Thread: Bought a Rayburn 620 today

Mrs Pedro childhood on King Island had an aga in the house,,

Amazed they are still made,,

apparently they are good in winter....

Originally Posted by 350RRC

Hi All,

I grow a fair bit more wood than I've used, so in a round about way I've ended up with one of these:

Rayburn 620.jpgcheers, DL

They are brilliant. Is it a wetback (for heating water)? Wonderful in a cold central Victorian winter and great heat for stews, roasts and bread. Anything really. And with a kettle on the top you're always ready for a cuppa. Will eventually heat up a fair sized room, too.

I am no metallurgist , but maybe check that S/S or ally are good for your purpose .
I see mostly cast iron in these sorts of fires .

Originally Posted by DieselLSE

They are brilliant. Is it a wetback (for heating water)? Wonderful in a cold central Victorian winter and great heat for stews, roasts and bread. Anything really. And with a kettle on the top you're always ready for a cuppa. Will eventually heat up a fair sized room, too.

It was a wetback originally and advertised as such, but the 'boiler' (as they are called with these) has been replaced by a purpose replacement firebrick at the back of the hot hole. Price was adjusted down because of this.

These things can run several radiators as well as normal hot water.

Glasgow Engineering have made a 316 replacement for this model and either I'll do the same or get a mate to do it if the price is ok.

https://www.picuki.com/media/2136181895512533103

I have a much older double oven 1920's 'Galliers & Claire' (sp?) 'The Rapid' , made in St Kilda, in storage that I want to sell at some stage, no wetback and needs all the sheetmetal redone.

Have cooked a couple of roast dinners (........ chicken, pork, turkey, beef & lamb) for 36 people with that, including warming the plates on top, etc.

Wetbacks are great these days coz we have 316 stainless.

As I write this I'm sitting out the back of chez moi next to a glowing Miele front loader drum that has had over 500 fires in it, glowing red, and is still A ok. Good grade of stainless.

You can buy a length of double wall stainless flu (i.d. 150) with copper tube wound inside, plumbing fittings each end of the copper, for $500. Not as good as a wetback but can go on anything straight out of the firebox.

cheers, DL

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

Mrs Pedro childhood on King Island had an aga in the house,,

Amazed they are still made,,

apparently they are good in winter....

Fuelled with mutton bird oil on KI no doubt, rendered down on the same stove.

Imagine being conceived on the sheep skin rug in front of that!

Thanks for relaying the story, I know a few cray people down there from a past professional life.

The attraction for wood fired is the amount of it that grows and dies on the bush half of my 10 acres, hence the forum.

cheers, DL

Originally Posted by dero

I am no metallurgist , but maybe check that S/S or ally are good for your purpose .
I see mostly cast iron in these sorts of fires .

Thanks mate,

Would never use ally.

Pls read the following post re: the Miele stainless tub........... it's only maybe 1.5mm thick and still fine after 500 fires.

Boiler in the Rayburn........ maybe 4/5mm in the firebox.

cheers, DL

My Stanley is damped down for the night, and after cooking dinner and heating the water for the shower I have just finished, it is now keeping the house nice and warm overnight via the pipes under the floor!

Going to have to cut some more wood in a couple of days.

OMG, had one as a kid on the farm. Hated it as I had to spit the wood extra to get it in Loved the tea cakes and .... so shall not hate the getting the tiny fire box going