?s Setting Up a VC Resolute III

[sinthome]

Greetings everyone!
I picked up an old Resolute III and am in the process of getting it situated in my living room for this winter. There have been a few hiccups so far, but it's getting closer! A few things I am working on if anyone has suggestions-
1) The rear damper flap that connects to the thermostat fell off. I found the damper but the pivot pin that attaches it to the stove is missing. I'm not sure what the proper name for the replacement part would be but it looks like maybe I could just rig up a straight piece of the right gauge wire, which is what I'll try and find this week.
2) Currently the stove is set up for the flue exiting from the rear. It looks like I can switch this to a top mounted flue position by flipping that section of stove, which is held on by some bolts, but they seem to be pretty seized up, maybe creosoted. I don't want to force and break something and am debating whether or not to just leave it alone and make do, although I would prefer to get the stove placement a little closer to the wall and a vertical flue would help achieve that. Should I spray soak with anti-seize or wire brush from inside the fire box or? Also if I ended flipping the stove section, does it also need to be resealed afterwards?
3) The stove takes 6" pipe but the flue opening is oval. Am I correct that a regular stove pipe can bend to fit this without an adapter? The only pipe I have currently is one section of enameled VC pipe that is too rigid to use for this. Also if the flue exits out the rear I need it to immediately start with a 90 elbow. Will I need to plan a short piece of slip connector for this or how can I get from oval to 90 efficiently?

 

[sinthome]

Correction-- looking at the manual, when I referred to the "damper" what I actually meant was the "air intake shutter" and that "section" of stove where the flue connects is the (reversible) "flue collar". Yay, learning. Also feeling like reversing it will be worth the effort, if I can figure it out without damaging anything.

 

[fbelec]

look at your manual it should tell you how close you can get to the wall

 

[Treaty 6]

Correction-- looking at the manual, when I referred to the "damper" what I actually meant was the "air intake shutter" and that "section" of stove where the flue connects is the (reversible) "flue collar". Yay, learning. Also feeling like reversing it will be worth the effort, if I can figure it out without damaging anything.

I'm new to this Forum but come with a Vermont Castings history - one of the early (1981) Canadian dealers. My daughter and her husband are in the same process as you - getting a Resolute III ( my favourite VC model btw) set up at their home. Like yours, their stove had been vented to the rear and they wanted to convert it to vertical. Seized bolts took a while to get free. Use lots of anti-seize/WD40/whatever, and take time - they will come free eventually.

 

[sinthome]

Thanks for the reply. I got all but one, which stripped and so I ended up getting an extractor bit kit which then broke inside the bolt and finally I was forced to drill it out and tap to the next larger diameter thread, which worked fine except the bolt head is a little proud and that's annoying but oh well, she's a battered glory to look at anyway.

Regarding my other issues, the door flap pin is a 1/8" rod I used brass bc that's what was available. Cut and filed and popped right in there.

I got the pipe all installed and hooked up, the stove works great even without fresh gaskets. I might get around to that at some point.

The only other real issue is that the little ring on the griddle top door is broken. The stove was already missing the handle for it and especially being broken it is a little sketchy to operate. All the same, I find it very convenient and have been using a long handled flat screwdriver to pry the lid up and gently let it back down again. I've only slipped and let it slam a handful of times. I suppose the solution is to weld a better handle attachment point to it. I have a mig welder I could try heating it up with a blow torch and adding a little piece of steel plate. Idk if it'd hold up, but maybe worth a shot.