Morso Squirrel with a hairline crack on backplate

[GRLMK38]

The Stovax Brunel 1A is worth a look.  I have just swapped out our 25 year old one due to a top plate crack.  It will have the top plate replaced and then be fully refurbished as a spare because all the other castings are still in excellent condition.  The crack was caused by a rope failure which allowed the top and side to "corrode weld" together.

[Slim]

Aware of this topic I painted my Morso today having checked for cracks etc. Everything seems ok . I got to thinking about if / when I have to replace it. It’s about 20 years old . It’s plumbed into a 28 mm rigid copper pipe. You can bet your bottom dollar that the pipe unions on a a Morso will not line up precisely. Has anyone used flexible ie rubber pipes to coonect their back boiler? I appreciate that a short run of solid pipe out of the back boiler would be required.

 

At the moment this is only speculation but who knows 

[Boater Sam]

I'll bet that a new Morso of the same model will match the pipework perfectly, mine did.

[Sir Nibble]

I had this Morso. I noticed a crack close to the edge of the top plate which I assumed (rightly) was caused by expanding rust in the joint, so I ordered a new top plate. When it arrived I looked at it closely to see how it was fitted, took careful measurements and chain drilled and cut around the fixings and the top refused to budge! I had to chain drill all around the top plate. Having got it apart I found the back was broken and one of the fixings was broken off the front. I ordered a new back, repaired the front by careful drilling, tapping and screwing with a small reinforcing plate. New collar, rope kit and the bits at the sides that hold the front grates. When the rotary wire brush has done it's job in the rope grooves and there is a nice shiny curved groove, take a chisel to the bastard 'cos there's still plenty of old rope in there. Assembly was pretty straightforward but did need a spanish windlass to squeeze the sides together whilst the top was fitted and I used stainless fasteners throughout. Coat of paint and hey presto, near as dammit new squirrel. Couple of hundred quid tops. Would I do it again? Yes, it would be easier second time around.

[jonathanA]

Risking being controversial I think the Morso is over rated.... We have one and I would try very hard to find something else when it falls apart which reading this and all the other Morso threads it almost certainly will....

 

At home we have a liltle wenlock MK II about the same size also cast but imho far better stove I reckon it has a better heat output and burns less fuel. It is usually lit from October to March burning wood and coal. It has a full width ash pan a decent riddling grate a single simple air control that isn't a poorly designed spinner and crappy bolt affair that rusts up and stays in all night without needing  millimetre adjustment of the vents 

 

I think I've replaced the door seals twice and the fire bricks once in 12 years. I had to replace the door glass once but that was user error. SWMBO thought a log would compress if she slammed the door hard enough... 25 quid later....

 

at a previous house we had an yeoman exe stove which was steel, but probably a bit big for a nb

[TheBiscuits]

1 minute ago, jonathanA said:

I had to replace the door glass once but that was user error. SWMBO thought a log would compress if she slammed the door hard enough... 25 quid later.

It's sheet mica.  Buy it from ebay and cut it with a sharp knife and a decent straight edge.

[MtB]

16 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

It's sheet mica.  Buy it from ebay and cut it with a sharp knife and a decent straight edge.

 

My squirrel door was deffly glass.

[TheBiscuits]

9 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

My squirrel door was deffly glass.

OK, it's supposed to be sheet mica.  If it's glass it's been "fixed" by an eeeeejut.

[MtB]

1 minute ago, TheBiscuits said:

OK, it's supposed to be sheet mica.  If it's glass it's been "fixed" by an eeeeejut.

 

I think not.

 

I broke it, posted on here and several peeps gve me links to suppliers of new glass.

 

 

Or rather stockists, to be more accurate.

[TheBiscuits]

5 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

I think not.

OK, I stand corrected.  It could be ceramic glass, the good stuff.

 

I have seen eeeeejuts stick greenhouse glass in stoves before, with limited success (like less than one use!)

[Colin Brendan]

Has anyone tried firefox stoves? Perhaps the 5 cleanburn? Or even Parkray - Aspect 4 compact?

[Slim]

16 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

OK, it's supposed to be sheet mica.  If it's glass it's been "fixed" by an eeeeejut.

I can speak with some authority on this subject. Firstly it's glass. IT BREAKS if you drop the door whilst painting it. How do I know ? I'm on my way back to the boat having bought new glass and sealing tape £25 +. Could  have bought pre packaged glass and tape for circa £30 or a 'full kit including clips' for £42. (Midland Chandler) .

 

Frank 

(In the Folly Ñapton )

21 hours ago, Boater Sam said:

I'll bet that a new Morso of the same model will match the pipework perfectly, mine did.

Thanks for that reassurance.

 

Frank

[Higgs]

On ‎03‎/‎09‎/‎2018 at 12:37, Boater Sam said:

If you want to put the back boiler in you have to remove the top anyway. I put brass bolts in, easier to drill out if ever. No matter what you use, the top 4 will seize in. Oh, and drill the back on the dimples, sell the back firebrick and deflector.

Not found one better than Morso.

 

Taking the top plate off was not necessary, when I replaced the back boiler in the squirrel. The new one was stainless steel, from Midland Chandlers. The old one that came out was at least 20 years old. Everything came out and went in through the front, removing the firebricks and everything that can be removed.

Edited September 7, 2018 by Higgs

[Boater Sam]

I buy my glass for a 1410 Squirrel off ebay, much cheaper, Calfire will cut a glass to any size if you ask.

 

Just in case my glass ever gets smashed whilst we are in the wilds, I cut a 3mm steel plate to size for emergency use, it lives under the fire.

Edited September 7, 2018 by Boater Sam
Clarified

[jonathanA]

On 06/09/2018 at 23:42, TheBiscuits said:

It's sheet mica.  Buy it from ebay and cut it with a sharp knife and a decent straight edge.

The only stove I’ve seen with sheet mica is an esse dragon I think that’s what they were called and you could get a glass kit to replace the mica, As the mica was a bit delicate. Seem to recall using a spare piece to make an electrical insulator for something  at one time many years ago

[bizzard]

Early Torgem stoves used mica.

[cuthound]

14 hours ago, jonathanA said:

The only stove I’ve seen with sheet mica is an esse dragon I think that’s what they were called and you could get a glass kit to replace the mica, As the mica was a bit delicate. Seem to recall using a spare piece to make an electrical insulator for something  at one time many years ago

 

I recently replaced the mica on my Kabola Old Dutch oil drip stove, mind you as it is cylindrical the mica bends to shape a lot easier than glass would. ?

Edited September 8, 2018 by cuthound
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