Sierra T4500 Restoration

[Sierra_T4500]

I bought a house in Arlington, VA and it came with a Sierra T4500 - I only know that model because I saw it on this site... The house was built in 1967.

I am not planning on using the fireplace at this point in time as my chimney requires a new lining (I'm already paying for a new crown and brick/mortar above roof level). I do however want to restore the fireplace to the extent possible. I think it has potential to look good and add character to the room.

Any recommendations what I can do to clean it up? I'm handy enough that I can build a make shift tent around it and sand the rust out without dusting the house too much - the issue is I need to know what steps to take and if there are any recommended rust removers, polishes/pastes, etc.

I have attached two pictures of what I'm looking at; apologies for the blurry quality.

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Anradhn39]

It doesn't look too bad, hit it with scotchbrite, the purple colored hand pads, use a shop vac as you do it, with a HEPA filter installed and suck the dust as you make it. Check the door rope gaskets and replace if needed, carefully stove black the area that needs it, in sections limited to what you feel looks good. Clean the glass with a razor blade scraper or stove glass cleaning product.

 

[begreen]

I would use high-temp stove paint and not stove black. Stove black is for old cast iron stoves. This stove was factory painted and should be painted again. Stove Brite paints are often used. Before repainting wipe down with alcohol to remove oils. Paint in a very well ventilated area. The fumes are very strong.

 

[BrotherBart]

Be still my heart. That T-4500 Royale heated this joint for 21 years. Lots of ways to clean it up, but painting it is where ya gotta be careful. The best paint for the job is Stove Bright but it is acetone based and WILL mess up your brain. The last time I painted mine in the house without a mask I walked sideways for two days and it probably explains a lot about how I act since then.

And you need a stainless flex liner and adapter boot for it. But be careful. That stove was designed to just be shoved into a fireplace. Not to have the strong draft it will have with a liner.

And while you are restoring it, you will notice that there is no gasket at the top of the glass in the doors. As it should be. That is where they came up with the "Turbo-burn" name for it. It lets air come in over the glass and move under the baffle for a crude version of "secondary burn" under the baffle. If the baffle is warped, as they often are, a metal works can make you a new one.

 

[BrotherBart]

The original paint for the stove is stove bright rich brown metallic. Liked it so much that is what I painted my Englander stove when I replaced the Sierra. Which I actually still have as a back yard burner in the Fall. Just your basic 700 pound Chimea.

 

[Anradhn39]

I wouldn't even paint the entire thing, I'd stove black the top, the doors ,no spraying involved. no over spray,etc ,very little chemical stink, no masking it off, if you're careful. .it's not even that bad to begin with. It appears to be more so just dusty from the pictures , on the ledge surfaces etc.
Start by cleaning it real well, then look it over and do the doors and the top. then see how it looks, If you don't like it, go for the gusto on it, remove it or whatever it is you have planned, sounds like a new liner is going tin the chimney, so you'll have to remove it or at least pull it out to run a new liner. Then you can make it a project if you want.