Crack Advise

[Insanad]

Ha! Made you look, made you stare, made you chew your underwear!

Actually, I"m looking for advise to fix a crack in a Jotul wood stove I bought used (for a mere $200.00). It's a gorgeous little stove but has a thin crack on one side that goes through the whole thickness of the box. I want to install the stove in my little 850 sf pioneer cabin but not until I know it's safe to use. Can we fix it ourselves or do we have to hire a pro?

What causes a crack like that? Some have suggested the fire got too hot. Would using pine improperly do that?

Do the cracks get bigger or is it no biggy to worry about? Will smoke escape and fill the house? Is it a fire danger or safety issue?

Did I pay $200 for a large paper weight? Is that guy in S. Idaho still laughing at my ignorance?

 

[karri0n]

Stove cement will seal the crack, but yes, when a cast iron box is cracked all the way through, it is generally considered "paper weight" status.

 

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Weld it

 

[Insanad]

Dag-nab-it! I knew it was too good to be true, especially considering that a good Jotul costs considerably more than what I paid for my paper weight.

I still have the original 1868 cast iron pot belly style stove that came with the cabin but it too has a fairly large crack in the side so we've never considered it useful for anything but a plant stand. It's sitting on the front porch as a decoration but several folks have told me that it's just begging to get stolen because it's considered a prize as an antique. Now i can set the Jotul on the other side and have a matching set. I'll just chain them to the porch post and if someone wants to steal them they'll have to take the porch too.

Maybe this is what Grandpa meant when he said on his deathbed, "Don't take no wooden nickels.".

 

[Wood Duck]

What causes a crack like that? Some have suggested the fire got too hot. Would using pine improperly do that?

Yes, Improperly burning pine could overheat a stove. So could improperly burning any other type of wood. I have no idea if overheating would cause a crack.