Is wood stove cement 'sand-able'?

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todd richards

New Member
Jan 30, 2017
1
bristol, maine
I have a gap in the top of my wood stove (old CLARION model). It seems the top is slightly warped, bowed upward along the front, allowing a gap of approx 1/8 inch in the center, tapering to 0 towards the ends. smoke leaks out here... i can see it occur....

I'm wondering if I could remove the top, flip it over, clean it, then run a bead of black stove cement/patch/mortar stuff (that I've previously used to fill small gaps), let it dry, and then use a large flat sanding block to remove the correct amount along the entire length so when done, the top once again sits flush with the main stove body.

OR

is there some straight edge I can place against the top so I could apply the correct amount of this same cement/patch/mortar in the first place? The problem, of course is what material should the straight edge be made of so the cement/patch/mortar would not stick to?

thanks. todd in Maine.
 
I have a gap in the top of my wood stove (old CLARION model). It seems the top is slightly warped, bowed upward along the front, allowing a gap of approx 1/8 inch in the center, tapering to 0 towards the ends. smoke leaks out here... i can see it occur....
If your top is warped that bad I am afraid it is probably time for a new stove
 
Can you heat it up with a torch and bang it flat on a solid surface such as a garage floor or driveway?
Usually a casting will break or crack, but steel can be blacksmithed fairly easily with some heat and a sledge.

As BH mentioned, tho, if the top has warpage there may be more damage elsewhere from overfiring.
I'm the type to try repairs before replacing, but on the safe side of things, this can be a gamble when it comes
to fires and the lives of the people and animals in the home.

If that is the only portion damaged are replacement tops available?

Just tossing out ideas. Regardless, any smoke leak is also a CO leak !!
 
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Reactions: bholler
Despite my ownership of a stove for the past 12+yrs,
my own UNEDUCATED guess would be: NO. I would
not trust any stove that's warped or cracked.

Not only would I not trust cement, I wouldn't trust a weld.