Asbestos? Repro cast iron parlour stove from Taiwan

[kjbteas]

Hi all, wondering if there's someone out there with knowledge of reproduction cast iron wood burning parlour stoves from Taiwan who can tell me if mine has asbestos in it (picture of an identical one below). Specifically, I've noticed the back panel of the fire box is not made of cast iron - it's some sort of ceramic or cement. Could this be an asbestos-containing compound?

There are no gaskets or ropes, so no worries there, but I am curious about the material used for that rear panel.

There's no manufacturer information I can find on it anywhere... just has "Taiwan" cast on the back panel.

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[DAKSY]

Is this a gas burner or wood burner? I see that you posted to two different forums & I want to put in the correct one...

 

[kjbteas]

Is this a gas burner or wood burner? I see that you posted to two different forums & I want to put in the correct one...

Thanks, it's a wood burner.

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[bholler]

Thanks, it's a wood burner.

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As long as it is intact and not crumpling at all it shouldn't matter either way. Are you sure it is the back panel and not a heat shield? All of those I have seen were a full cast body. Pretty poor quality castings but all cast.

 

[kjbteas]

It's not crumbling, but needs a once over with a bronze brush to remove grime before painting. Definitely not cast iron - I tried a small corner with the bronze brush, and it's definitely not metal as far as I can tell. It's definitely some kind of ceramic or cement. Want to know if it's safe to restore it with a bronze brush wheel on a drill.

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[kjbteas]

It's not crumbling, but needs a once over with a bronze brush to remove grime before painting. Definitely not cast iron - I tried a small corner with the bronze brush, and it's definitely not metal as far as I can tell. It's definitely some kind of ceramic or cement. Want to know if it's safe to restore it with a bronze brush wheel on a drill.

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To clarify - it is the back panel of the fire box - one single piece bolted straight on to the cast iron.

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[bholler]

To clarify - it is the back panel of the fire box - one single piece bolted straight on to the cast iron.

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I wouldn't bother getting to carried away with the inside. just a soft brush and vacuum will do

 

[kjbteas]

I wouldn't bother getting to carried away with the inside. just a soft brush and vacuum will do

It's actually the outside of the stove - entire back panel. I apprecuate the suggestion, though I really want to know what material this back panel is made of. Perhaps there's someone her who has seen this before, or knows something about the materials other than cast iron that were being used in Taiwan at the time of manufacture (70's maybe?). It's not just the restoration, but also resale, disposal, future repair - loads of good reasons to try and find out what's in this thing. I'm thinking of getting a sample tested, but wondering if someone here could save me the $50.

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[bholler]

It's actually the outside of the stove - entire back panel. I apprecuate the suggestion, though I really want to know what material this back panel is made of. Perhaps there's someone her who has seen this before, or knows something about the materials other than cast iron that were being used in Taiwan at the time of manufacture (70's maybe?). It's not just the restoration, but also resale, disposal, future repair - loads of good reasons to try and find out what's in this thing. I'm thinking of getting a sample tested, but wondering if someone here could save me the $50.

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Some pics of it would help. Those stoves have been made from the 70s to present day although i dont thing they can be sold here anymore now. As long as it isnt crumbling i wouldnt give it a second thought.

And btw the resale value of those stoves is pretty low.

 

[begreen]

If it's soft I would not take a power tool or wire brush to it.

 

[peakbagger]

The only way to tell if its asbestos is for a certified tech to take a look at a sample with a polarized light microscope (PLM). Given the age and that its a bolt on panel its highly likely it is reinforced with asbestos. The problem is that the only way to confirm it is typically destructive testing where a very small piece is removed and sent to a testing firm. There is lot of paperwork involved to do it legit. You can buy a single sample kit at hardware stores. Search for "Pro Lab Asbestos" as an example. Following the instructions you will most likely need to snap off a very small piece using proper precautions, put it the packaging in the kit and send it to the firm and they will send you the results.

Generally a refractory panel has to have some sort of internal reinforcement as the refractory alone is brittle. Expansion and contraction will crack it. Depending on the product, when its broken, fibers are pretty obvious at the crack but that is not a guarantee.

Asbestos was and still is a great reinforcement for thermal panels but obviously asbestos has a deserved bad reputation. Generally a reinforced panel is considered encapsulated asbestos and is far less hazardous than free fibers. Unless its smashed or cut with tools like a circular saw or ground with grinding wheel exposing the fibers, is pretty safe stuff and the regs for removing it are somewhat easier but still a PITA.. A similar asbestos containing product was used for siding on homes, and can really delay real estate deals as many banks will not lend money on a home with asbestos containing materials. There is a lot of paperwork involved to remove and dispose of asbestos so doing it legit is costly. Many towns have household hazardous waste days and many will accept some amounts of asbestos on those days with far fewer questions asked.

The hassle with asbestos is once you know its asbestos you have to treat it as asbestos as the testing creates a permanent record. Once that record exists if you do not dispose of it properly, it can come back to haunt you. Folks have gone to jail for disposing it improperly and fines and lawsuits have kept many a lawyer employed.

 

[begreen]

These units were made and sold here up to a few years ago. Vogelzang had one on the market. See if there is any casting date anywhere on any piece of the stove. It might be on the backside of the casting. If it's newer than 1989 it should not have any asbestos, but if unknown then it's best to treat it like it is asbestos.