# stove restoration tips?



## ryjen (Feb 21, 2014)

I am going to clean up my Buck 26000, and try and make her look new again, and was hoping for some tips and tricks from those of you who have done this in the past.

She isn't in bad shape, just needs some touching up here, a bit of cleaning off surface rust there.....etc.
The manual says to use paint for touching up in the offseason. What paints have you all found work best?
What about stove polish? Pros/cons between the two?
Should I worry with the firebox?

Got her for free from a woman who was cleaning out a storage building she won the contents of during an auction. She said she didn't have a use for it and couldn't move it even if she did. LOL! Here she is in my garage, waiting for a facelift:











Here she is on her ride home with me.







She is missing the glass from one of the doors, and no trim kit, but everything else is there.


----------



## Kevin Okes (Feb 21, 2014)

I'm curious too.  I'm planning to pull my 27000 insert and make it look new after taking pictures the other night for this forum, my son pointed out how bad it looks compared to some others. My wife really noticed it. I'd love to find a deal like yours to replace my big buck double wall free standing. That smoke stack looks different is it homemade?  Ill never get rid of "Ol Bertha". My stack is pretty thin. Actually used high temp silicon to patch a couple of tiny holes. If that's homemade id like to see some close up pictures for ideas. I could fabricate one for a lot less than that part sells for.


----------



## GENECOP (Feb 21, 2014)

Amazon sells pretty inexpensive sand blaster heads, (use your own compressor) Harbor freight has some cheap heads also....I would try it out. After that any good high heat paint would do the trick, colors even available....I just purchased some Rustoleum Green for a project....post photos, nice stove....


----------



## ryjen (Feb 22, 2014)

Kevin, the stack came with it so I dont know its origin. It looks to have never been used, so may be a custom job. Send me your email and I will send over some good pictures of it.Funny you mention replacing yours. I want a tripple wall 27000 to replace my double wall 28000.  I dont think the stove NEEDS sand blasting, but would that give me a better finish?


----------



## coaly (Feb 22, 2014)

Stove polish is for rough cast iron, not steel plate. It will not stick to smooth machined surfaces either. The waxes and pigments in stove polish are near impossible to remove once heated, so if you have a stove already coated with it, you have a real job getting it off if you want to paint.
  Stove Bright paints by Forrest (Satin Black) is what you want and will remain the darkest without graying. For a more high end finish, you can use Black Metallic, but that was not original. Most all stove and BBQ paints are good, be aware of the special steps necessary when painting over DeRusto ; Mentioned in the first post of the Everything Fisher thread here; https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/everything-fisher.48309/
    It is also the most dangerous to breath, so wear a mask, preferably paint outside and burn off outdoors for final cure if possible with a couple pieces of stove pipe. There are many posts and threads in the Fisher Forum about restoring with pictures.
  You don't have any deep pits that require sand or media blasting. Wire wheel any loose bad spots that I don't really see on yours, then lightly sand before painting. A regular straight wire wheel in drill is fine for light surface rust, a cup brush is more aggressive and a knotted cup brush is the most aggressive. (you don't have heavy rust requiring that) Wipe with mineral spirits, and lastly lacquer thinner before paint.


----------



## Kevin Okes (Feb 22, 2014)

I'm glad to hear about wire brushes. Got lots of those and plenty of grinders. Thinking about a nice burnt red or something and adding glass doors. My wife will "think" she has a new stove. Part of my reason to replace my big buck is that it is a wood hog. The 27000 triple wall is much more efficient. I burn dry wood and have good gasket seals on both stoves. Also the on/off of the fan all night means my bedroom cools and heats.  Not to mention waking up and wondering if I need to add wood since I can't here a fan.  It will move into the garage once I find one.  Oh no. Someone will tell me I'm an idiot for putting a wood stove in there.  Ryjen I'll send you my email for those pictures. Any interest in selling that piece if you're using it as an insert?


----------



## valley ranch (Feb 22, 2014)

Nice stove worth fixing up.

Genecop,  RustOleum is an Synthetic Enamel, it will smoke and burn, Are you talking about a RustOleum product made for stoves? I didn't know they made one.

I plan to install my 27000 up here while I rework the Centennial I'm using now.

Richard


----------



## coaly (Feb 22, 2014)

Kevin Okes said:


> I'm glad to hear about wire brushes. Got lots of those and plenty of grinders. Thinking about a nice burnt red or something and adding glass doors.


You can't add glass doors to a stove not made for them since the air comes in differently  as an air wash to keep the glass clean.



valley ranch said:


> Nice stove worth fixing up.
> 
> Genecop,  RustOleum is an Synthetic Enamel, it will smoke and burn, Are you talking about a RustOleum product made for stoves? I didn't know they made one.



Rust-Oleum, Krylon, Rutland....... all make 1200 degree paints that work fine, but will be flatter, more dull, and not as black as the Stove Bright.


----------



## GENECOP (Feb 22, 2014)

valley ranch said:


> Nice stove worth fixing up.
> 
> Genecop,  RustOleum is an Synthetic Enamel, it will smoke and burn, Are you talking about a RustOleum product made for stoves? I didn't know they made one.
> 
> ...




Richard, this is the stuff I have used

http://www.lowes.com/pd_329632-90-7752830_0__?productId=3728991


----------



## Kevin Okes (Feb 22, 2014)

coaly said:


> You can't add glass doors to a stove not made for them since the air comes in differently  as an air wash to keep the glass clean.
> 
> I have another not in my avatar picture which has the steel plates in it now but can have glass in it.
> 
> ...


----------



## ryjen (Feb 23, 2014)

Thanks for the input folks. I have rustoleums high heat flat black. I may use it for the back, sides, and top, and find some stove bright for the front...since that is what you will see as it will be an insert.


----------



## bobmwsc (Feb 23, 2014)

I had used a base coat of the rustoleum high heat and a top coat of the StoveBright metallic black on our pellet insert and on our coal stove. The metallic black seemed to hide some of the imperfections in the metal better than the satin or flat black.


----------



## valley ranch (Feb 23, 2014)

Genecop, Thanks, never knew about that product. They've [RustOelum] been around for a long time.

Richard


----------



## valley ranch (Feb 23, 2014)

Day before yesterday I when out to look at the buck we picked up,, it was full of water and ice. I shoveled it out and started a fire inside, to dry it out. Turned the fan on, puts out a good bit of heat. Took quite a while to dry out. I'd like to put it in here { we're at the lower ranch now } the girls say " No the Nordic is just right, the buck it too big. "  but who keeps the fire going? Yours truly!

Richard

They gave me this camera for my birthday, not half bad.


----------



## Bostontom (Mar 1, 2014)

I used a brillow pad scuffed everything up real good. Used acetone to wipe it all down and did 3 light coats of paint. Stove looks damn near brand new


----------



## Cuerno Verde (Mar 1, 2014)

So, I know this goes against the grain of aforementioned advice, but you can use stove polish on a sheet metal stove, and to superior results compared to paint in my opinion. You can achieve a high gloss gun metal type finish with the correct technique. I think it looks a damn sight better than common flat black or even the black metallic. It helps fill minor pitting too. Most people that knock using polish on sheet metal would be suprised.


----------



## ryjen (Mar 3, 2014)

Cuerno Verde said:


> So, I know this goes against the grain of aforementioned advice, but you can use stove polish on a sheet metal stove, and to superior results compared to paint in my opinion. You can achieve a high gloss gun metal type finish with the correct technique. I think it looks a damn sight better than common flat black or even the black metallic. It helps fill minor pitting too. Most people that knock using polish on sheet metal would be suprised.




Pictures, or it didn't happen!


----------



## Cuerno Verde (Mar 3, 2014)

ryjen said:


> Pictures, or it didn't happen!


It most certainly did:




I have pics of another stove about 5 years in service with polish if there are any ?'s about longevity.


----------



## Cuerno Verde (Mar 3, 2014)

Cuerno Verde said:


> It most certainly did:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


When the Grizzly is done I will post updated pics.


----------



## valley ranch (Mar 3, 2014)

Cuerno, When I used stove polish, it seems to get on anything that touches the stove, how did you get around that? That stove looks great, good for you.

Richard


----------



## Cuerno Verde (Mar 3, 2014)

Thank you Richard! Do you buff your polish after it has dried awhile and is it a paste or liquid? And do you have problems with it being messy even after you fire cure it?


----------



## valley ranch (Mar 3, 2014)

I'm guessing I don't buff it enough, leaving residue. I have the paste never seen the liquid.

Richard


----------



## Cuerno Verde (Mar 3, 2014)

valley ranch said:


> I'm guessing I don't buff it enough, leaving residue. I have the paste never seen the liquid.
> 
> Richard


After you fire it a couple good times, hit it again and she will buff out a little more. And if you get any thick areas of paste (swirls,lines and such) that a cloth won't rub out, use the finest grade of steel wool and apply NO pressure or it will pull right of (if never fire cured). Once the stove is cured by heat, it won't rub off like when its green. The very fine steel wool helps keep a shine on it afterwards for general cleaning and polishing. I've never used the liquid either , just read bout here.


----------



## ryjen (Mar 4, 2014)

That looks very nice. How many times did you have to fire the stove to cure it, and did you buff each time?


----------



## Cuerno Verde (Mar 5, 2014)

ryjen said:


> That looks very nice. How many times did you have to fire the stove to cure it, and did you buff each time?


It will cure with just one good blaze, but you may smell the wax still cooking off the first few fires. The stove Pic I posted has yet to be fire cured. Usually buff once again after being fired, then as needed for maintenance/looks.


----------



## ryjen (Sep 10, 2014)

So after procrastinating for 7 months, and with cooler weather on the horizon, I'm starting the restoration this evening. I will post pictures as I go.


----------



## valley ranch (Sep 16, 2014)

Hi ryjen, I look forward to seeing what you're doing, good luck with it.

Richard


----------



## DonnaCooper (Sep 17, 2014)

Following are some tips for stove restoration:

Break stove apart and reassemble
Weld breaks, cracks, damaged areas and broken parts
Fabricate missing or broken parts
Sandblast and clean surfaces
Paint stove with a temperature resistant paint. Seal stove for an air-tight burn.
Replace hinges and pins
Reset doors for close tight fit
Check latches for a tight close
Replace grates
Line with firebrick
Replace mica
Redo nickeling as needed, buff nickeling
Add new ash pan and lid lifter
Enamel stoves receive a thorough cleaning and touch up of porcelain


----------



## ryjen (Sep 17, 2014)

Thanks Donna,and welcome to the forum. Where in the UK are you? If in Scotland, are you voting "yes"?

Richard, I started a restoration thread for my stove over the weekend. Sadly, family obligations and a sick little one halted progress. However I do plan t get some work done tomorrow.


----------

