Is this old Earth Stove fixable?

[MacDaddy]

I was just given an old Earth Stove. I don't have a model# but here's the description:
Steel plate, not cast. Flat top. It has a drop down front door with two locking handles, one on each side of the door. A ceramic disk in the middle of the door (yellow/orange.). Decorative brass-colored balls at the top corners of the stove. It had a shrouded fan attached to the back, a fresh air intake extending down from the bottom of the stove.
My initial observation found it a bit rusty on top, but sound until I opened the door. You can see the steeel on the back of the stove, and it is cracked, like it was overheated, and is split open to expose the channel running vertically up the back outside of the stove. I was told by a friend that whomever owned it, burned the fire brick out of it, and the steel was overheated in the back of the stove and split. Can I flatten the mildly warped split area, about 5"x8", weld a plate over that, then put in new fire brick (if I can find it) and use the stove again. My assumption is that it will need new door seals as well. I can get the model # if needed. I want to use this in my shop.
My OTHER stove is a Heritage soapstone.
Any help greatly appreciated. E-mail at [email protected].
Rick McElrath
Sitka, Alaska

 

[stoveguy2esw]

i'd be hesitant, if the box is busted where you can see it , it may be in other places as well. you would want to go over the unit very closely and check for other areas where it could be cracked as well. it may be fixable, may not be.

 

[kd460]

Can you post pics? If you weld, then MAYBE it is fixable. To hire it out may not be worth your while. Also if you do weld, are you confident in your welds to put yourself or your family on the line with your welds?

I agree with stoveguy, tough call without seeing it. Even if you were to straighten things out, weld it up, are you just changining the stress points and it will start to crack someplace else? Not sure if I would trust a stove that sounds severely overfired, but than again, I am not fmiliar with stove rebuilding. Good luck with it. KD

 

[begreen]

I have to agree, it might be better to see what the price of scrap steel is locally. The stove is too big to use as a boat anchor.