Hi, all. I'm new here. I bought a used VC Vigilant wood stove in excellent condition. Just needed new gaskets (and also a door handle insert). However, there is a small hole in the lower left front of the stove. Not a crack, but a hole. I'm not sure what the purpose was but it appears to have been drilled. I wonder how to seal this hole. Any thoughts? I'm attaching photos.
Small hole in Vermont Castings Vigilant used wood stove
- Thread starter Groow
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SpaceBus
Minister of Fire
electrathon
Minister of Fire
If you don't want to weld it up, make a "washer" that is formed to the angles of the cast iron, both inside and out. Wrap some fibers from a rope gasket and tighten a bolt through the hole. The band aid will likely out last you.
I was wondering as well - what the heck?Would be interesting to hear the story behind the hole. Someone dry firing their rifle without checking the chamber of their rifle on the living room couch?
Thank you for the suggestion. You say make a washer formed to the angles of the cast iron. What do you mean?
Yes, we just figured that out! You are clever! It must have broken off. We are using it as a wood burning stove, not coal. I think we might be able to just put some kind of furnace cement in the hole maybe....
Post a picture of the inside. If it is setup for coal it may not work well at all for wood.
electrathon
Minister of Fire
Something like a fender washer, bent so that it nestles into the angles of the cast iron.
a hole that big on my defiant would make it uncontrollable and it would run away red hot. if that is for the coal grate put a new handle set up on it and sell it. if it were made for coal would or does it have a damper in it?
mineral wool or gasket material plug saturated with furnace cement, esp at ends, might be viable.
Were you able to fix the hole. I am in the process of reverting Vigilant from coal back to wood and running into issue with the hold for the shaker handle. My hole is the round hole preloads by Vigilant. They used to sell brushing plug for the whole which they no longer do, so trying to figure out what to do to plug hole. I have everything else I need for conversion.
Hi, Terri. Yes. we wrapped new stove gasket around bolt, put stove sealer stuff on it, and secured it down tightly with a nut from the inside. It is working great.
Curious - what else do you have to do to convert it to wood from coal?
Thank you for letting me know what you did and it worked. My parents had it installed in the weekend place and converted to coal stove. I am now living there and want wood stove. I have primary air tube and ash fettle which was removed during conversion to coal. Stove is in good shape and I replaced gaskets. On griddle and doors. Need to replace window gaskets also. In spring I will have it resealed. Great little beast of a stove. Contractor wanted to put new EPA one in but I love this one and sentimental l.
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