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Wood Stove
Topic Started: Dec 14 2010, 11:59 PM (1,117 Views)
Mommacat
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And to think "ordinary people" just fight about the thermostat! They just don't know how to live do they!?! teehee!!

Long ago I read an article about a "bed warmer snake" - sounds horrible - but it was a ltube made out of thick leather and about 3 feet long and 4 inches around that was filled with coarse sand. You laid it on your heater/stove and when it got warm, put it in at the foot of your bed. All I could think about was sand leaking out onto the sheets. Maybe if you waxed all the seams it wouldn't leak. But, might be something to try. I don't imagine it would stay warm as long as a rock, but sand does retain heat for a very long time.
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Raven
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If you waxed the seams wouldn't the warmth of the stove "unwax" the seams? Do you curl the snake up on top of the stove. We had 5 rocks on the stove and I don't know if I could get 5 snakes on there no matter how you curled them. The rocks were probably a little clumsy and the small kids needed help but it was worth the trouble and until their friends started staying over, they thought it was normal.
The truth is not for all men, but only for those that seek it. Ayn Rand
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Mommacat
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I don't really know, Raven - I read it back in the days when I used to buy Mother Earth News just to annoy my mother! (I don't even remember if that's where I read it.) I only have a vague recollection of the article - I guess it stuck with me all these years cuz the whole "snake in the bed" thing sounded so awful! Yeah, I suppose the wax would melt, but maybe using coarse sand and small stitching, the sand wouldn't leak out. Maybe wrapping it in a towel would be a better idea. In all honestly, I think I'd prefer a rock.

True, the comment about kids and their friends - after my kids got to be teenagers, seems like nothing was ever good enough, new enough or cool enough - that was particularly directed toward the very person that brought them into this world!!
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Grizzly
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Snakes in a bed??? Is that like "Snakes on a plane"??? OK, enough of that, we picked up some old fashion warmers at auctions that would work better. They are various sizes of soapstone slabs with wire handles on them. We were told they were for amish to keep thier feet warm in thier horse buggys but I was wondering if they were like an old hot plate type of thing for keeping food warm too. They are about 1 1/4" thick and the smallest is about 12"x12". We have a soapstone wood stove and that stays warm long after the fire is out. I know they are not commen to find but when I saw them at the sale, no one else wanted them. Might be something to look for. They work like modern hand warmers but ALOT heavier.
Our ancestors left Europe to get away from this crap...as seen on a bumpersticker fns
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Mommacat
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I've seen tiny little coal stoves that were for use in buggies - they only held a few pieces and were heavy cast-iron - look a bit like a modern-day hibachi. But, I imagine the stone slabs had all sorts of uses. What a neat find!
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Grizzly
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We had our Chistmas with the kids yesterday and with all the people in the house I turned down the wood stove a bit, Figured it be too warm. After everyone left I heard how cold everyone was. They thought it was freezing in here and we were comfortable. But then I think thier houses are unbearably hot! Maybe that's why thier kids are always running around in thier underwear. I wonder if they'd like to trade heat bills? Oh, that's right, we don't have one! Still think it's healthier in a cooler home than a hot one.
Our ancestors left Europe to get away from this crap...as seen on a bumpersticker fns
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Raven
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Remember that Griz the next time I want to sleep with the window open! :-)
The truth is not for all men, but only for those that seek it. Ayn Rand
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Mommacat
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True story - when my kids were teenagers I actually built a small "lock box" that fit over the thermostat. I used to get so mad when I'd get home from work and they were all sitting around in shorts and tank tops, in the middle of the winter, with the heat cranked up to a sweltering 75 degrees! I told them they needed to wear sweats and socks and leave the thermostat alone, but they just didn't get it. However, I did notice after I installed the lock box, all those fuzzy slippers and sweatshirts made a miraculous appearance! I took a plastic food container with a lid, cut out enough of the bottom of the bowl so it could be mounted behind the thermostat, drilled holes in it all over (not big enough to get a bobbypin, say, in through, but enough for the air to circulate freely. Then I hinged it and fashioned a hasp and loop with fencing staples. I set the temp, closed the lid and put a small padlock on it. I was real tempted to swallow the key, but had to content myself with putting it on my car key ring. And, here's another good one - a friend of mine had the same problem. He was a bit handier with stuff than I am, so he simply disconnected the thermostat that was in the livingroom and installed a different one in the basement. His wife and kids would get a bit chilly and, of course, dash right over and turn up the heat. He said it took him a couple days of adjusting to get it comfortable since the control was not located where it should have been, but he finally got it worked out and just left it set. I laughed hysterically when he told me about that and I laughed even harder when, after living in the house for 20 some years, he and his wife sold the house and he had to let the real estate agent know about the "dummy" thermostat!!
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Raven
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Necessity is the mother of invention...love the ideas. I felt bad for my newest Grandbaby. They had that poor thing bundled up in three blankets in her car seat and right next to the stove. I kept taking her out and unwrapping her. My daughter thought that it was to cold for her unbundled but I told her that babies will cry when uncomfortable...she said she will sweat when she is too warm. We went round and round. She's the mom and wins but I still felt bad. It was NOT that cold in our house. I think that it was about 68F. 20 people in a small house gets warm quickly.
The truth is not for all men, but only for those that seek it. Ayn Rand
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Mommacat
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I was told by a very good pediatrician that babies are comfortable in the same atmosphere as adults - they don't need to be any warmer or cooler and they benefit from fresh air just as older kids do.
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