Old defiant restoration question

[Dgilmore01]

Good evening all,

Newbie to the forum! I looked for this question and didn’t find one (Forgive me if it’s out there). I recently picked up one of the original defiant stoves. I was looking for an old work horse to heat out A-Frame in New York. I paid $400 with it having a cracked fireback (not sure if I got hosed). While disassembling the stove for the repair I realized the whole stove was loose once I took the top and one side off, so I decided to disassemble the rest to redo the cement. Once disassembled I noticed a 5 inch crack in the bottom of the stove. It is completely through the cast iron. Just curious if at this point I should throw in the towel or if it is worth it to find a new baseplate/see if it is repairable. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[begreen]

The person should never have sold the stove in that condition. It looks like it will need a new base or a used one that is in good shape.

 

[peakbagger]

Not worth fixing. If its single piece fireback, it requires an expensive kit to convert to two piece. If its still available it costs more than the stove will be worth. The cracked base just seals the deal. Based usually do not crack but finding one most likely means waiting to buy an entire stove with an inevitable cracked fire back. You could try to drill the crack and support the base on fireproof mantle but I would not fire it and let it out of my sight in that condition.

 

[Dgilmore01]

Thank you for the replies. I had a funny feeling this was going to be the case. The stove was already a two piece fireback, and I already ordered the parts to replace that. I guess I will have to see if they are returnable.

 

[bigealta]

It's perfect for an Outdoor fireplace. So hosed for an indoor stove but still usable. Way better than a firepit or chiminea. About 6 ft of single wall is all u need for chimney. keeps the smoke out of everyone's faces. And just Let it rust.

 

[rwh63]

i'll tell you what yo do, break it down completely and part its out on ebay. people need pieces, and will pay good $ for original parts. you can easily make your money back, and then some, over time.

 

[Dgilmore01]

i'll tell you what yo do, break it down completely and part its out on ebay. people need pieces, and will pay good $ for original parts. you can easily make your money back, and then some, over time.

I would love to see it go to use, so I like that idea. It is completely broken down currently, so I’ll try to post it in the classifieds and eBay. Just tough to price these pieces

 

[bigealta]

I would love to see it go to use, so I like that idea. It is completely broken down currently, so I’ll try to post it in the classifieds and eBay. Just tough to price these pieces

Let us know how it works out if u piece it out. I have a jotul 3 non epa that is in excellent shape except for the back where the flue collar rusted and fell off. Want to sell it either as is or could part it out. Not sure which way to go.

 

[Dgilmore01]

So I wanted to keep everyone updated. I went to my local welder and he offered to first start off with welding the crack. He said if that didn’t work he would plate and bolt it. Once that is completed he mentioned that I should run an inch of sand in the bottom of the stove and it should be good to go. Has anyone had any luck with welding the cast iron before?

 

[bigealta]

Cast can be welded by skilled welders who know how to do it. My blacksmith group does weld repairs on worn, dinged anvils. The key is preheating to the correct temps. For anvils that's in a huge bonfire with a blower and temp crayons that show when the cast is at specific temps.

 

[peakbagger]

There are various "super rods" out there that claim to be able to weld cast. My guess is its more of a braze. Sure if you are invested in this stove and doing it so you dont have to admit you got ripped off then a braze/welding the crack and then sandwiching it with plate should buy you a few years. Putting sand in the bottom is not a bad idea although I think most folks just leave a layer of ash. If you do have a two piece fire back make sure you read and understand the method of recreating the secondary air channel as its the key to getting secondary burns on that stove. I think there are rebuilt instructions stashed away somewhere on this site.

 

[bigealta]

Yeah if it was me, i'de part it out or use it outside. Would keep looking for a good high quality epa stove. I had a defiant 30 years ago and it was a beast. New stoves are better. You can find one, just need to be persistent and patient. Next time post some good pics here before u pull trigger.