Resolute II temps question

Hello, what an amazing forum!
I am running a Resolute II that I have had the pleasure cleaning up and installing in my home. The stove sits on the slab on grade floor, with a 4'x5' 1/8th thick stainless sheet mounted a couple inches from the sheetrock behind . It is set up as a top exit, running into 18' of 6" sw, into 10' class a starting 4" below the cathedral ceiling. The house is open plan with the resolute centrally located. We have plenty of aged red oak, maple and beech dead fall.
I am curious about the temps I am reading with an ir thermometer:
central griddle 625
flue just above the collar 450
right side 650
Left side 350
This is 1/2 filled, damper closed, inlet at about 1/8" open. The fuel lasts about 4 hours.
As it is an older stove and the damper is little out of alignment due to a warped fireback (thanks defiant 3), would these temps be optimal or should I change something?

I see nothing wrong with these temps. I believe the Resolute II has the cast iron fireback and doesn't have any of the refractory parts like the newer Resolutes, correct? If so than it has kind of the same design as the old Vigilant and Defiants. I would have the old Vigilant's griddle sitting at 750 at times when the draft was strong on cold nights. It liked to run hot at times.

Your temps seems to be just fine.

Can you get it to burn under 450 on the stack? Not saying it's a problem, just wonderingif you have good control. It's definately a candidate for a rebuild, but sounds OK for now. I wouldn't want it cruising any higher than that really...

Good catch. That does seem a little warm. I just noticed the stove top temps and assumed the 450 was part of the stove. The Vigilant was at around 300 for the majority of the burn just above the collar.

Thanks so much for your feedback, 450 is the upper end of the range that i see on the flue pipe, I have been experimenting with different rates of closing the air inlet to see how my burns go. The stove seems very responsive to adjustments and is easy to start.
Here is my resolute with its SS wall shield. The Stainless stays cool to the touch directly behind the stove, while the back of your hand towards the stove feels like it is in the broiler. I plan to build a simple concrete box for it to sit on.

Here is the flue pipe, I was so anxious about the first cut into my standing seam steel roof up top. Luckily the hole was in the correct spot!
So good to start using all the great deadfall in my woods.

I did an IR reading (Xams gift) yesterday on my Resolute and the readings were all over the place, except for the griddle top, which was identical to the magnetic thermometer, also on top. I prefer to burn in the 550 range.

Lately I have been running my resolute in a similar range, analyzing alot with the ir thermometer. It is cranking right now with the snowstorm outside, very cozy.. Red Oak and black birch, aged and dry keeping it fed..