Last weekend, I wanted to simply repaint my Jotul F400. I took the stove outside and started to dismantle pieces of it (like the secondary baffle, smoke outlet and top panel). I noticed that the cement holding the rear panel in place was chipped and brittle. I was able to remove all the old cement from the seam and probably could have caulked furnace cement in place. However, I decided to do a complete rebuild. I searched on line for how to do this but was unable to find everything in one place so I decided to write this post.
1. Furnace Cement: After I tore down the stove, I went to my local fireplace store to buy cement to reassemble the sides of the stove to the base. They sold me “Stove and Gasket” cement and not furnace cement. After speaking to the folks at Rutland, the Stove and Gasket cement would have worked fine. However, it’s thinner than furnace cement. My recommendation is to use furnace cement when reassembling the stove.
2. Applying the Cement: The Jotul stove (and I am assuming all others) have a tongue and groove design for the case and sides that need to be cemented together. I filled the entire channel (groove) with cement by using a small putty knife and then installed the mating piece. I lot of cement poured out from the seam, which I believe is a good thing as it should ensure no air bubbles between the mating pieces. If you want to know how much cement to use, err on the side of more than less. It’s easy to clean up afterwards with water and a rag (it’s water soluble). Word of caution: the furnace cement is quite caustic. I did use nitrile gloves during the application but they ripped and my hands paid the price. in hindsight I would have used thicker rubber gloves (like those some would use when washing pots and pans).
3. Bolt Replacement: I was planning to reuse the bolts during reassembly. However, upon closer inspection, the hardware was tired. I couldn’t thread them in by hand, and some were even curved a little bit. I replaced with #2 stainless steel bolts. I could not find flange bolts in M6 1.0 so I used a regular M6 bolt and two washers. I used two slightly different sized washers - one smaller and one slightly (1-2mm?) larger in diameter. The larger diameter washer did two things. First, it increased the strength of the pressure point between the bolt head and the flange. Second, it accommodated for the sizing / shape of combination “U” and “V” shaped flange that the bolts sit on to ensure the washer had pressure on more of the flange. (I know I might not have explained that well - but any Jotul owner who has done a rebuild will know what I mean). I did use anti sieze on each bolt thread during reassembly.
4. Bolt Tightness: From what I read, I knew I didn’t want to over tighten the bolts on reassembly. Unfortunately, I didn’t exactly know what that meant. I know it’s a subjective feel - but couldn’t find a descriptive explanation of what “snug but not over tight” meant. What I decided to do was thread the bolts in my hand until they couldn’t turn anymore, and then I used a 3/8” ratchet, holding the ratchet by the head versus the handle. Using the ratchet in this fashion reduces the torque you can apply during tightening. I tightened each bolt by just using the head of the ratchet until snug. I could have turned each bolt more had I held the handle of the ratchet but that would have, in my opinion, made it too tight.
4. Prep for paint: I used a wire wheel and 220 sandpaper to remove rust and scuff the surface. I also used “Dirtex” in aerosol form to clean the stove of dust prior to painting. I initially wanted to apply the Dirtex to a rag, and then use the moistened rag to clean the stove (to ensure no residue would be left over on the stove). However, I found with the nooks and crannies of the decorative stove design, I needed to apply the Dirtex directly to the stove. To ensure no residue was left over for the repainting, I let 24 hours go by between cleaning and painting.
5. Paint: I bought the Stove Bright paint. The directions call for 2-3 coats with the first coat being a “mist” coat. I did 3 coats - not sure how 2 coats would cover the stove unless you went heavy with the application. I recommend 3 coats and apply each coat thinly. I used 2.5 cans of paint (including painting the inside of the door and the inside of the ash door).
6. Gaskets: I replaced all of the gaskets. However, I was completely unaware that a flat thin gasket sat on top of the left and right side burn plates (I am assuming mine burned away at some point in the past). I only discovered it by I looked at a parts diagram for the stove (see below). My recommendation would be look at the parts diagram during reassembly just to ensure you don’t miss something.
www.fire-parts.com
I hope this helps. Definitely welcome any comments or varying opinions on my approach.
1. Furnace Cement: After I tore down the stove, I went to my local fireplace store to buy cement to reassemble the sides of the stove to the base. They sold me “Stove and Gasket” cement and not furnace cement. After speaking to the folks at Rutland, the Stove and Gasket cement would have worked fine. However, it’s thinner than furnace cement. My recommendation is to use furnace cement when reassembling the stove.
2. Applying the Cement: The Jotul stove (and I am assuming all others) have a tongue and groove design for the case and sides that need to be cemented together. I filled the entire channel (groove) with cement by using a small putty knife and then installed the mating piece. I lot of cement poured out from the seam, which I believe is a good thing as it should ensure no air bubbles between the mating pieces. If you want to know how much cement to use, err on the side of more than less. It’s easy to clean up afterwards with water and a rag (it’s water soluble). Word of caution: the furnace cement is quite caustic. I did use nitrile gloves during the application but they ripped and my hands paid the price. in hindsight I would have used thicker rubber gloves (like those some would use when washing pots and pans).
3. Bolt Replacement: I was planning to reuse the bolts during reassembly. However, upon closer inspection, the hardware was tired. I couldn’t thread them in by hand, and some were even curved a little bit. I replaced with #2 stainless steel bolts. I could not find flange bolts in M6 1.0 so I used a regular M6 bolt and two washers. I used two slightly different sized washers - one smaller and one slightly (1-2mm?) larger in diameter. The larger diameter washer did two things. First, it increased the strength of the pressure point between the bolt head and the flange. Second, it accommodated for the sizing / shape of combination “U” and “V” shaped flange that the bolts sit on to ensure the washer had pressure on more of the flange. (I know I might not have explained that well - but any Jotul owner who has done a rebuild will know what I mean). I did use anti sieze on each bolt thread during reassembly.
4. Bolt Tightness: From what I read, I knew I didn’t want to over tighten the bolts on reassembly. Unfortunately, I didn’t exactly know what that meant. I know it’s a subjective feel - but couldn’t find a descriptive explanation of what “snug but not over tight” meant. What I decided to do was thread the bolts in my hand until they couldn’t turn anymore, and then I used a 3/8” ratchet, holding the ratchet by the head versus the handle. Using the ratchet in this fashion reduces the torque you can apply during tightening. I tightened each bolt by just using the head of the ratchet until snug. I could have turned each bolt more had I held the handle of the ratchet but that would have, in my opinion, made it too tight.
4. Prep for paint: I used a wire wheel and 220 sandpaper to remove rust and scuff the surface. I also used “Dirtex” in aerosol form to clean the stove of dust prior to painting. I initially wanted to apply the Dirtex to a rag, and then use the moistened rag to clean the stove (to ensure no residue would be left over on the stove). However, I found with the nooks and crannies of the decorative stove design, I needed to apply the Dirtex directly to the stove. To ensure no residue was left over for the repainting, I let 24 hours go by between cleaning and painting.
5. Paint: I bought the Stove Bright paint. The directions call for 2-3 coats with the first coat being a “mist” coat. I did 3 coats - not sure how 2 coats would cover the stove unless you went heavy with the application. I recommend 3 coats and apply each coat thinly. I used 2.5 cans of paint (including painting the inside of the door and the inside of the ash door).
6. Gaskets: I replaced all of the gaskets. However, I was completely unaware that a flat thin gasket sat on top of the left and right side burn plates (I am assuming mine burned away at some point in the past). I only discovered it by I looked at a parts diagram for the stove (see below). My recommendation would be look at the parts diagram during reassembly just to ensure you don’t miss something.
{{manual.manufacturer_name}} - {{manual.product_name}} {{t.tag}} Manual
{{manual.manufacturer_name}} {{manual.product_name}} {{t.tag}} Manual PDF download.
www.fire-parts.com
I hope this helps. Definitely welcome any comments or varying opinions on my approach.
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