Cracked/warped metal inside woodstove

[spencer_k]

I have an old (1980s?) Hutch Woodstove that came with my house. We've burned wood for 2 winters with no issues. However, I recently noticed the metal on the inside "ceiling" of my stove is cracked and warped. Is this a safety issue? Is there a good way to repair it? Thank you.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

I’m not a pro, but I would imagine trying to save a 40 year old woodstove in that condition, would make no financial sense.
It could be a safety issue perhaps. If the stove is cracked, that would likely lead to an excess of air, being drawn into the firebox, which would overheat both the stove itself, and in this case, more importantly, the chimney set up.
Personally, I would get the whole set up inspected/removed and then replaced with something new. that stove is likely connected to an old chimney set up. An inspection by a decent chimney sweep may result in that person recommending a new woodstove and chimney set up. I couldn’t tell from the above picture, but if your stove is in a masonry chimney, then, perhaps a wood burning insert might be able to go and its place along with a stainless liner that acts as the vent for it to the top of the chimney.
It’s definitely not cheap, but you might be burning in a very outdated, and potentially unsafe, set up right now, so the price might be well well worth the investment. Plus, you’d be shocked at the efficiency of a newer stove. The investment now would definitely save you in money and/ or effort by having to use less firewood each year.