Rebuilding a VC Defiant. Now with new pictures!

What is the difference between white & black rope gaskets (other than the color of course)?
Not sure

Can brush on contact cement be used to set rope gaskets in place?
You should use high temp stove cement for gaskets. Do a Google search for Rutland

Should I use special VC stove paint on my stove or will jsut regular black high temp. paint work fine?
If it is a flat black model, then any high temp flat black paint should work

Can you set up a permenent magnihelic guage to measure draft in your flue pipe? I have some I got for free so I was going to run a copper tube into the flue pipe.
Not sure

Does Never-Sieze seem to work on stove bolts?
Not sure

What is Medium density 6ND gasket?
Not sure

What is Adhesive Fiberglss gasket? Is it already sticky?
Not sure

Is there a cast iron stove out there that has moved away from rope gaskets to something more high tech that doesn't compress then leak or have to be replaced all the time? Just seems like REALLY old technology to me.
Nope

What is the best way to clean stubborn door glass soot & staining?
Try damp paper towel with some ash before moving on to purching cle

If I run a "max 55,000 BTU" stove at around 40,000 is it going ot plug up the chimney with creosote?
No. Don't worry about claimed BTU rating. Worry about stove top temps.

how about some pics of the rebuild as you go along? sounds interesting!!

Stove Bright paint has been recommended here before: http://www.northlineexpress.com/category/high-temp-paint.asp

Fumes are strong so if you use it be careful.

Re: never seize. I use the Jig-a-loo Extreme graphite product, works for me.

http://dealnay.com/815308/jig-a-loo-jigusa721-extreme-temprerature-graphite-lubricant-5.5-oz.html

The black gasket is graphite powder impregnated. Rutland makes it. If you look at their website they claim the added graphite makes it resist buildup and last longer.

OH IT'S MY BUDDY. HI BILL!

What is the difference between white & black rope gaskets (other than the color of course)?
Nothing. My stove gaskets are green. There are two different gasket sizes.

Can brush on contact cement be used to set rope gaskets in place?
So long as it's stove cement, yes.

Should I use special VC stove paint on my stove or will jsut regular black high temp. paint work fine?
Any high temp stuff is good. I suggest blue or pink for the riced out honda civic look.

Can you set up a permenent magnihelic guage to measure draft in your flue pipe? I have some I got for free so I was going to run a copper tube into the flue pipe.

Does Never-Sieze seem to work on stove bolts?
Yeah I went through this also since I had to get the F-ing screws out to put heat shields on mine. PB Blaster is the best for this since they make it so annealed metals (stainless steel screws in a cast iron tap) come apart. Be patient and take it slow. Also this forum directed me to the wonder of the impact screwdriver. Buy one and buy a lot of bits for it since the mating of the screw is important. I used PB Blaster (ZeXX would also work here, see welding supply shop) and sprayed it a bunch of times over the course of 15 minutes. I then palmed the screwdriver until it gave up.

What is Medium density 6ND gasket?
Something VC cooked up to make money.

What is Adhesive Fiberglss gasket? Is it already sticky?
Yes BUT, stove gasket comes in rope format. I bought gasket to redo my doors since the previous clown who owned my stove "rebuilt" it with the same size gasket all around and honestly I wish I had purchased and applied the adhesive myself.

Is there a cast iron stove out there that has moved away from rope gaskets to something more high tech that doesn’t compress then leak or have to be replaced all the time? Just seems like REALLY old technology to me.
You could try steel and asbesdos. Seems to work for cars. If you wouldn't put a brake pad on your mantle I don't think you want to do that with your stove.

What is the best way to clean stubborn door glass soot & staining?
windex. Actually it's not worth it, just clean it with ash + newspaper at the end of the season. When I got my defiant working I used to be anal about it and now I've come full circle.

If I run a “max 55,000 BTU†stove at around 40,000 is it going ot plug up the chimney with creosote?
That's a do it by observation question, I think. Your wood has a lot more to do with that then how you burn it.

Through neferious technical means I can get the PDF manuals out of the Vermont Castings site. I think they make it hard just so people will have to run the stoves into service. I have posted the encore manual and encore manual addendum to google documents for you:
Vermont Castings Encore manual
Vermont Castings Encore manual addendum

BrowningBAR said:

What is the difference between white & black rope gaskets (other than the color of course)?
Not sure
Just color. There are differences in density and the griddle gasket needs to be that armor plated stuff. Just go to a VC dealer or order online a VC Encore gasket kit (i'm guessing this is an Encore)

Can brush on contact cement be used to set rope gaskets in place?
You should use high temp stove cement for gaskets. Do a Google search for Rutland
Or try a local Hearth shop, they sell it there

Should I use special VC stove paint on my stove or will jsut regular black high temp. paint work fine?
If it is a flat black model, then any high temp flat black paint should work
Any high temp paint will paint it black, but the VC paint did look a little different. It for sure had a softer classier look to it.

Can you set up a permenent magnihelic guage to measure draft in your flue pipe? I have some I got for free so I was going to run a copper tube into the flue pipe.
Not sure
Sure, if you want to be a geek. Just toss a thermometer on the griddle front right corner.

Does Never-Sieze seem to work on stove bolts?
Not sure
Never used that product, but I have used graphic lube

What is Medium density 6ND gasket?
Not sure
Just buy the VC gasket kit

What is Adhesive Fiberglss gasket? Is it already sticky?
Not sure
Probably a gasket with a peel off adhesive backing, also should come in that kit

Is there a cast iron stove out there that has moved away from rope gaskets to something more high tech that doesn't compress then leak or have to be replaced all the time? Just seems like REALLY old technology to me.
Nope

What is the best way to clean stubborn door glass soot & staining?
Try damp paper towel with some ash before moving on to purching cle
Or go to a hearth shop and buy stove glass cleaner. The ash thing "should" take care of most needs. I use the glass cleaner to soak the stuff that ash wont take off.

If I run a "max 55,000 BTU" stove at around 40,000 is it going ot plug up the chimney with creosote?
No. Don't worry about claimed BTU rating. Worry about stove top temps.

Click to expand...

If you fire it up, keep the griddle at 500 degrees or so and look at your chimney..no smoke means good

tiber said:

OH IT'S MY BUDDY. HI BILL!

Through neferious technical means I can get the PDF manuals out of the Vermont Castings site. I think they make it hard just so people will have to run the stoves into service. I have posted the encore manual and encore manual addendum to google documents for you:
Vermont Castings Encore manual
Vermont Castings Encore manual addendum

Click to expand...

http://www.vermontcastings.com/
click on customer care
Manuals for every single stove they make are presented in a list.


Note sure whats nefarious about that but to each his own....

[Edit... they really need to equip the internet with an automatic sarcasm indicator (since we cant read tone of voice) since obviously you were just point out how easy it is to get the manuals ]

jharkin said:

http://www.vermontcastings.com/
click on customer care
Manuals for every single stove they make are presented in a list.
Note sure whats nefarious about that but to each his own....

Click to expand...

If you actually go to open them they usually take forever to download if they finish downloading. Since it seems to give a lot of forum members trouble, I think it's worth posting them to google cache. No there's nothing nefarious about it except the fact their site is hosted on an ATARI 2600 in an igloo.

Nice pictures, thanks! What is your "game plan" on the stove? Are you taking it further apart or are you at the back together part? I ask because when I was "stove shopping" I came across the same stove that needed rebuilding. I passed on it as I didn't think I Could make it fit with the way the flue came out the back.

Hey Bill,

Looks like your rebuild is coming along. How did you make out with the refractory reconstruction? I heard from a guy who said he uses some sort of new high temp silicone in place of the cemment on the seams. But it looks like you are doing fine with the current rebuild. Looks like you are doing a great job! Good luck.

Chris

Here's an article on building refractory parts in case you're interested. This was written by another Hearth member.
http://gordosoft.com/woodstove/refractoryDIY.htm