Jotul 118 c. 1977: warped top cover

[thisoldgoat]

This stove was obviously over-fired at some point in it's life. The shoulder plate was cracked at two corners and the side burn plates were in tough shape.

My neighbor who knows his way around a welder fixed the shoulder plate as well as the burn plates but indicated to me that the burn plates were "burned out"; that is, the molecular structure has been altered by heat.

I rebuilt the stove with new cement and gaskets. It works great, however, I now notice that the top cover is warped, high in the center with a gap of less than 1/16" in the center on both sides, just enough to see the flames when starting up the stove. The new gasket helps but does not compress enough on the ends to permit contact in the middle. I tried placing weight in the center but it's not enough. It resembles those flatbed semi trailers that display a mild arc when not bearing a load.

Is there a fix to this short of replacement? Can a hunk of cast iron be straightened? Maybe I should just leave it be; perhaps that gap is serving as a secondary combustion air source.

 

[begreen]

The burn plates are sacrificial. They need to be replaced when they start to break down after a decade or more of use. Unfortunately when the side burn plates or a degraded baffle are not replaced, the stove starts to destroy itself. That may be the state your stove is in. If so, it might be better to shop for one in good condition and keep the old one for parts. Or replace it with a modern stove.

 

[peakbagger]

There are folks who break up old Jotuls and sell the still functional parts on Ebay. Realistically you will rapidly exceed the value of the stove if you have to buy many parts. Lot to be said for keeping an eye out on Craigslist as these old stoves pop up on occasion.

 

[begreen]

Yes, also watch local craigslist. We occasionally see people locating one that is like new. The old Jotuls from VA and NC can sometimes be in better condition due to lower usage.

 

[thisoldgoat]

Thanks guys for your thoughts/sound advice. I think I may run it the remainder of the season and then look for something newer.

 

[begreen]

Fill the gap with some stove cement finger troweled in or with some flat gasket material.

 

[thisoldgoat]

begreen, I was all set to act on that suggestion, as I have the materials on hand.

However, it has corrected itself, at least to some degree. The gap is all but gone on one side and is much smaller on the other. My theory is that the gasket is settling in, thus permitting a better fit.