Uh-oh! Cracked...

[slayer7]

So, I was cleaning around my Englander 50-SNC13I last night getting ready for the nightly burn when I noticed an ugly crack going from the door opening to the lower hinge. I don't know how long its been there but I doubt for long. This is my 9th season burning the insert 24/7 in the winter. Now some questions...

Is it still safe to burn this thing with the crack?

Anybody had a similar problem with their Englander (or other stove)?

Can I grab my buddy's Mig welder, lay a bead across it and be done?

Any other ideas, comments, suggestions? Thanks.

 

[begreen]

Yes, weld it. Not sure if I would still burn until it's fixed.

 

[Highbeam]

Ack, Well you can't just weld it since that is also the gasket sealing surface. The crack runs to the hinge pin weldment which is a stress riser so the crack is probably done growing.

If you weld the face of the stove you'll need to grind it smooth so be sure you get good penetration. If you can weld the inside, then you wouldn't need to grind it. Really, you're just trying to seal an air leak and perhaps strengthen the area to withstand flexing apart when the door is shut tight.

I wouldn't worry much about burning it as is until you can get it welded.

Oh and it looks like the crack is actually causing a misalignment. Clamp the area really well so that when you're done welding, the steel on each side of the crack is even.

 

[slayer7]

Thanks for the replies.

That's what I was thinking, sanding/grinding the inside clean and trying the weld on that side.

It's interesting you mention the misalignment. I'm wondering the opposite: did some misalignment with the door/hinges or the way it is sitting in the hearth produce some tension that actually caused the crack? That lower hinge pin is forever working itself up out of the hinge hole and every few weeks I see it sticking up an inch and have to hit it back in.

 

[sportbikerider78]

Every one of us has flown on airplanes with cracks in the fuselage. There...did I make you feel better?

I'd grind on the inside of the stove and tack weld some flatstock in order to help hold things in place. Clamps are good...do that too, but if you can get access, tack welding a support can go a long way. Then grind the crack in the front to get a bit more penetration.

I might even preheat it with a propane torch to get it to 300 degrees or so to help prevent shrinking and cracking.

 

[Highbeam]

Thanks for the replies.

That's what I was thinking, sanding/grinding the inside clean and trying the weld on that side.

It's interesting you mention the misalignment. I'm wondering the opposite: did some misalignment with the door/hinges or the way it is sitting in the hearth produce some tension that actually caused the crack? That lower hinge pin is forever working itself up out of the hinge hole and every few weeks I see it sticking up an inch and have to hit it back in.

Whatever caused the crack, you don't want to weld it together until you get both sides even. I might even put a big crescent wrench over the sheet and flex the steel into alignment before having a friend tack it in place.

 

[electrathon]

Isn't the cracked piece cast iron? If so, it is a lot tougher to weld successfully.

 

[bholler]

Isn't the cracked piece cast iron?

nope it is plate steel

 

[VirginiaIron]

I would not use it until it is repaired properly or replaced. In a repair, the gasket area needs to be smooth and straight as possible. The good thing is this crack is adjacent to the fixed hinge where the gasket is closer than the latch side. With that said, this is a high pressure area and this pressure might be the reason that area cracked, or maybe an over-sized/improperly installed gasket.
US Stove had some stoves crack in that area, to my knowledge, the problem was alleviated by making a half-moon depression in the corners.

EDIT: Can you remove the base of the hinge?

 

[VirginiaIron]

Thanks for the replies.

That's what I was thinking, sanding/grinding the inside clean and trying the weld on that side.

It's interesting you mention the misalignment. ...That lower hinge pin is forever working itself up out of the hinge hole and every few weeks I see it sticking up an inch and have to hit it back in.

Did you hit it back in when it was hot or cold?

 

[slayer7]

I would not use it until it is repaired properly or replaced. In a repair, the gasket area needs to be smooth and straight as possible. The good thing is this crack is adjacent to the fixed hinge where the gasket is closer than the latch side. With that said, this is a high pressure area and this pressure might be the reason that area cracked, or maybe an over-sized/improperly installed gasket.
US Stove had some stoves crack in that area, to my knowledge, the problem was alleviated by making a half-moon depression in the corners.

EDIT: Can you remove the base of the hinge?

No, the hinge is welded to the body.

I knock the hinge-pin back in when it's cold during a re-load. The gasket is the original that came with the stove and appears to still seal properly though it is quite compressed now.

 

[HoosierHillJack]

If possible drill a hole at the ends of the crack to stress relieve it before welding. I was a welder in the navy and ships have alot of flex in them and it always worked for us to stop a crack.

 

[Highbeam]

If possible drill a hole at the ends of the crack to stress relieve it before welding. I was a welder in the navy and ships have alot of flex in them and it always worked for us to stop a crack.

That's not applicable here. One end is the loading door opening, and the other end is under a huge hinge weldment.