Jotul 118 - Restoration Questions

[M@dMinute]

I purchased a rusted up 118 for use in a small 240 sqft cabin I have been building. Will probably only get used a few times each year. I started the restoration/disassembly yesterday, it is super rusty. A few questions:

Did the top used to be textured? My first opinion is that it was rust pitting and I was getting ready to grind the top down but I am thinking maybe it used to be textured.

Repainting it do I need any type of etching primer or just straight stove black to bare metal?

Has anyone ever made their own internal burn plates? Both are cracked/warped. I have a welder and plasma cutter. Is there any information here on that?

Does the door with the glass from the new model fit on the old one?

 

[begreen]

IIRC the top was slightly dimpled. Do your best to remove the rust then clean thoroughly, then wipe down with alcohol. A wirebrush tool on a drill helps. You can then paint it with Stove Bright Black paint (satin or metallic black), no primer needed. I'm not sure if the modern door would fit, even it did the glass would likely blacken easily and the airflow distribution might be wrong.

The stove is likely to drive you out of the place with a full load of wood. It can put out a lot of heat so just burn smaller fires and feed it more frequently.

 

[M@dMinute]

IIRC the top was slightly dimpled. Do your best to remove the rust then clean thoroughly, then wipe down with alcohol. A wirebrush tool on a drill helps. You can then paint it with Stove Bright Black paint (satin or metallic black), no primer needed.

I am going to give Naval Jelly a shot this time around and soak some smaller parts in vinegar. I had a big wire wheel on the grinder to pull off the major stuff. Glad to hear it is dimpled I was worrying it was majorly pitted and had a lot of grinding ahead....

 

[peakbagger]

If you have access to a compressor you can pick up a siphon feed sandblaster at tractor supply and a bag of fine grit for less than $40. If you are patient and go slow to match the compressor output it will clean up nice and all you need to do is spray bomb it with high temperature paint. The trick is set up temporary stack and fire it off in the driveway a few times before moving it indoors.

 

[begreen]

Given the age and condition I would probably tear down the stove completely, then clean up parts and reassemble with fresh stove cement. Substitute burn plates can be fabbed out of heavy steel stock. They may warp though without some sort of ribbing. If the baffle is warped I would replace it with the factory cast part. Woodmans sells them.

 

[M@dMinute]

Given the age and condition I would probably tear down the stove completely, then clean up parts and reassemble with fresh stove cement. Substitute burn plates can be fabbed out of heavy steel stock. They may warp though without some sort of ribbing. If the baffle is warped I would replace it with the factory cast part. Woodmans sells them.

The baffle looked great. The plates are warped/cracked. I did start completely pulling it apart (only a couple bolts snapped which will be a pain) The rest looked good.

 

[begreen]

Good going. Bolts snapping is common. Where a bolt has snapped, just drill it out carefully and retap.

 

[M@dMinute]

The naval jelly isn't cutting it. Hitting the parts with the wire wheel and then soaking them in vinegar 24 hours, running the wire wheel again worked great.

 

[begreen]

Yes, that is cleaning up nicely.

 

[webby3650]

Looking real nice so far. I’ve fixed up several old Jotuls. My favorite was an old 606. My latest was a 118.

 

[begreen]

Nice. You don't come across many 606s.

 

[webby3650]

Nice. You don't come across many 606s.

I wish I would have kept it. It’s the only one I’ve ever seen around here.

 

[M@dMinute]

I got through cleaning up the side panels and all the other parts. Sorry I forgot after pictures... After cleaning both side panels, I can now see they have hairline cracks up the tree. Is this something I can just put cement over, or could I weld it? I have a Handler 190 in the Garage.

 

[begreen]

That's not good. It means the stove was run without the side burn plates or that the burn plates were completely shot when burning. Cast iron is not easy to weld and cement won't work. You might try to find another stove for parts and replace the side(s) that are cracked.