Hi, I posted a few weeks ago about replacing my vintage Morso, model 1124 - from about 1983.
I got some great advice here, but I just can't bite the bullet and give up this stove - I love it so much! Nothing compares aesthetically and it is the perfect size, shape and heat output. Getting a new one feels like too much of a risk.
So I was looking at it again tonight when cleaning out the ash (it burns so hot that there is barely any ash). There are two smallish oval windows in the double doors. The glass is held in place by something (a gasket?) that is attached inside the stove and looks as if the gaskets are screwed into place. They look to be made out of some kind of hard substance (not metal) that I would guess was asbestos, if I wasn't pretty sure asbestos was banned by 1983.
Anyway, both of the gaskets have warped so much that they have cracked; a clean break type crack, one per gasket, but they are still held in place by the screws and are in no danger of falling out. I'm sure they allow too much air and limit my ability to damp down the fire to hold overnight like I used to be able to do. It's not a huge problem because I'm in the PNW and our frigid nights are limited.
But I'd like to get new gaskets installed and no parts are available for these stoves. Is there any place that custom makes these types of things for wood stoves? What would I look for in my area? I found a man in the Portland area many years ago who was able to get the pattern from Morso for my smoke shelf/baffle and he created a new cast iron one for me, after mine warped and nearly burned up, but I'm not sure he's still around. I can't find him - and these gaskets aren't cast iron anyway.
Thanks for any help or ideas you can give.
I got some great advice here, but I just can't bite the bullet and give up this stove - I love it so much! Nothing compares aesthetically and it is the perfect size, shape and heat output. Getting a new one feels like too much of a risk.
So I was looking at it again tonight when cleaning out the ash (it burns so hot that there is barely any ash). There are two smallish oval windows in the double doors. The glass is held in place by something (a gasket?) that is attached inside the stove and looks as if the gaskets are screwed into place. They look to be made out of some kind of hard substance (not metal) that I would guess was asbestos, if I wasn't pretty sure asbestos was banned by 1983.
Anyway, both of the gaskets have warped so much that they have cracked; a clean break type crack, one per gasket, but they are still held in place by the screws and are in no danger of falling out. I'm sure they allow too much air and limit my ability to damp down the fire to hold overnight like I used to be able to do. It's not a huge problem because I'm in the PNW and our frigid nights are limited.
But I'd like to get new gaskets installed and no parts are available for these stoves. Is there any place that custom makes these types of things for wood stoves? What would I look for in my area? I found a man in the Portland area many years ago who was able to get the pattern from Morso for my smoke shelf/baffle and he created a new cast iron one for me, after mine warped and nearly burned up, but I'm not sure he's still around. I can't find him - and these gaskets aren't cast iron anyway.
Thanks for any help or ideas you can give.
