Who would redo the top of my porcelain stove?

[PA. Woodsman]

I have a great stove from 1993, a Dovre Aurora, and it is black porcelain enamel; over the years it would crack and peel on the top and I would touch it up with those little bottles of porcelain touch up paint and that was fine for awhile, but the last few years the pieces that needed touching up have gotten bigger. I checked MANY places to find a larger size can of the touch up paint but no one makes it, I even talked to a guy from "the chimney sweep" website today as he had an article about porcelain stoves on there and he verified that no one makes larger containers of black porcelain enamel paint, I guess there isn't much call for it. I even called the local stove shops to see if there was someone locally who could haul it out in the Summer and sandblast and redo it, but no one seems to know anyone who would do this. Any ideas on what profession would do this, I really want to keep the stove as it is in fine shape even being 25 years old!

Thanks for any suggestions....

 

[xman23]

A number of issues. Moving it out and back in, sand blasting, refinishing. I think you can find someone who would sand blast it. A new porcelain finish, I don't know, but it may be hard to find. How about stove paint.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

A number of issues. Moving it out and back in, sand blasting, refinishing. I think you can find someone who would sand blast it. A new porcelain finish, I don't know, but it may be hard to find. How about stove paint.

I like the look of the porcelain enamel and aside from the cracks it is a no maintenence finish. The sides and the front are in good shape yet, it's just the top that has peeled and cracked at spots, I'm assuming from the heat?

 

[SpaceBus]

I like the look of the porcelain enamel and aside from the cracks it is a no maintenence finish. The sides and the front are in good shape yet, it's just the top that has peeled and cracked at spots, I'm assuming from the heat?

Did you use a kettle or anything on it? Water spilling can change temperatures rapidly due to evaporation effects. As to your original question, you could try and find someone that restores stoves and take it to them over the summer. Shouldn't be a big deal for a good re-builder to tear it down, clean it up, reseal it, and put it back together in like new condition for you. It might cost a bit, but it should be less than the price of a new stove and you get to keep your treasured possession.

 

[bholler]

Did you use a kettle or anything on it? Water spilling can change temperatures rapidly due to evaporation effects. As to your original question, you could try and find someone that restores stoves and take it to them over the summer. Shouldn't be a big deal for a good re-builder to tear it down, clean it up, reseal it, and put it back together in like new condition for you. It might cost a bit, but it should be less than the price of a new stove and you get to keep your treasured possession.

Re enameling a stove takes allot of equipment it is not something a local stove shop can do

 

[Woody5506]

I work in the industrial coatings world and I think you'll be hard pressed to find anyone who would recoat this with an actual porcelain enamel pretty much anywhere.

The next best thing if you're dead set on that smooth glassy look would probably be a high gloss, high temp powder coat. The stove would have to be blasted first, which might be pricey assuming porcelain enamel isnt the easiest to blast off, aside from the areas you've had to touch up.

 

[SpaceBus]

Re enameling a stove takes allot of equipment it is not something a local stove shop can do

I meant more like a specialty place like the Antique Stove Doctor or Barnstable Stoves.

 

[bholler]

I meant more like a specialty place like the Antique Stove Doctor or Barnstable Stoves.

I doubt they do it either. But they can probably refer you to someone who would. But I would expect the bill to be well over $1000

 

[SpaceBus]

I doubt they do it either. But they can probably refer you to someone who would. But I would expect the bill to be well over $1000

Indeed. It would only be worth it to the right person, which is usually the case with old stuff. It happens all the time with cars. Guys spend thousands fixing the car, then try to sell it for what they put into it.

 

[begreen]

There is/was a place in Tenn.? that does this. We had a BK stove owner that had his stove sandblasted and porcelained there. @Calentarse was that you?

 

[bholler]

There is/was a place in Tenn.? that does this. We had a BK stove owner that had his stove sandblasted and porcelained there. @Calentarse was that you?

Yeah i know there are places that do it but i have never had the need to find them.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Thank you all for the replies!

SpaceBus, yes I have a lattice steamer on the top but it also cracked, chipped and peeled on other areas of the top too. I first thought it might be from the steamer and there have been a few times that dummy here overfilled it and it would leak over and steam but the area that is affected is just widening to areas that no water would've hit. I think it is just wearing and peeling from years of use and time.

I will continue to check around and see if anyone would be willing to do it, at least get some options. I touched it up before the heating season started, if you stand above it in the light and look you'll see the many "scars" and it looks odd but if you don't look at it from afar it all just looks black and still works just fine; if that (touching it up all the time) is my only option I can do that and live with it, if someone can redo it and make it look nice again without breaking the bank I'll try that, but it doesn't seem like there are many options here!

Thanks so much for the replies!!

 

[Calentarse]

There is/was a place in Tenn.? that does this. We had a BK stove owner that had his stove sandblasted and porcelained there. @Calentarse was that you?

Sorry for the late reply. No, that was not.me. I painted my stove with Dampney stove paint out of Massachusetts

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Well I have made many phone calls and checked out many things on the internet and I have found that no company makes a high gloss black enamel paint that can withstand more than 500 degrees yet they make flat black paint that can withstand up to 1200 degrees and they said the reason for this is because the gloss black fades over time and people complained about it so they just make flat black. A local chimney sweep that I know told me he tries to steer people away from porcelain enamel stoves because once they start to peel they keep going, said it would show "character" and I guess he is right. I might buy a pint of this one company's gloss black that can take up to 500 degrees, give it a try as touch up paint and whatever happens happens; the little bottles of touch up that I had been using take up to 400 degrees and that stays on somewhat, this 500 degree one might work okay and if some peels I can just keep touching it up, it's better than nothing. And I found no one that would be interested in sandblasting it and repainting it, and have read some stories that said you can't fully remove the finish all the way, so I guess I'll keep touching it up. I sure learned a lot this way, thanks!

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Well I have made many phone calls and checked out many things on the internet and I have found that no company makes a high gloss black enamel paint that can withstand more than 500 degrees yet they make flat black paint that can withstand up to 1200 degrees and they said the reason for this is because the gloss black fades over time and people complained about it so they just make flat black. A local chimney sweep that I know told me he tries to steer people away from porcelain enamel stoves because once they start to peel they keep going, said it would show "character" and I guess he is right. I might buy a pint of this one company's gloss black that can take up to 500 degrees, give it a try as touch up paint and whatever happens happens; the little bottles of touch up that I had been using take up to 400 degrees and that stays on somewhat, this 500 degree one might work okay and if some peels I can just keep touching it up, it's better than nothing. And I found no one that would be interested in sandblasting it and repainting it, and have read some stories that said you can't fully remove the finish all the way, so I guess I'll keep touching it up. I sure learned a lot this way, thanks!

I agree with the character comment.

None of us can go back and look as good as when we were 20, but man, all those miles sure made us a lot more interesting.

Good luck with the 500° paint, it might just work for you.

One more idea, no idea what would happen...

How about mixing some of that 500° gloss paint with the higher temp flat black?

 

[Calentarse]

The thermalox paint I used before I got an enamel stove was really good. I found that the brush on, if laid on too thick, definitely peels. The spray paint did not. Lay on thin coats is my reccomendation. Although, I won't go back to paint if I don't have to. Loving the BK enamel. Holding up well so far

 

[PA. Woodsman]

The thermalox paint I used before I got an enamel stove was really good. I found that the brush on, if laid on too thick, definitely peels. The spray paint did not. Lay on thin coats is my reccomendation. Although, I won't go back to paint if I don't have to. Loving the BK enamel. Holding up well so far

I looked at their website and see they have a semi gloss black that is good up to 1200 degrees but it is a little confusing, I'll have to give them a call and inquire about it, thank you!

 

[Woody5506]

Temperkote makes a high gloss high heat black that withstands 1500. Problem is, I dont think I'd recommend it because I cant get it to stop stinking everytime it heats up. I blasted and painted a tractor supply tea kettle with it for the stove top.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Temperkote makes a high gloss high heat black that withstands 1500. Problem is, I dont think I'd recommend it because I cant get it to stop stinking everytime it heats up. I blasted and painted a tractor supply tea kettle with it for the stove top.

Yes, this is another concern that I have, and if it takes a long time to burn the smell off I'd be in trouble for awhile lol! Thanks for the reply!

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Temperkote makes a high gloss high heat black that withstands 1500. Problem is, I dont think I'd recommend it because I cant get it to stop stinking everytime it heats up. I blasted and painted a tractor supply tea kettle with it for the stove top.

I wonder if the smell would wear off faster on the stove than a kettle because the surface is flat and it would get hotter? The sides of the kettle probably don't get as hot as the bottom, just wondering?

 

[Woody5506]

I wonder if the smell would wear off faster on the stove than a kettle because the surface is flat and it would get hotter? The sides of the kettle probably don't get as hot as the bottom, just wondering?

Not too sure, I stopped trying! I was putting it right on the stove top though so it was getting 500+ degrees. Kind of a shame actually because it's probably the nicest high heat paint I've sprayed at work. Ideally it wouldve just been cured in an oven (like powdercoat) but we don't have one.

 

[Pertzbro]

Couldnt you put the kettle in the oven and put the oven to self clean mode? Surely would get over 500 degrees all over the outside and inside of the kettle for multiple hours.

 

[Woody5506]

Couldnt you put the kettle in the oven and put the oven to self clean mode? Surely would get over 500 degrees all over the outside and inside of the kettle for multiple hours.

Yeah but my whole point is I'm sick of stinking my house out with it just on my stove. No way would I cure it in my kitchen oven, my wife would surely kick my ass. Curing an actual powder coat in your household oven is bad enough.

 

[SpaceBus]

If you have a non cat maybe you could put it inside the wood stove. 1500 is a lot.

 

[SpaceBus]

Yeah but my whole point is I'm sick of stinking my house out with it just on my stove. No way would I cure it in my kitchen oven, my wife would surely kick my ass. Curing an actual powder coat in your household oven is bad enough.

Yeah, my wife would not be thrilled if I did something like that. It's bad enough when our tractor supply fireplace tools smoke...