Opinion/question about new stove paint smoking

[RockCastile]

I've just finished breaking in my new Jotul 602cb and I'm perplexed that now in the EPA age of efficient and more eco wood burning technology, we are still left to smoke out our homes and brains with hot paint smoke during initial burns of stoves and stove pipe. (In a different post on here someone said Jotul uses Stove Brite at the factory, I have a can of it, first two listed ingredients are acetone and toluene, for me pretty sure cracking a window doesn't cut it here.) I would think EPA would have outlawed this by now. I will assume if not quite accept that no technology exists for producing a high temp non-enamel paint that won't gas off at wood stove surface temps. But then why don't stove manufacturers do the curing for us by oven-firing the painted metal prior to cementing the plates at the factory? If I understand correctly, this is how it's done with enameled stoves, the coating is baked on the cast plates then the stove is assembled. And for that matter, why is it not possible to fully break in all the cast iron parts prior to assembly, so that all you have to break in with a new stove is the gasket cement in the joints, thus less risk of damaging from improper break in? Perhaps due to added costs? I would pay more to not have to stand outside while the house gets fogged the first 5, or maybe 12, firings. Maybe my answer is I should have opted for an enamelled stove. But as long as high temp black remains a standard coating for stoves, i think the process is in serious need of an update.

 

[Lake Girl]

Welcome to the forum! I know with pellet stoves, the recommendation is to do your burns prior to bringing the stove in. Since the paint is the same, works for wood stoves too Would be nice if that was done at the factory ...

 

[BrotherBart]

The acetone in the Stove Bright was long gone by the time you got the stove. But it is really nasty if you have to use it to repaint a stove or touch it up. I painted a stove with it one time without a respirator and was walking sideways for two day. And some here have said that event explains a lot of things about me.

 

[bholler]

Would be nice if that was done at the factory ...

I agree it would be nice but it would add quite a bit of cost

 

[Nick Mystic]

My Jotul F600 is an enamel coated stove and it still gave off strong smells for the first several fires, so it's not just the paint that is giving off gasses. Perhaps the companies would have to burn off the gasses after the stoves are fully assembled and they figure people would be hesitant to pay for a "brand new" stove that has obviously had several fires already burnt in it? It might be possible to "bake" the new stoves in a large kiln like oven, but maybe there are reasons that wouldn't work. Or, perhaps marketing surveys have found that people who buy woodstoves expect to smell the paint cooking on their new stoves the same way people like the "new car" smell when they buy a new vehicle?

 

[CheapBassTurd]

High heat bbq grill spray paint does the same thing on touch ups.
Even after curing for days......

 

[RockCastile]

Sorry, my post above, hit "post" prematurely. Was going to say seems like Nick maybe right about a prefired paint job being unnatractive to buyers esp since all the luster of the satin vanishes after it's fully fired off or at least this is the case on my 602. The paint now looks more like an old gun.