Cast Iron Cook Stoves: restoration hints and where to find parts & info, p.2 of 3

Q. I found a cast iron wood burning stove in Montana, it was in very bad condition (rust) and I wanted to bring it home with plans to clean it up. I want it back in working order. On the way back to California the part that holds on the front legs broke, Can Cast iron be welded at all, and if so how? I don't know anything about this stove except it is a 2 burner with a swinging front door and was made in Holland. It is in very bad condition, if anyone knows anything about the stove or helpful tips on re-finishing please help!

Imperial
Imperial stoves, parts, memorabilia on eBay [affil. link]

Q. I just bought an Imperial Beaver Wood Stove at an auction; it is in fairly good condition. I'm questioning how do I take it apart? It was used for heat back in the 60's but hasn't been used since then. It is still attached to the pipe in the basement. Does it come apart in pieces or is it one piece?

SUN OAK / DURO OAK / ROUND OAK
Oak stoves, parts, memorabilia on eBay [affil. link]

Q. I just purchased a Sun 50 pot belly stove. The outside is not badly rusted; however, the inside is all rust. I can't even imagine how to clean it with a wire brush or mineral oil. The stove is very heavy, but it is hard to get into the middle cavity. I don't see a place on the inside that isn't rusted. How or what should I do to stop the rust and restore the stove. Again, the stove seems solid except this orange rust on the inside.

A. Hi, Pammy. The extensive red rust is probably because it was wet. I'd make sure there is no water left in it, then put a tub of desiccant in it for several days with the door and any other openings closed off. Then, wearing a painter's mask, gloves, goggles, and wearing a very old and disposable sweatshirt, spray a can of rust converter [on eBay or Amazon] at whatever surfaces you can see in there.

For more detail, please see thread 11428 "Restoring a cast iron wood stove completely covered in rust".Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

A. If I were you, I'd just try to scrub as good as you can. Maybe one of those round bristle brushes you can find in the auto parts stores. They have them made in wire as well with a detachable long handle that looks like a screwdriver. Then rinse it with the hose.
As soon as you're able, start a fire in it, let it get really hot, then dowse the entire outer portion with lard or a tallow.
Let it bake on for a long time while continuing to baste it with the render. Do this until it is a shiny black. Then for the inside put a thin coating all over the inside every time you're done using it. Eventually the rust will be gone. Use a tiny paint brush for crevices it'll melt into areas too. Don't worry the lard will season the stove to perfection. Please don't use paint or paste. Season it properly like you would your pan. You don't have to get all the rust off to start seasoning it. Just get off flakes and the surface is smooth. Hope you love it.

L Henson [caution: fictitious]
- Arizona
April 21, 2023

Ed. note: Welcome! and please feel free to read everything here anonymously; we have a great search engine for that ...
But this isn't a consulting service -- it's a community with a 30-year legacy of aloha incompatible with anonymity; please don't post without your real name & town :-) . But thanks for the advice; it sounds good.

Q. Hello, I have a small wood burning stove/heater, very old, I can't find anything like it on line, I need parts for it and I'm hoping one of you could help me identify and help me find a place with parts for it....It says number 115 Duro Oak....

Thanks for the opportunity

Ed. note: A list of possible sources for parts is now maintained in the Introduction at the top of the page

Q. I just purchased a #15 Sun Oak round wood burner. It has white paint on it and I was going to power wash and burn some wood in it. Some of the pins (to the doors) are broke and some are corroded and seized together. I would really appreciate all suggestions, thanks EMJ

Q. I have a Round Oak kitchen cook stove that burns 16 inch wood. I need new wood box grates, not the shaker grates in the bottom. Looks like there are 4. The inner or fire exiting side is warped and broken. I have the model and serial info. and would like to find a foundry or company that could help me. Thanks.

December 6, 2013


Round Oak stoves are also mentioned on thread 11428

ENTERPRISE / JEWEL
Jewel stoves, parts, memorabilia on eBay [affil. link]

Q. We have an Enterprise oak #215 we can't find any like it on the net to see if we are missing any parts and how old it might be ... any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Q. I am looking for parts for a Jewel Enterprise wood burning cook stove. Where can I find parts??

Q. I'm looking for parts for a Jewel Enterprise insulated stove. Mfg. by P&B In Nashville. Does anyone have a source for parts?
Thank you!

A. Hi Edwin, hi David, hi readers. A list of current sources for parts is now maintained in the Introduction at the top of the page

What seems lacking is reader feedback :-(
Dozens of people have asked the same question here and been given the same answers about possible sources, but in all these years only one person has taken the time to offer feedback after attempted contact with those possible sources for parts :-) Several people have commented that parts are quite unavailable because such sources want to sell complete stoves for big money, not cannibalize, but they've never been specific about which suppliers told them that. But there have also been suggestions about how to get parts made at a foundry; how to get broken parts properly welded, etc.

Luck & Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

A. Excellent download free old book (1914):

The Bible in Iron -- The pictured stoves and stove plates of the Pennsylvania Germans ; with notes on colonial fire-backs in the United States, the ten-plate stove, Franklin's fireplace and the tile stoves of the Moravians in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, together with a list of colonial furnaces in the United States and Canada.
by Mercer, Henry Chapman, 1856-1930

https://archive.org/details/TheBibleInIron/page/n11/mode/1up?q=cast+iron+stove

Hope it helps and good luck!

Goran Budija
- Zagreb Croatia
February 17, 2021

[Ed. note: The Internet Archive preserved the copy linked above
These days information often appears on the internet, and soon disappears forever. If that bothers or frightens you please consider a donation to The Internet Archive.

Thank you for the response. I will begin looking at these sites and will absolutely provide my humble opinion.

Q. I am trying to find out what this is and what does this do on the back for my Enterprise wood coal cook stove? It's a spring looking thing with a wing nut on a threaded shaft that can be adjusted and I'm just trying to learn about the stove and any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

Q. Looking for parts for my Enterprise Bristol. Any recommendation where I can find parts?

Ed. note: A list of current sources for parts is now maintained in the Introduction at the top of the page

MUSCOGEE

Q. Need a Picture of the Original Muscogee Wood/Coal Cook Stove No. 86-16. I bought a Muscogee Wood cook stove and need information about it I can find it on the net .. It's missing a door just under the oven ..and I would like to replace it with something that looks like the original.
Thanks for any help!

Q. Need more info on this Muscogee cook stove, looking at one that is up for sale. Looks to be in good complete condition (and how to post a picture of it).

Ed. note: e-mail the pic to mooney@finishing.com, referencing thread 19039, please

Q. I am in desperate need of finding information on a Muscogee stove. I have searched the web with no results. Could someone please please please help me!
Thanks!

EUREKA

Q. I have a Eureka wood burning kitchen cook stove. It was made by the -Eureka, steel range co. in O Fallon Ill. I think the model number is E8-4N. It need the slide part to the air regulator that mounts on the side. I think the stove is 80 to 100 years old. Help please?

Q. Hello, my name is Katherine. We recently got an old parlor stove from someone's field. It is in fairly good shape, but the double fold doors on one side will not open. They have a turn lock that is froze shut. We believe we can get the door off, but we will need to replace them. Any idea where to start looking for doors?

Ed. note: A list of current sources for parts is now maintained in the Introduction at the top of the page

CANOPY FAIR

Q. Have an old Canopy Fair wood cook stove (may have been coal). Two questions:
1. There is an elbow coming out the back of the fire box that has a thin oval metal plate that appears to have been blown out. Hence think it was used for coal and coal gas built up one time and exploded. If I intend on using just wood can I just weld a new plate over it?

2. Does anyone have any information on these stoves? Think that it was made in Royersford PA sometime in the late 1800 or early 1900's.

Thanks,

Tom in TN

BELANGER BARGE

Q. I just bought an Antique Miniature BELANGER Barge 1906 Cast Iron Stove and with a copper metal brush (with a handle) and a jar of Vaseline amply applied, I was able to remove all the Rust spots and dirt/dust. I simply rubbed the vaseline off with a cloth after and it looks fabulous. Since its only a show piece, I don't have to worry about fumes/odors, not that there would be much anyway. I use Vaseline on any Cast Iron surfaces like Oil Lamp bases.etc... RER

ECLIPSE
Eclipse stoves, parts, memorabilia on eBay [affil. link]

Q. Thank you for advising the antique wood stove conservation family.

My Eclipse 1894, wood stove is so unusual. It is covered with raised lilies or daffodils. I was afraid the sand blasting would damage the flowers that incircle the stove.

A. Hi Beverly. You're very welcome, but we're actually offering a public forum where people can help each other, not a consulting service.

Iron is much much harder than rust, so with reasonable care it is actually rather easy to blast the rust without damaging the cast iron bas relief. It may not be necessary to use sand, something softer like dry ice, baking soda, plastic beads, etc. can also be used.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

COUNTRY COMFORT
Country Comfort stoves, parts, memorabilia on eBay [affil. link]

Q. This past summer we purchased an insert for our upstairs living room fireplace. We didn't have to do anything, but put it in. It works wonderfully!

We also purchased a Country Comfort CC815 freestanding woodburning stove/fireplace which is in our garage. We are unable to find any information on this product because it is so old.

My husband contacted Country Comfort and they didn't have any information on it. Everyone else just tells my husband that they don't have any information on it and that he needs to buy a new one!? We don't have any intentions of getting a different one. This is one 'solid' stove. It probably weighs around 800 lbs and we know that it will do the job, if set up correctly.

Our issue is that we need to know what the inside originally looked like. We are unable to find any pictures. The stove doesn't seem to be heating properly. Something seems to be amiss inside. The bottom, sides and back are all brick lined, the walls are all solid steel. Is there any where to go to find information or pictures or something on old models? Anything at all would be helpful... I can provide pictures of the stove if anyone thinks they may be able to help.

Any help at all in this matter would be so appreciated!

Thank you.

ODOM

Q. I have an old Odom cookstove and would like to restore. Underneath the cookplates I found disintegrating layers of asbestos.

Do I need to remove? How can I do this safely?

A. Hi, Bonnie.

Obviously, the proper way is to hire an asbestos remediation specialist because asbestos is dangerous! But realistically, some people are not going to do that -- so here are some thoughts that struck me.

Asbestos must be kept wet if you are doing any scraping or any working with it, and you should wear a dust mask [masks on eBay or Amazon] -- but I don't want to imply that a painter's mask is real protection! Put anything you capture into a plastic bag taped shut.

After that, if you have a vacuum that has a hose, you could put the vacuum outside; when finished, and wearing a painter's mask, put the vacuum cleaner bag inside a plastic bag, tape it closed. Check with your county about whether you are supposed to bring the asbestos to a collection site or put the sealed plastic bags in the trash. These are just "another homeowner's ideas" based on what I did with some asbestos waste and and should not be considered expert guidance :-)

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Q. Wow, I'm gratified to get a response. Thanks for taking the time.

My followup question is: will it be harmful to just leave it undisturbed? Does it circulate when the stove is heated up high do you think? We use it regularly throughout the cold months to heat the kitchen and act as a food warmer, even sometimes for cooking.

I purchased this 6-burner cookstove from an old family friend for $3000. I'm wondering if that is a mite bit high; can't seem to find much pricing on the web. What do you think?

A. Hi, Bonnie.

Yes, leaving the asbestos undisturbed (if that's possible) is the best plan. But if you see that it is deteriorating, it's obviously going somewhere, which is bad regardless of where it's going.

There are sites that will do an appraisal for you -- they claim for as little as $25. But sorry, but we can't post valuation Q&As on our free site because as my partner Tom Pullizzi noted at the dawn of the internet age -- "Internet price/demand curve: Infinite demand at zero cost; zero demand at infinitesimal cost." If you only knew how many hundreds of people every month ask for free valuations of the coins, jewelry, antiques, silver service, china dishes, and stuff found in grandma's attic or basement, or the rocks in their backyard, no matter how many times we say we can't do it :-)

Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

A. Bonnie, I bought a 6 burner wood cook stove at a local antique shop 2 years ago for $350. It's in perfect shape.

Deborah Lacy
Hobbyist - Salem
March 27, 2022

Q. I just purchased an old wood cookstove that I plan on restoring and using to heat and cook with. It is in pretty good shape and was used up until 10 years ago. It was well cared for. How do I know if there is asbestos? That is my only concern. And what do I use for insulation? Where do I purchase it? There are spots in the insulation that are damaged, need to apply more.

A. Hi Andrea. Some if not all such rope gasketing today is fiberglass and graphite/carbon rather than asbestos. See next inquiry please.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Q. I am trying to locate a source for rope gasket used between plates on a decorative cast iron wood burning stove I acquired some years ago. The stove is rectangular in shape with a forest scene on its sides. I do not know the manufacturer. Any suggestions on locating a source or the application of the gasket material once it is located?

"Stove Gasket Rope"

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. Hi Carolyn. The rope gasket is usually a pretty "standard" item, rather than specific to the manufacturer. You can follow the link for online sources, but I'm sure it's widely available. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

CRIBBEN & SEXTON HERALD
Cribben & Sexton stoves, parts, memorabilia on eBay [affil. link]

Q. Hello all! I am looking for information on a Cribben & Sexton Herald model #8-17. I believe that I have the majority of the parts, however I am not sure as I have been unable to find a photo of one. The scroll work on it is over the top for what one would expect. I was hoping to find some info. and rebuild it. The parts that I have are far too ornate to simply scrap! Any help would be muchly appreciated. Photos, mfg. date, replacement parts availability. Thank you good folks and have a great day!

Ed. note: A list of current sources for parts is now maintained in the Introduction at the top of the page

RFQ: I have a Herald No 222 stove and I am missing the rear leg. Would anyone have one?

ESTATE
Estate stoves, parts, memorabilia on eBay [affil. link]

Q. I'm trying to restore a Estate 6 burner stove. My problem is the cast iron that the round plates sit on is warped, and I need to find someplace to purchase 3 of them. Anyone know where I can find reproduction parts or what I can do to fix this.
Thanks,
Theressa

Ed. note: A list of current sources for parts is now maintained in the Introduction at the top of the page

SPENCER

Q. I have an old wood burning stove, trying to find info on it; it is a Spencer made by Spencer Foundation Co. Ltd. in Ontario.
The piece that holds the little door closed is broken off, and there is a very small crack in door, can this be fixed? Does anyone know approx. year of this stove, on the front is a number it is 105A or 705A, it is very clear but not sure if first no is a 7 or a 1. Would like to find more info on the stove, can't seem to find anything on the company?

BARSTOW
Barstow stoves, parts, memorabilia on eBay [affil. link]

Q. I have a 1911 Barstow wood burning cook stove. Mfg. in Providence, R.I. I need to replace the rounded edged fire brick.
Where can I find this brick??

Firebrick

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. Hi, Paul.

I doubt that anyone sells firebrick pre-cut to fit a 1911 stove, but a concrete saw makes short work of shaping fire brick. I don't see why it can't be cut with a tile saw [on eBay or Amazon] if it fits in/on the saw. Wear a dust mask [masks on eBay or Amazon] at least, and do it outside. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
September 14, 2011

Q. Hello, I have an Antique Pot Belly Stove. However, it's painted shut. Can this be undone? Also, the handle for the top of the stove is missing. Can that piece be found somewhere? Thank You.

RAILROAD
Railroad stoves, parts, memorabilia on eBay [affil. link]

Q. I have already restored my pot belly wood burning stove and it was no big deal. The most frustrating part was finding out that wood burning stove parts, pipes, etc., are not interchangeable or universal. What I AM having trouble with is replacement parts! I need one little part that I can't seem to find. It's the ash door. It's for a PB65XL Railroad Potbelly stove, listed as part #65-16. Have not been able to find it anywhere. Would anyone happen to know where I can get one? I have improvised for now but really need to correct one. Live in a very rural area that hasn't even heard of an iron worker, per se, to have one custom made.



Thanks for any help,

Ed. note: A list of current sources for parts is now maintained in the Introduction at the top of the page

Q. I have an antique cast iron cook stove that belonged to my grandmother that I am wanting to restore. My family used to use the stove for heat and for cooking on a regular basis. On 3rd January of this year we had a house fire that destroyed everything except my grandmother's cast iron stove and her cast iron cookware. Once I get more settled I'm wanting to restore the stove and cookware.

Can I use the same suggestions that have already been given here on this stove or should I proceed with extra caution with both the stove and cookware since they've been through the house fire? I haven't gotten a chance to inspect the stove up close yet but the cookware was completely stripped of the seasoning (except one skillet that was sitting in another and the side of it was protected by the one it was sitting in) and I'm assuming the stove has as well. The stove has gone through a couple of good rain storms and a snow since the fire so I'm also assuming I will have to deal with rust in the restoration process.

Any tips and suggestions would be most appreciated as I really want to preserve this stove and the cookware as they all have great sentimental value to me.

Replacement Glass

Q. I have a very old pot belly wood stove that it in good condition other than the back, which appears to be sheet metal. What type of material should I use to replace it? Also on the front/bottom door there are several little windows 2x2 that have some type of material in them. It's not glass. I would also like to know where I could purchase these items.
thank you

A. Hi, Dan. Hot rolled steel is probably what you are looking for for the back. A local weld shop probably stocks enough to complete the job to avoid the complexity of going to a steel warehouse.

If these 2 x 2 items are "windows", then they are probably a glass-like transparent ceramic that goes by trade names like Pyroceram or Neoceram. My local glass shop stocks it and cuts replacement "glass" for woodburning stoves, and I think many glass shops will have it and be able to cut it. Best of luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Q. My husband and I have tackled the task of refinishing an old wood cook stove to use. He completely disassembled the stove and is in the process of putting it back together. My question is, what to do to the actual cooking surface. Paint or not to paint? Condition it as you would a cast iron pan?

A. Hi Brenda. There may a bit of a semantics issue here. If it is a griddle, it would need to be seasoned like a cast iron frying pan. But if the surface is one that you put a pan onto, then stove paint [on eBay or Amazon] or stove polish [on eBay or Amazon] is probably fine.

Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

EAGLE

Q. Hello, I need to know where to find a copy of the assembly guide for parts for a 1900 Eagle wood stove.

ATLANTA CHALLENGER
Atlanta stoves, parts, memorabilia on eBay [affil. link]

Q. Am thinking about restoring my wood burning stove and have some questions. What is the best method to protect a wood burning stove -- high temperature paint or stove polish? [Ed. note: for this question please see thread 11428, "Restoring a cast iron wood stove completely covered in rust"]

Also does anyone have any information on a Atlanta 828 Challenger wood burning stove (such as manuals or parts)? Where can you find firebox grates for wood burning stoves? Are there any type of bolts that are better when replacing them? How are trivets used on wood burning stoves? Thanks for any help.

WASHINGTON

Q. I am beginning research and work on a Washington Stove Works Olympic stove. I am looking for an owner's manual and information regarding paint/sealer as I am removing surface rust.

Q. As with others, I too am looking for parts for Washington Stove Works Parlor Stove No. 42.
To start with I need a foot/leg.
Thank you for this site as well; has helped me a lot.
There has to be a stove boneyard someplace in this wonderful country of ours with lots of parts. Please help me.

Ed. note: A list of current sources for parts is now maintained in the Introduction at the top of the page

I want to thank you for the great response on where to get stove parts. I think the idea of posting ALL the places and bone yards of stove parts is a great idea and would answer about half the questions on this site, maybe it could be posted on a header page for this blog so lazy folks like me who don't read all the other posts can, most likely, have their question answered from the git go.
Of course no recommendations or the references.
Thanks again,
Rick

Thanks Rick. I've now listed the known info about parts in the Introduction at the top of the page. If anyone wants to prepare a longer list, or offer feedback on the current list, we'd be happy to get it :-)

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
May 2015

Q. What is the best method of preserving a cook stove being left outside in a covered area. Our climate can get very damp in the winter. This is for namaste and not for use. Thinking about wiping with some type of oil. Thanks for your time. Grant

A. Hi Grant. Bare steel or cast iron will rust quickly outdoors. I think you'd be better off with a high quality paint job than with oil. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

MAGEE

Q. Magee Grand 1901 Cookstove. Does anyone know where I can find parts for this beautiful stove
I need a grate, damper and side car...anything that would pertain to this stove

Ed. note: A list of current sources for parts is now maintained in the Introduction at the top of the page

PREMIER

Q. We purchased a Premier dual gas/wood cook stove; we need help finding some missing parts and I haven't been able to find anything so far.
The enamel is great on the stove, but I think it is missing a piece that holds up the plates on the wood burning side.

I would appreciate any help or information at all.

PRIZER

Replacement fire bricks for Prizer coal cook stove - Senate model

Q. We have a Prizer Senate coal cook stove that we use in our basement for heat. It really could use new fire bricks - all else is in fairly good shape - want to have these bricks to do a change over after the winter months. Where can I find them?

Firebrick

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. Hi Sandra. Hopefully another reader will correct me, but I don't think custom size firebrick packages will be available for old stoves considering the hundreds of brands and thousands of models. I believe what you must do is buy standard size firebricks (they're about the size of concrete pavers) and saw them to shape with a concrete saw as I did for my old woodstove (actually my son ran the concrete saw). If you don't have a friend with a concrete saw and the muscles, the brick can probably be cut by a homeowner with a large enough tile saw. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Q. I just picked up a Prizer stove trying to figure out year and model, and if parts are available for it.

Ed. note: A list of current sources for parts is now maintained in the Introduction at the top of the page