Jotul Combifire #4 Crack

[Man About The Woods]

I have been sanding, brushing and grinding away my days (and nights after work) to bring an old Jotul #4 back to life from its rusty existence outdoors under an old blue tarp. I recently purchased the stove and am just about ready to have it professionally installed in my new outbuilding. Last week, I noticed a hairline crack in the front panel. It might have been there and I missed it when I looked over the stove. Should I burn the stove and leave the crack as is? Fill it with compound? I haven't been able to track down a replacement part. Weld it? Other options? Any advice is appreciated!

 

[DAKSY]

The FIRST thing I would do is to locate the extreme end of the crack & drill a hole all the way through.
Use a drill slightly larger in diameter than the crack width. The hole will prevent the crack from propagating further.
When you've done that, you can try filling the crack (& hole) with furnace cement. While it's not a permanent fix,
it will probably get you through the upcoming heating season.