Re-cementing wood stove joints

[magnumtoy]

I need to recement the gaps between the cast iron sections of my "Old Hickory" wood stove. I did it a couple years back with some furnace cement (putty like stuff), cured it like the instructions said, and within the first fire, it started cracking. After 1 season, it was pretty badly cracked; during 2nd year, last year, little piles of ash could be seen below some of the bigger cracks. I couldn't even close the damper and completely shut it down. Plenty of draft thru the cracks! Quite possibly I didn't cure it correctly? I would think the job should last longer than a year, no?

My question is, what is the best way to seal these gaps (1/8 to 1/4" wide)? It doesn't look like there's channels per se for a gasket, so do I just fill the joints with cement? Is there a best type to use? What's the best curing method for this stuff?

Thanks guys. New poster here. Nice site!

 

[elkimmeg]

Well you found out caulking the joints is not a permanent solution What has to be done it take that stove apart. Scrape out all the old refactory cement and apply a very generous amount to the mating surfaces. then re essemble the two parts. With a putty knife and damp rag it is possible to clean off the excessive cement. You may have to get cleaver and make up a gig to hold the indivual cast parts in place . I used bar clamps, C clamps and ratching holding straps I also may cut plywood or 2/4 to build an iner or outer frame to hold pieces together. I really can not advise what I would do with your stove till I see it and figure out a method and sequence that make sense and will work. It can be done but you have to ask yourself if you have the ability to do it and Is it worth all the effort to do it right?

One other observation 1/4" gaps this sounds way too large. Rebuilding works when tolarances are a lot better than that.
My educated guess it this stove has been overfired all to often. and plates am castings have warped that would explain the 1/4" gaps.
This being true then rebuilding will never be sucessfull. The stove is junk and a danger to use

 

[heydan]

This is why I chose a steel stove. It's put together using welding and bending. There's no cement.

 

[BrotherBart]

This is why I chose a steel stove. It's put together using welding and bending. There's no cement.

Roger that.

Just rebuilt the Jotul F3 today. Never had to do that before with the steel stove.

 

[magnumtoy]

The 1/4 gaps are not thru the whole thing, as if you could see fire or anything. It's just where the joints between the peices overlap and "fit into" each other, but yeah, these may be due to a little warping/poor fit. The stove came with the house and the previous owners were a little sketchy. All in all it's a good stove. I did have a chimney co. out a new liner my chimney, inspect the stove, new setup all around, when I moved in. He approved of the stove (not too long after I recemented and before the cracks were bad).

I'll recement as I did last time and start looking at new stoves. I'm sure there's lots of good advice on good stoves here on the forum.

Can anyone point to one good past thread they know of that discusses stove types?

Thanks for the advise.