Liberty by Lopi

[TooClose]

Hello burners,
New here with a question about repairing my 19 year old Liberty by Lopi.
I burn +/- 5 cords seasoned oak per season.
On the back of my stove the air channel is cracked. I am seeking advice on how to mend these cracks.
I have tried JB WeldBond high heat but it does not adhere to the metal areas affected. I am considering
cutting pieces of iron to cover the cracks but I am not confident that self tapping screws or rivets would
withstand the heat. Another idea was to use a combination of a metal plate over a bead of HH WeldBond
but still need ideas for fasteners.
The stove burns fine as it is but I have noticed that the air leaks reduce the effectiveness of the overhead
baffles a bit. I'll be replacing the forward and center baffle supports and several bricks, as well.
Any thoughts on repairing the cracks?
Thanks to all.
God Bless America

 

[begreen]

That's not looking good. I think Lopi added a shield to prevent this on later Liberties. You could try bolting in a patch with some refractory gasket material behind it, but that may only buy a season or two. After almost 100 cords and 20 yrs of full service I think I would be looking at investing in a new stove.

 

[Highbeam]

Put a fork in her!

 

[TooClose]

I'm going to fix my stove.
It won't be pretty but it will suffice.
I'll post pics of the repair when it's done.

 

[begreen]

Use stainless for the patch with some soft gasket material behind it to seal the cracks as best as possible. Use stainless sheetmetal screws or stainless pop rivets to hold it in place.

 

[TooClose]

Found a great piece of stainless to do the job.
The fact that it's already cornered should help a lot.
Ordered some true stainless pop rivets.
Begreen, any thoughts on a "soft gasket material" to use?
I'd like to reinforce the entire channel while I'm in there.
Septembers coming soon,
Thanks

 

[begreen]

Search for ceramic (or mineral) fiber gasket material. I haven't purchased any so I can't tell you which is better or best for your application. The trick is going to be getting a small quantity. Here are some examples:
https://www.amazon.com/Lynn-Pellet-Stove-Gasket-Paper/dp/B072HQ2B2N/ref=pd_cp_328_2
https://www.mcmaster.com/ceramic-gaskets

 

[Highbeam]

A wirefeed welder that works on a regular 120 volt household plug costs 100$ at harbor freight, comes with wire, even a face shield, and can weld a patch over the failed pieces. Lopi welded that thing in there and it was made of steel before.

I own one of these cheap wirefeed welders and it is very much like using a hot glue gun.