hours ago) a B-44 Mealmaster, and this is very helpful information!
Nine years and both parts watched, thank you Sir, for posting. I thoroughly enjoyed them.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours.
Thank you so much-I learned a lot! My hubby and I have put in an offer for our little self sustainable homestead. The house was designed by a builder that believed in off grid sustainability. The only cook source is the wood cookstove. So, in case we are blessed enough to get this small acreage and home; I need to learn as much as I can! This video and your part 1 video were is great help!
Your idea with kids is wonderful. Thank you for sharing - we're doing all we can to teach others skills like canning, dehydrating, soap making, cheese making, etc. to help them along and now if I can figure out all about my cookstove so I can do it more easily, it'll be great. Thank you!
I just found this RUclips site and I have to say that you seem like a real down to Earth American with good old American values !
Nice stuff !
Thank you for this, it's a little different than the one I was fortunate enough to get (A Mcclary Charm), but informative none the less. :)
Great video! We use a Findlay cookstove in our cabin (northern Ontario,Canada) for heat as well as cooking. The firebox liner has become badly deteriorated and I have had no luck finding a new one. Your idea of making one is fantastic! Thanks for the great idea!
Super informative! Thank you so much! I'm currently building a mobile home in a retired School bus and as a complete novice on Wood Cook Stoves I now feel really informed! Thank you for your help!
@openfireforge it's nice to see others passing on the skills that seem to be often lost. I'm new to the wood cook stove (and EXCITED);-however, I've long since been growing & "puttin' up" my own veggies, processing my own meats, etc. I've noticed many folks these days are going back to the old ways and wanting to learn, so I started offering tips on what little I know. I also cook a lot with cast iron so going to check out your videos on that- sure I'll learn something. THANKS AGAIN. God Bless!
my dad always turned his pipe up thru the ceiling and not out the wall This allowed him to install, and use a damper in that pipe.He would damper it down when the stove was hot and you could feel the stove getting hotter. The coals would glow and continue to burn, but the heat didn't escape straight up the chimney. It was held down more in the stove top. More heat from less wood Just another variation on the pipe. He grew up in logging camps in the 1920s around Asheville NC.
Could you use brick used for ceramic kilns to repair your damaged bricks?
Thank you so very much for your instruction.
God's Blessings !
We need some help. We have installed our antique wood cook stove, but it keeps smoking us out. Smoke is coming out of the chimney just fine... but it's also coming out of the top of the stove pretty bad too. I have photos. Is this something you could talk with me about?
This was extremely helpful. On the hunt for my first wood stove. Thank you!
Awesome video.. thank you so much.. I have a St. Clair 1902 this really helped me..
I have the exact same stove. The flu pipe goes straight out the back and through the wall and then turns 90ﾟ and goes up. So only one elbow. Some of The Times I have a hard time lighting the stove and it smokes out the whole house. of course I have to open all the windows and doors to air it out and then I lose all of the heat that I already had in the house. Could you give me any insight on the proper way to light this stove? Do you have an email address I could send pictures to?
thanks you really helped me out
@suprhandyman On the rear of my mealmaster there is an 8 inch opening. I had a 8 to 6 inch reducer where the pipe connected to the stove. I changed it to 8 inch pipe and that helped. Also powder dry kindling to start your fire will help to reduce smoke. Hopefully this helps.
I was thinking about a reducer as well, glad you told me this and I will stick with 8". We have the exact same stove too.
Dear Mr. Lester; Thank you sir so, very much for this two parts on the Mealmaster. It was so educational to me. My Grandma who was my adopted mother together with her daughter who I also consider my second mom, used to tell me stories about the time she used a wood burning stove. I love those stories. I hope to one day live off the grid as they say. I hope to be able to own one of this fine jewel of a stove. God Bless you.
A water tank is very handy. Some types are removable, if that is the case i recommend doing so. That will give you a chance to clean and inspect it for leaks. Having hot water to do dishes or even bathing back in the day was a great comfort. If it turns out the water tank is not removable then only add a small amount of water at a time to check for leaks. If the water tank is bad it is possible a sheet metal shop can make a new one.
Most informative !!
Thanks for that.
(i watched part 1 & 2)
Great video!! Keep them coming pleae!
I have the exact same stove as you. It was my aunt Lola"s.My firebox is likewise deteriorated. I appreciate the information on how you patched yours up.Both sides of my box, the concrete substance is competely gone,and both ends of the box it is filled with cracks.I guess I will replace it all. I have a friend who is a boiler maker. I noticed that you took out the old cross member that was at the top of the firebox on the right.Mine is bowed really bad too.. It looks like your stove is doing quite well without it.I've welded all of the breaks in the firebox lid of mine, 'with nickel"and am about to install it on my back screen porch. I havn't been able to find a temperature gauge for it. The one on the door is missing the needle.I guess I'll look for one to go inside, like yours. It looks as though you have taken out you grate? I've seen several places to purchase them on line.I just Googled Mealmaster Parts.Thanks for taking time to make this video. It was really timely, and much appreciated,Larry P.
@suprhandyman I will admit out of the 3 stoves i have the meal master smokes more than the others until the draft takes effect. It has to do with the outlet gate being horizontal where the others are more vertical. The vertical smoke gates seem to draw better when the fire is still in the green stage (more smoke than heat).
This is an excellent video. Thank you so much for sharing this information. I am building an out door kitchen where I have limited access to fuel and gas. Therefore all cooking has to be done using wood. I have to cook for 45 to 80 volunteers a day. I already had plans for a wood/charcoal griddle as well as a large barrel grill. The part that I was missing was an efficient wood stove top and oven. The video that you posted has solved all my problems. Thank you so Much...
great video. I have the same stove. I started having problems with smoke coming out of the top so I cleaned it out and it's still smoking and that's not good in the middle of winter to have all the windows and doors open to clear the smoke out of the house. I have one elbow coming out the back and straight up from there. I have a metal pipe chimney and I think it needs to go up higher to make more draft. Have you had any problems with smoke?
@openfireforge Thanks for your help. I'm going to switch to an 8 inch pipe an see if that helps. thanks again.
Thank you Mr. Lester. Very good tutorial! Question: My Meal master firebox liner is wearing out and now looks too thin. I was just wondering if you poured the refractory cement pure into a make-shift mold you made with a piece of sheet metal OR did you use it to bond firebricks to the sides of the firebox? Thanks again, Frank. Burlington, NC.
I just got my Home Comfort cook stove (circa 1930's) today for Christmas! It needs a little work, but all in all it's in good shape. I am anxious to get her in the kitchen. Never thought about 3 elbow turns costing me use of my oven, THANKS for that tip! We have a little farm in NE Middle TN on the KY line.I come from a long line of WV hillbillies, which explains my strong desire to learn and keep lost skills & crafts of real living. Are you familiar with Home Comfort models? Thanx!
sorry about delays on responding to comments. we don't have internet at our home. refractory comes either in a powder like concrete or in clay form. Either works well. companies sell it on line or find a shop that works on boilers that heat large buildings they always have some on hand.
Very nice - I've still got a struggle with getting a big coffee pot boiling.
I can can, bake, etc. - - - I struggle with this unless I have a lot of small, super dry
wood . . . any help??? Thank you!!! Oh - I have a pioneer maid
Question: my Home Comfort has a place to keep water. Tips on use?
You're welcome. Our goal is to learn and pass it on. If you have questions post here and we will try to locate answers for you.
What did you all call that stuff you poured the firebox liner with and where did you all get it? I need it spelled out. Thank ya kindly. My 1922 Monkey Wards stove's cast iron firebox liners are burning out already. Imagine that.
Mr. Lester, I have gained a wealth of knowledge from your videos. Sometimes, I watch them for entertainment. I guess I have no life. With that being said, I have decided to purchase a wood cook stove, and I have decided on the knox meal master wood cook stove over the heartland wood stove for obvious reasons of it being more economical and your great video. Is the water reservoir tank removable? From my research, I know that it fits into the far right warming oven? If you had to rate the meal master wood cook stove to the other stoves that you own, how would you rate it, as this stove will be the main source of cooking for my family? Have you considered doing more videos, your ability to explain concepts concisely, is just great. What about a youtube cooking lesson using your meal master cook stove? Thanks and job well done.
@TheLeslie244 Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it...It is our goal to teach self sustainable living to any and all who chose this life style. We do plan on posting a lot more as time allows.
Hello Rickie. I have made more videos but they will not upload due to changes in RUclips. I will have to find someone who knows computers better than me to help. It tells me audio and video doesn't match and kicks them out. As for the water reservoir most all of them can be removed and repaired or replaced. I personaly keep a couple of old coffee pots filled with water on mine. The meal Master stoves are good stoves and somewhere in the comments a couple of years ago a fellow listed he was selling parts for them. Feel free to email me with any questions. Gary openfireforge@yahoo.com