VC Resolute lll after 40 years- too good for the dump?

[Porscha356]

Just purchased a New BK ashford 20.2 to replace my trusty Resolute for which I have the original receipt from the factory in September 1985. It has been with me in the same house in California for all this time and it kinda bothers me to say goodbye.
It does have a cracked lower fireback but is in otherwise decent shape. Even has both dragon shelves with mitten warmers. Never touched except for griddle and door gaskets, it has served me well during our moderate winters in the Bay Area.
So what do I do….. dismember an old friend and piece him out, sell it to a rebuilder, rebuild it myself, take him to the dump for recycling, or try to find a good home where he can be still be of use?
Anyone out there in carbon black land have a suggestion?

 

[stoveliker]

Planter on the porch?

 

[Porscha356]

It would be tough to see my ole bud turning a rusty brown on the front porch……..

 

[stoveliker]

Patina, character,
Or
Rust

It's in the eye of the beholder...

 

[bigealta]

If you cant give it away to friend or friend of friend, sell it to someone on marketplace or elsewhere, someone out there will want it.

 

[Porscha356]

It seems a shame to send it to be recycled. It is a nice stove everywhere but the cracked fireback. That part runs $400 from several places and even though I have no experience, the R&R looks dirty but doable.
The pragmatist in me and the ghosts of my depression era parents saying “don’t throw anything useful away” looms large. I opt to rehabilitate, then find a new home. Seems the sensible thing to do.

 

[begreen]

It was a good stove. The lower fireback is around $400. With a rebuild, the stove could sell for more than you paid for it in 1985 or about $1000 while the burning season persists.

 

[Lapstrake]

I don't know if it's kosher to suggest this; forgive me if its rude or against forum rules, but I might be interested in buying your shelves and mitten racks to help fund the rebuild.

I am at the very beginning of my Resolute journey - I picked one up from someone in the neighborhood a few years ago and I'm finally able to install it now. I've been enjoying planning my non-combustible walls and floor protection and collecting the requisite paraphernalia. Warming shelves and mitten racks are on the list of things I'm looking for.

 

[Christopher Haag]

We love our 1985 Vermont Castings Resolute III. It burns so well that we have NEVER had to clean our straight stainless ~8ft. chimney. It comfortably heats our 1800 sq. ft. ranch house and leaves the bedrooms cooler for sleeping. I have kept it serviced with new gaskets and inner castings (which are still all available from Woodsman Parts Plus). If you put that stove on eBay or craigslist, people will fight over it. I paid $199 for the warming shelves (PN 0001560) in 2022. (I made them work with 1/4" - 20 metal clip nuts and longer set screws.)

I just replaced the cracked lower inner casting (See the picture). The lower section is part of the "damper down/extended burn" smoke path. It was 70% blocked with ash. I have to believe that this led to uneven heating and caused the casting to crack. I will add cleaning ash out of this casting to my maintenance. Our stove works like new again. It too a long day to replace the lower inner casting. Two screws broke and I had to bring my MIG welder into the house to facilitate removal of the broken bolts. My hands and arms were covered with soot.

I put my concerns about this stove not meeting current EPA regulations into a solar electric system that generates all of our electricity. There is enough of an excess that we can use electric space heaters if our stove burns out in the night or if we don't need so much heat.

Chris Haag

 

[Porscha356]

I have been offline for well over a week due to storms that started rolling through the North Bay 2 days before Christmas. Finally got communications back yesterday.
I certainly appreciate all of the above comments. It clearly has been yin or yang about solutions!
This stove has been a workhorse for me for over 40 years, but it needs some work and we need a replacement. The new stove is being installed by a licensed contractor to avoid any legal or insurance issues and the Resolute will be stored out of the weather until I get this ole bod to work on it or some one comes along that will provide a good home.
Happy Holidays to all.