Got me a Blaze King Classic! Project thread.

[NorthIdahoMan]

Well I'm super excited to be the proud owner of a King 1107 (predecessor to the King 40). It's going to replace my little Lopi Republic 1250 (1.6 CF) which has been a great stove, but takes constant attention.

Thanks to all of you that have posted here because without you guys I wouldn't have been able to spot all the problems and would have way overpaid. I actually was going to pass, but she said to make an offer. So I asked if $600 was ok and she didn't even hesitate.

My King is going to need a complete going through, but so far I haven't found any problems I can't handle (knock on wood). Both the bypass and the air intake works smoothly and she said both fans work. I have a long repair/parts list going already, but first on to the pictures!

 

[Dieselhead]

Looks like it’s missing its side shields, and the bypass gasket retainer is completely shot if I’m seeing things correctly. I’d pull the right rear firebricks and check for corrosion on the back wall of the stove.

 

[stoveliker]

I think the side shields are there (going up right to the outside of the air tubes, as they should, so that's not the wall.

The bypass has issues indeed.

 

[stoveliker]

Or you meant on the outside of the stove...

 

[begreen]

Without the side shielding, the side clearances are higher (16"). See the manual. Side shield parts 4776L & 4776R are missing but maybe it was ordered that way?

 

[NorthIdahoMan]

Correct, according to the manual side shields were optional except on the Ultra.

The mostly missing bypass retainer was one of the reasons the nice lady was so quick to lower the price. Are those pieces still available?

I'll post more pictures shortly.

 

[begreen]

The mostly missing bypass retainer was one of the reasons the nice lady was so quick to lower the price. Are those pieces still available?

It's not showing in the parts list. Does it look bolted or welded in? BKVP, what are the options?

 

[NorthIdahoMan]

It's not showing in the parts list. Does it look bolted or welded in? BKVP, what are the options?

Not bolted on mine. The way the one retainer piece is bent down (picture #2) makes me suspect they were originally stitched or spot welded.

Now I'm thinking it would be a good idea fabricate the bypass retainers out of thicker steel (3/16"?) anyway? I see the bypass rope gasket is 5/8" wide so just need a 5/8" wide channel for it to sit in. Seems easy once I get the stove flipped upside down.

 

[BKVP]

Needs brick. Dealer can order bypass gasket retainer. Lots of creosote. I'd sandblast the interior.

BKVP

 

[NorthIdahoMan]

Needs brick. Dealer can order bypass gasket retainer. Lots of creosote. I'd sandblast the interior.

BKVP

Would it be possible to do an acceptable job with a wire wheel on an angle grinder and a weed burner? I can definitely sandblast, but since I don't have a big enough compressor any more I'd need to farm that out. Thanks for the help.

 

[NorthIdahoMan]

Do these 3 wall shields just lift out?

 

[stoveliker]

No, they are welded in.
I use a steel cylindrical brush of the right diameter to brush the creosote behind them. After a hot fire to crisp it up

 

[BKVP]

Honestly, as much creosote as there appears to be, I'd remove the fans and examine the back of the stove. Pull all the brick out and if you think a weedburner is enough, great. However, the weedburner won't get behind the side baffles.

Up to your expectations.

BKVP

 

[Highbeam]

So the typical spots for rust through are right on top of the brick in the back corners. No rhyme or reason to why some of them rust through but the ones that do seem to look like yours with heavy wet creosote left to sit.

Welding on a new bypass gasket retainer assembly is pretty straight forward if you are good at cutting and welding in confined spaces. The originals were stitch welded in with a short one inch weld every so often. The retainers are thin and often melt away and sag between the stitches. Super common and can happen even if the stove was run by the book. Your bigger problem is that the dome itself appears to be deformed. That's the 3/8" thick assembly that the bypass gasket retainers weld to. Unless you straighten out the dome and/or the bypass plate the seal will never be effective.

Bricks are no big deal. Just common firebrick. FOr gaskets, only buy OEM from Blaze King. The dealers might try and sell you some bulk junk off of some roll in the back but you want genuine BK gaskets.

 

[NorthIdahoMan]

Honestly, as much creosote as there appears to be, I'd remove the fans and examine the back of the stove. Pull all the brick out and if you think a weedburner is enough, great. However, the weedburner won't get behind the side baffles.

Up to your expectations.

BKVP

Roger that. I'll tear it down inside and out, check the condition of the steel, and report back. If I need steel repairs do I use A36?

So the typical spots for rust through are right on top of the brick in the back corners. No rhyme or reason to why some of them rust through but the ones that do seem to look like yours with heavy wet creosote left to sit.

Good to know. Is there a recommended method for repairing those?

Welding on a new bypass gasket retainer assembly is pretty straight forward if you are good at cutting and welding in confined spaces. The originals were stitch welded in with a short one inch weld every so often. The retainers are thin and often melt away and sag between the stitches. Super common and can happen even if the stove was run by the book. Your bigger problem is that the dome itself appears to be deformed. That's the 3/8" thick assembly that the bypass gasket retainers weld to. Unless you straighten out the dome and/or the bypass plate the seal will never be effective.

Bricks are no big deal. Just common firebrick. FOr gaskets, only buy OEM from Blaze King. The dealers might try and sell you some bulk junk off of some roll in the back but you want genuine BK gaskets.

Point taken on the retainers. I think I'm going with 1/4". Once I get it all cleaned up I'll do some precise measurements, but the pictures are misleading as there is hardly any dome warpage. Regardless, I'll get the plate sitting perfectly flat before I weld in the retainers. I have fabrication experience so not afraid of metal work.

I'll definitely go with real BK gaskets. I was surprised that the remaining bypass gasket was still very supple. Thanks for the tips.

 

[BKVP]

Roger that. I'll tear it down inside and out, check the condition of the steel, and report back. If I need steel repairs do I use A36?



Good to know. Is there a recommended method for repairing those?



Point taken on the retainers. I think I'm going with 1/4". Once I get it all cleaned up I'll do some precise measurements, but the pictures are misleading as there is hardly any dome warpage. Regardless, I'll get the plate sitting perfectly flat before I weld in the retainers. I have fabrication experience so not afraid of metal work.

I'll definitely go with real BK gaskets. I was surprised that the remaining bypass gasket was still very supple. Thanks for the tips.

A36 works just fine!

BKVP

 

[Highbeam]

Good to know. Is there a recommended method for repairing those?

I would deal with the corrosion holes like fixing any panel rust holes. Remove loose material, clean, cut back to full thickness metal and then weld in a a patch panel. Be sure the patch panel is as thick as the original steel but also you need to worry about the fit of things on the outside and inside.

Cross your fingers that there are no holes or thin spots because then you have to wonder about the thickness of the rest of the firebox. My 14 year old princess has perfectly flat and corrosion free metal. It's not a thing that all stoves eventually burn through.

Oh and I hope you are enjoying Idaho. I'd love to find my way over there after retirement for reasons obvious to most idahoans.

 

[NorthIdahoMan]

I would deal with the corrosion holes like fixing any panel rust holes. Remove loose material, clean, cut back to full thickness metal and then weld in a a patch panel. Be sure the patch panel is as thick as the original steel but also you need to worry about the fit of things on the outside and inside.

Cross your fingers that there are no holes or thin spots because then you have to wonder about the thickness of the rest of the firebox. My 14 year old princess has perfectly flat and corrosion free metal. It's not a thing that all stoves eventually burn through.

Oh and I hope you are enjoying Idaho. I'd love to find my way over there after retirement for reasons obvious to most idahoans.

Definitely some user error going on. She said her deceased husband had put a restrictive HVAC type vent cap instead of a chimney cap that was smoking her out of the house. The guys that installed her new Blaze King didn't catch that until after she had called them back because the new stove was smoking just as bad.

Idaho is great. Very nice people here and endless hunting and fishing out my back door.

 

[NorthIdahoMan]

Pics of the cat. She checked her paperwork and it's 9 years old. I'll be ordering a new one.

 

[Dieselhead]

Pics of the cat. She checked her paperwork and it's 9 years old. I'll be ordering a new one.

View attachment 349532
View attachment 349533

Not bad for 9, considering the rest of the stove. I wonder if he ran it in bypass because of the smoke out issue.

 

[NorthIdahoMan]

Not bad for 9, considering the rest of the stove. I wonder if he ran it in bypass because of the smoke out issue.

When I was looking it over she told me to run it with the bypass open for 25 minutes and then switch to the cat so I don't think they were running it in bypass for years and years.

 

[Dieselhead]

Depending on draft, 25 min can do some damage.

 

[NorthIdahoMan]

Depending on draft, 25 min can do some damage.

For sure. No draft and an old cat. I need to call her and make sure she had her chimney cleaned and not just a new cap put on.