Jotul Oslo with a cracked bottom! Can it be fixed?

How old is the stove? Given you've already bought it and you probably can't give it back? Does it look like it is structurally compromised? I doubt the previous owners even knew it was there. It is probably the result of over-fire.

I'd be thinking stove cement just to seal it if it doesn't look structurally damaged. Is it cracked all the way through to the outside of the stove?

PS welcome to the forum. We like pics. More please, of the outside of the stove and the hearth you're going to put it on.. etc.

I would contact Jotul and see what they say on how to fix it or if it is no longer safe to use, they might give you a discount towards a new stove if it is not fixable.

PM sent. Check your inbox. I think I have a possible solution.

Where are you located? I have had good luck welding cast iron including pieces that welding shops said no to. If Joful's solution doesn't work please let me know.

I have done this repair before. It isn't all that tough. Basically you have two choices, carefully flip the Oslo on its top and take the base off from there or you can start at the top and take it down piece by piece. You will only need a 10 mm and a 13 mm socket. Once apart you must clean out the old stove cement in the joints. Recement when you put it back together and do your break in fires to drive the moisture out of the cement.

Jen Eastwood-Fisher said:

Sorry I am new to this, what are break in fires?

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Small fires to drive out the moisture, usually only needed on a new stove but since you're replacing parts you should do it too, just light 3 small fires, maybe making the third one bigger then you can let it rip.

Prob from running it with the ash door open. Its not that Jotul doesn't care (of course they do), its just they see this a lot. Its not a hard thing to do, you just have to be careful. I've replaced bases both from the bottom (with the stove on its top, as jotulguy suggests- its also how Jotul suggests doing it too) or breaking the stove down from the top. I would break it all down, note how things go and clean the side and rear panels up well. When reassembling, use plenty of furnace cement. When she is restored to her former glory, treat it like a new stove. 3 or 4 small fires, to let the castings get used to having heat applied. I did it every season to my Oslo, it always treated me well. The baseplate will run you a couple hundred dollars, it will be a well worth investment. The Oslo is prob the most popular cast iron stove in New England. Good luck with it.

jotulguy said:

I have done this repair before. It isn't all that tough. Basically you have two choices, carefully flip the Oslo on its top and take the base off from there or you can start at the top and take it down piece by piece. You will only need a 10 mm and a 13 mm socket. Once apart you must clean out the old stove cement in the joints. Recement when you put it back together and do your break in fires to drive the moisture out of the cement.

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...and if you are going to do something like this, you might find a chimney sweep kind-of guy or someone good with tools, to help with the effort.

The very act of tipping the stove upside down, (although it totally makes sense) isn't something for someone that doesn't feel at home around mechanical work.