Problem with Stove Paint

[Chris_J]

Hi everyone. Great forum here!

I'm wondering whether somebody could help me. I purchased a Country Kiln multifuel stove about 3 months ago and have been using it most days with great pleasure to burn a variety of wood. Last week, I decided to give it a bit of a clean out and a bit of a wipe down. I cleaned the outside of the stove with a dry duster, just to remove bits of dry ash etc. In doing so, I noticed the paint was beginning to flake off in certain areas. I didn't think much of it, as I figured this would be normal, considering the constant heat cycling which it goes through.

However, last night, I noticed there is now a lot of paint flaking off. The paint on the top is particularly bad, and you can just rub it with the flat of your finger and it will come off almost like dust, exposing the raw grey cast iron underneath. It has left me with quite a tatty looking stove which I imagine is going to get worse.

The paint layer is very very thin, so I'm wondering if this may be normal? If not, what could I be doing wrong to cause this, or is it poor manufacturing? Would the best thing to do now is try to try and patch up the flaking areas, or am I looking at a complete respray?

The stove which I have is similar to the one shown below.
(broken image removed)

Thanks in advance.

Chris.

 

[jtp10181]

Either the stove has been over fired (burned too hot) or the paint was not applied correctly in the first place.

 

[Chris_J]

Thank-you for your fast reply.

I was worried you were going to say overfired, as it crossed my mind. I ran it one day with the bottom vent open from the whole burn so I could get it really hot and burn off some really thick soot off the glass window that I couldn't remove (the result of doing a slow overnight burn).

The stove obviously got very hot, but it never got to the stage where it was glowing.

I take it I may have ruined the stove then? What would be the best way to touch up in-situ?

 

[jtp10181]

I would wait until spring, and take it outside. Lightly sand all the bad areas and give the whole thing a fresh coating of paint.

When you say bottom vent do you mean the ask cleanout door? Or a vent intended to supply air to the fire?

 

[Chris_J]

Sorry I mean the lower air vent. Stove it a multifuel one, so it has a vent at the bottom for if intend to burn coal. I use the bottom vent usually just to get a good flame and a bit of heat into it before closing it down to slow the burn. I left this one open making the fire roar to burn all the soot off the window.

Do you think this would have overfired the stove? I thought it is only possible to do that if you use highly seasoned wood and burn with the stove door ajar or leaky seals?

 

[BrotherBart]

This just does not appear to be China's year for paint. Country Kiln and Country Cottage are Chinese imports being sold in Europe for the equivalent of $450 U.S. I doubt that the guys selling them will do anything about the paint so you are probably better off just investing a couple of quid in a can of stove paint and striping it down and repainting it in the off season.

 

[Stihl025]

Lowes has their 50% sale going on right now. You can get pint cans of stove paint for $6 made by Imperial. I picked up a few just in case. Put it on with a roller brush and it will turn out perfect. Did this with a wood furnace I rebuilt, turned out beautiul. Almost like new and the stove was built in the mid 80's.

 

[Chris_J]

Cheers guys.

I must confess, the stove was an eBay purchase, so I'm not suprised to find out it's a chinese import. Still, it seems to do the job well, bar the crap paint.

Someone has suggested a more temporary fix by using stove black until I can get around to removing it for a repaint. What you guy's think?

 

[begreen]

Given it's origin and behavior, I'd have the paint checked for lead.

 

[drizler]

Don't feel bad. 2004 must have been a bad year for paint in the good old USA either. My countryside came with some rust on the intake vents in a lower corner. Since then it has spread some and formed on both sides on the intake vents as well as small spots on the insides. Corn, like coal will help the process along fast. All I intend to do with mine is scuff it down with a nice new Scotchbrite pad and paint it. Works like a charm and you have to consider its a stove not the Mona Lisa, form over function. It might not match perfectly but as long as its not right up in the front you won't notice it anyways unless you really look for the repair. If you can't get the matching paint you can remove a like painted piece and take to an auto paint jobber store who sells car paint. They have a spectral reader that they zap the piecde with and it tells them the color to exactly match it. Pretty neat.

 

[begreen]

Don't paint it with car paint. It will need high-temp paint made for stoves, exhaust headers or perhaps BBQs. The surface will need prep for it to hold. Clean with lacquer thinner. If you want to use Stove-Brite paint, do a test on the back first. It may be incompatible with the current paint and alligator after application.

 

[Chris_J]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I'll definately look at taking the whole stove out this summer for a service and repaint. Will have the chimney swept while it's out too. Will probably use the StoveBrite paint, as it seems one of the best rated - but good advice about doing a test area on the back.

How about this stove black stuff then? Any good to use for now to protect against corrosion and possible hide its bald patches?

 

[swestall]

Don't underestimate the value of Stove Polish or Stove Black. You can apply that and let it cure and it will hold up to the heat and all very well. I actually like it for cast better than paint. It is a pain in the butt to apply, but it comes out nice and applies well.
You also need to prep and clean the surface well prior to applying anything. (most likely why you have peeling is they didn't). You can get prep solvent at any automotive paint store. Use the fiber scrubbies (also at paint store) to rough up the surface, clean with prep sol and have at it with paint or polish.

You can do it inside if you don't mind the smell of curing; which you get with both paint and polish.

 

[Fire Bug]

Definitely have the paint check for high lead content as noted above. It sounds like the cast iron raw metal service was not properly prepared or cleaned and ethched well enough to accept the paint.
Stove Bright makes a good quality hight temp stove paint.
I woud definitely paint the whole stove after thoroughly roughing up the stove service with a Scotch Bright Pad, some very light emery cloth or sand paper. If the surface isn't dust free,(use a tack rag and some prepsol) and ethched properly the new paint won't adhere to the surface.
Look on the bright side, it could be porcelin!

 

[BrotherBart]

You can do it inside if you don't mind the smell of curing; which you get with both paint and polish.

NEVER paint indoors with Stove Bright paint. I did it once and barely lived to tell about it. The dang stuff is acetone based and will make you wish that the brain damage was all it did.

Stove polish yes. Stove Bright, no way.

 

[swestall]

Is that what happened, I can hardly remember it all.....

 

[annette]

Hi there:

I just thought I'd mention my experience with "stubborn stains" on my stove glass. I've had rough brown deposits on the glass, I think always from a log sitting too close to the glass. When I clean the glass, I may rub a lot with a damp paper napkin (on cool/warm glass), but that deposit won't come off. The next normal fire, or at most two, will burn it right off. I hope that will be the case with your stove, too. If not, check occasionally that a log hasn't shifted close enough to the glass to dirty it up that way. I hope that helps.

 

[begreen]

You can do it inside if you don't mind the smell of curing; which you get with both paint and polish.

NEVER paint indoors with Stove Bright paint. I did it once and barely lived to tell about it. The dang stuff is acetone based and will make you wish that the brain damage was all it did.

Stove polish yes. Stove Bright, no way.

Amen, nasty stuff. Wear a mask, even if painting outside.

 

[Chris_J]

Thank-you for all your replies. Some very useful information there!

I think I will go for the stove polish option and see how it comes out. Sounds like the less awkward way of tidying it up, as I'd certainly want to remove the whole stove if I was spraying it.

 

[BrotherBart]

Thank-you for all your replies. Some very useful information there!

I think I will go for the stove polish option and see how it comes out. Sounds like the less awkward way of tidying it up, as I'd certainly want to remove the whole stove if I was spraying it.

If you decide to run over to Lowe's for that six dollar can of paint just drive down to Bristol and turn right for 3,500 miles. There's a big sign on the front of the building.

 

[Fire Bug]

You can do it inside if you don't mind the smell of curing; which you get with both paint and polish.

NEVER paint indoors with Stove Bright paint. I did it once and barely lived to tell about it. The dang stuff is acetone based and will make you wish that the brain damage was all it did.

Stove polish yes. Stove Bright, no way.

Tell Hearth & Homes Inc.'s, "Regional Quality Assurance Manager for Pa.& NJ"this. He painted my peeling ceramic firebox on my Heat & Glow FB Grand propane gas insert.
While your at it, you could also tell the service tech. from the Dealer that sold me my Jotul DV Firelight 600 propane gas stove after he changed out the burners and burner pan with revamped items.
Both paintings where done in the winter with no windows opened, didn't really create that much of an odor.
Not that I don't beleive in what your saying, but I think these individuals should definitely know better since they are "Profesionals" in this trade.
Whats a few dead brain cells anyway. Dahh!