Is this freebie worth fixing?

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cousinles

Member
Hearth Supporter
Apr 21, 2008
41
Middleville ny
I got this stove given to me and I was wondering if anyone knows what model it is? I think it is a lopi answer but not sure because I downloaded the lopi answer PDF manual and the insides were a lot different than mine. The one I have doe not have any firebricks on the top like the manual showed and the manual also showed secondary air tubes witch mine does not have. Is my stove supposed to have this stuff or is it missing? and also is it worth the money to repair it or not any help will be great.

[Hearth.com] Is this freebie worth fixing?
 
Sure does look like an answer - but I suppose they may have made some models previous to that (non-epa) which looked similar.

If it has a baffle (steel), then my guess is that it is an older model.....still probably decent.

If you can completely clean and restore - it may serve you well. But it certainly looks like it needs some restoration!
 
I think it just needs some firebrick a coat of stove paint and a little brass polish and it will be good to go. Do you know if there should be firebrick on top?
 
Maybe new gaskets too.

If you go ahead with the restoration, post pictures back so we can see how it turned out. Looks like a neat little stove.

-SF
 
yes it does need a new gasket and I am going to be taking pics when it is done, no time soon though I have all summer to work on it but when it is done I will post the pics.
 
When we bought our house, there was a 30-year old Lopi woodstove in it, and the original owner's manual was in the house. The stove was a Lopi M530. When we decided we wanted the stove in a different location, and considered all the variables involved, we opted to go with a new Lopi stove, the Liberty. The outward similarity between the two stoves, a generation apart in age, is unmistakeable...the modern Liberty is the direct descendant of the old M530. But, the Liberty has re-engineered internal combustion airflow, including secondary burn tubes, is listed & certified. Could be that what you have there is one of the ancestors of some other Lopi offspring, dunno. Perhaps there are archives of info/manuals available someplace to help you identify just what it is and from what era? Good luck with it. Rick
 
I figured my firebrick problem out. There are firebricks on the top also. Once I got it cleaned out it was self explanatory how they went but I would still like to get a manual for it. Maybe if I email Travis Industries they should have one on record.
 
Here is to whom ever was interested in the after pic of my freebie wood stove, I guess it was worth fixing. All I need is some firebrick and it will be done. I am working on the hearth now and I will post a pic of it when it is installed. Thanks every body for your help.

[Hearth.com] Is this freebie worth fixing?
 
les, you did a wonderful job bringing that little beauty back to life...you'll enjoy the stove even more because of all the work you're putting into it, as I'm sure you understand, having seen a bit of your work now. Looking forward to pics of her burning. Rick
 
There's nothing like the good feeling of restoring a fine item back to like new. Enjoy every minute with the stove. She looks great!
 
Now thats what you call KEEP THE FLAME ALIVE Yo nice work. Its good to see stuff like that.
 
No kidding...nice work!!!!! I just said to my wife..."look at the stove this guy is trying to put into his house, aren't you glad I didn't bring that home to put in the den?" Then we scrolled down through the posts and saw a work of art. A job well done!
 
Les,
Nice job. How many pounds of elbow grease did that take?
~Cath
 
It really was not too bad. I wet sanded the surface rust then brush painted it with a heavy coat of Rustolium grill paint to fill in the small rust pits, then I wet sanded the brush marks out so they were nice and smooth and sprayed it with stovebright metallic black. As for the brass door goes it had some creosote stains in it so bad it had the brass pitted so I took the door off and the glass out then sanded the brass down with 1000 grit sand paper, then re polished it with my dremel tool. I also replaced all the rusty bolts with stainless steel ones and put all new wiring for the blower system. I got about 8 hours labor into it.
 
wow! what a wonderful job! looks like the old girl can still dance , here's to years of beating the oil man. no kidding , i rework scors of used (and abused) stoves in my spare time , that looks as good as any ive done, you should be proud to show it off.
 
les said:
It really was not too bad. I wet sanded the surface rust then brush painted it with a heavy coat of Rustolium grill paint to fill in the small rust pits, then I wet sanded the brush marks out so they were nice and smooth and sprayed it with stovebright metallic black. As for the brass door goes it had some creosote stains in it so bad it had the brass pitted so I took the door off and the glass out then sanded the brass down with 1000 grit sand paper, then re polished it with my dremel tool. I also replaced all the rusty bolts with stainless steel ones and put all new wiring for the blower system. I got about 8 hours labor into it.

les, that is a great job! I see so many stove that look like this in craigslist and think I'd need a round of tetanus shots to get near that thing.

You've given me hope that this could be done, and it sounds like a fun project. I love seeing things like this come back to life.

You really should post in more detail on some type of project section or blog on how to do this, the exact materiels such as paint, maybe include some close up shots of the wiring.
 
les what kind of baffle is in the top of the stove?
 
BrotherBart said:
les what kind of baffle is in the top of the stove?

There are firebrick that lay acrossed the top. I think that is the baffle, I am not sure what the baffle even does. I know very little about wood stoves that is why I put it on the forum so I could learn and fix it right.
 
That why it's called a baffle, it's there to confuse you. :)

Actually it's there to alter the flame path towards the front of the stove. Secondary air is mixed at this point to re-burn the unburnt gases in the smoke.
 
That's correct.
 
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