Jotul 606 Refurb

[Todd]

Picked this up today for $150. I couldn’t pass it up even though it has two cracks in the upper heat exchanger. One I get it apart I’ll see if it’s salvageable. The two side plates are toast. I don’t see a rear plate and don’t know if it even has one?

 

[begreen]

If it's like the 602, then no rear burn plate, though it could use one. I added one to our 602 after having to replace the back. Woodman's may have the side liners.

 

[Todd]

If it's like the 602, then no rear burn plate, though it could use one. I added one to our 602 after having to replace the back. Woodman's may have the side liners.

Yeah Woodsman has them for $243 ea! Not sure I want to do that. It looks like it would be pretty easy to line the firebox with firebricks?

I guess first off I need to take it apart and see if I can find a good cast iron welder for the heat exchanger panels.

 

[Todd]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/306710039458

Looks like they make a glass door and firebrick lined 606 over in the UK

 

[begreen]

I see the glass door though I'm not sure how well it stays clean. I don't see the firebrick and I am wondering how it is held in place?

 

[Todd]

I see the glass door though I'm not sure how well it stays clean. I don't see the firebrick and I am wondering how it is held in place?

The glass door has a rough air wash system on top of the door frame where there is no gasket allowing a small amount of air to wash over the glass. Expensive at $400 and I’m not sure if this is a later model 606 only sold in the EU. The castings could be a little different. I know you can’t fit a new 602 glass door on an older 602 so it may be similar on the 606?

I have a bunch of firebrick and played around with it a bit. There’s a groove along the side bottom where the side plates attach. With a little mod of the firebrick they fit right in there along the sides and can be wedged in by place by laying bricks on the bottom. There’s also enough space to place two firebricks in the back. I threw some in there just to see and I still have just over 16” long firebox but I do lose a little width.

 

[begreen]

The firebrick is certainly better than nothing. It should protect the side castings pretty well, albeit with the loss of firebox width.

I saw that little bar on top of the door glass and suspected that might be a crude airwash. This makes me nervous. The 602 is a super easy breathing stove. When dry wood is reloaded on a hot coal bed, and the draft is good, the air needs to be almost, if not entirely, closed off to prevent overfiring.

 

[Todd]

Yes my 602 liked to runaway at times on my 22’ straight up chimney in my cabin. I ended up modifying the air slide so it would close completely which gave me more control but I also blocked off a little secondary air as well. Once I moved it into my workshop with a 14’ chimney it was a whole different animal and was very controllable.

 

[Todd]

Took it apart today. Nothing is warped but I had to grind off half the bolts. Now I need to find a good welder for the cracks.

 

[begreen]

Our 602 (pre-EPA) was on a 12' chimney and would take off easily if one didn't watch it closely, especially on a hot reload. A friend was house-sitting one winter and didn't know this. That's how the back cracked and why I added a rear burn plate.

 

[Todd]

I think I’m just going to try extreme heat JB Weld for those cracks. Local welder says it would cost me $125 per hour and no guarantee it would work. Also said it probably wouldn’t look very nice once they got done with it. I’m thinking of drilling a small hole where the crack stops then groove out the crack with a grinder on the inside then apply the JB weld.

These cracks don’t look structural and they are not in the firebox so maybe that will be ok? Furnace cement may work as well? If it does fail it is accessible by removing the top and back baffle off if I need to repair.

 

[begreen]

The big crack is almost 3/4's through the plate. You wouldn't want a complete failure there. I'd try other welding shops. That seems like the best option. Look around for an exhaust manifold welding specialist. If using JB Weld, consider bolting a plate across the big crack too for reinforcement.

 

[Todd]

I didn’t realize the 606 is about little larger than the 602. About an inch wider and longer. It also looks like my 602 glass door fits the 606.

 

[Todd]

Lots of parts for such a little stove! Started the prepping and painting with Stovebright Satin Black. Love that checkerboard look!

 

[Todd]

Ha, my neighbor sent me this!

 

[begreen]

What is going to be tried to mend the cracked pieces?

 

[Todd]

What is going to be tried to mend the cracked pieces?

I drilled a hole at the end of crack, grinded a groove and used JB weld extreme heat. I’ll stick a pipe on her and burn it out in the driveway to see if it holds up. Not sure a weld would hold up or not or make it look worse. If it doesn’t work out it won’t be put into service and just be an ordinate stove. Maybe some day I’ll get lucky and find some cheap used parts.

 

[Todd]

Everything is painted. Finished up the sides this morning. I did one coat to the insides and two coats on the outside. Took three rattle cans total. The cracks on the side panels are still visible if you look closely.

 

[Turbo89]

That paint turned out great, interested to see how the crack holds up on the first fire

 

[bigealta]

Nice job Todd, You never know when a donor stove may show up for parts. Also like to see the longer term durability of the JBWeld.

 

[Todd]

I started putting her back together but I ran out of cement so just need to install the arch. Took one full tube of cement to assemble the sides, front and back. If you ever do this dry fit it together first and have another pair of hands to help hold it together.

 

[Todd]

Oh and over in the UK they have a glass door for this stove but it’s $400 and I bet shipping would be at least $100 more. I saw it on EBay through Bath Stoves.

 

[begreen]

I started putting her back together but I ran out of cement so just need to install the arch. Took one full tube of cement to assemble the sides, front and back. If you ever do this dry fit it together first and have another pair of hands to help hold it together.

I've used a ratchet strap to hold the sides when assembling.