Hello! Fisher (large) Insert- door repair question

[lango]

Hi- I'm fairly new here- mostly lurking around for the past year. I went in pursuit of a Fisher insert, last year- the small one with glass in the doors. I bought it, and spotted a large insert that I'd rather have. It was rusty, with no surround parts, or flue damper parts. I left with them both. The small one is still in my shed, where it landed when I returned home. I got busy with the large one- made door hinge pins (big improvement) and a baffle plate, draft cap bolts, cleaned and painted the thing. It works great helping warm my 1870's farmhouse.
The question I have is how best to remove the door handle (right door) so I can snug up the hole in the door.
The handle wobbles a bit, and I'm trying to eliminate the air leakage, there.
Coaly, I know I've read your post about this repair, but my searches have yet to locate it. If you can steer me in the right direction, I would really appreciate it!

 

[Captain Hornet]

Hi- I'm fairly new here- mostly lurking around for the past year. I went in pursuit of a Fisher insert, last year- the small one with glass in the doors. I bought it, and spotted a large insert that I'd rather have. It was rusty, with no surround parts, or flue damper parts. I left with them both. The small one is still in my shed, where it landed when I returned home. I got busy with the large one- made door hinge pins (big improvement) and a baffle plate, draft cap bolts, cleaned and painted the thing. It works great helping warm my 1870's farmhouse.
The question I have is how best to remove the door handle (right door) so I can snug up the hole in the door.
The handle wobbles a bit, and I'm trying to eliminate the air leakage, there.
Coaly, I know I've read your post about this repair, but my searches have yet to locate it. If you can steer me in the right direction, I would really appreciate it!

 

[coaly]

I remember mentioning about grinding off the washer inside to remove the handle and putting it back on with a collar and set screw if they didn't have a welder.
When the bend is adjusted properly to pull door tight, the handle should match the stationary angle of the left door when latched. It should pull the outer washer welded on the handle rod tight against door sealing it. For operation that's all that's necessary, but I don't like a loose wobbly handle with the door open either.
I would grind the inner washer off and remove handle. See if the door hole is enlarged or if the handle rod is worn smaller. CamFan probably has some and may not be too far from you. If not, a weld shop with a MIG can build a little weld up on the worn part and grind it carefully to fit the hole you've got. The welder can tack a washer on the rod when it feels right in the door, or make a collar or nut with set screw in the side to hold snug in door.

 

[lango]

Thanks, Coaly! My biggest concern was really how much bending would be needed to get the handle rod out of the door. I will take the door off to deliver to my welder guy, who has a torch setup, too. Sine I want everything to end up "right", I'll plan to be there while he's doing the repair. Then, I'll file it out to fit. I imagine the rod will have to be pretty straight to go back in a tight fitting hole-
He had said he would use a brass rod to do this repair on the cast door. My welding experience (hands on) is limited to body panels, and pretty much that gauge sheet metal, with a mig. I wonder if the brass rod is the way you would go, with a (Lincoln "tombstone") stick welder.
Of course, if it's the rod that's worn, we'll build it up, and I can finish rounding it off, here in my "shop". I can heat it with a small "bottle" torch, enough to get it back right, I think...?
Thank you for your time- And wealth of knowledge. It's good to get the right answers.
David

 

[coaly]

I wouldn't heat, braze or weld anything on the door. Only drill it out round again if it needs it that bad. You may not have to straighten it that much if it's worn really bad. Leaving the hole larger in the door and building up the rod doesn't require it to be any straighter. Any rod that hand machines with a file is OK. When you get it almost round, here's the trick to hand machine something round again that you can't chuck in a lathe. Secure in vise. Wrap it with emery cloth until it overlaps. Wrap a string or mason twine around it leaving two tails. Keeping them tight, pull one then the other as it spins the cloth around the shaft. It cuts fast and will true up the irregular shaft. The handle rod bends easy, only bend it hot. A propane torch can get it hot enough.

 

[lango]

Thanks, Coaly.

 

[Captain Hornet]

I was trying to answer a post but got messed up with the new forum, Anyway, on my stove when I first got it, the doors were loose when shut. The doors did not close enough. So the easy fix is to slip a half inch socket over the end of the right door rod. This makes the rod have a larger diamater which then pulls the door in tighter. A quarter inch drive socket was perfect for my stove but a three-eights or half inch would have thicker walls and give you more adjustment. I did spot weld the socket to the rod to keep it from falling off. Simple easy fix. David

 

[lango]

Thanks, Capt. Hornet- the doors shut tight, alright, but the issue was the rod that you use to open and close them- on the right side door. It seemed to wobble a bit, in the hole. After another look though, I really think what would fix this is a little finesse-ing on the odd shaped washer, inside the rh. side door. ( a little "orbital" type action with the door rod, tells me the hole isn't 'wallered out', and the rod isn't 'wore out'.)
Thanks for the suggestion, though.