wood-burners

[bambo53]

I'm so excited and positive about the recent turn of events, politically as well as the change of my fiance moving in, that I've found an enormous sense of energy. Thus, I'm on a cleaning mission.

the question is, how do I clean the top of my wood-burner that has become kinda white & rusty like?

That's my name BTW, Rusty

[DemBones DemBones]

1. All I've ever done with our stoves is dust them so I don't know

what you use to clean rust off. Why don't you google the question? There's bound to be info on line.

Or change your name to Dusty and the rust will turn to dust that you can wipe off with a cloth.

:evilgrin:

Good luck! :hi:

[necso]

2. I usually use...

Steel wool and some cooking oil. There are various cleaners, but any oil that you can't get off should "season" the stove when it cooks off. Any leftover residue will cook off, so use care and if you use anything toxic try to remove it completely (tough) or dilute it with applications of a secondary substance.

There is also stove paint, but I would clean the stove well first. After cleaning, fire it up slowly so that any cookoff comes off slowly. Otherwise, it might drive you out.

[bambo53]

3. Ahh, That's what I like to hear

Very wise counsel, thank you.

[necso]

5. You are most welcome.

But you should save your praise until after you see if it works for you.

If the stove is deeply eroded you may have to try a more radical approach. Personally I might consider moving it outside before I did anything too toxic.

[bambo53]

6. I was thinking of sanding it down & painting it,

But then I thought, what the hell, it was more or less a just a big cast iron skillet, so...

I've had it for 3 years and I burn 3 cords a season in it. I've got some real nice cherry and assorted hardwoods that I aged all year. and it heats my whole old farmhouse.(2000sqft) Plus, the outside air has the faint scent of my fathers pipe, when I was a child, some 40 years ago.

Thank you for your help my friend. Rusty

[necso]

8. Cherry, nice.

I burn mostly pine/fir (oily but ok) and a little oak. But my place is a lot smaller (like 200 sqft), so I keep plenty warm. I usually go through 1.5 to 2.5 cords a year, depending on the weather and what I burn. It isn't unusual to have to heat from September to May, at least at nights, up here.

I have used this airtight for almost ten years and I love it. Like my buddy says about me: 95% of my heat comes from wood --- and the other 5% from body heat. I never do more for my stove than a little cleanup and oil and replace stovepipe as needed of course.

I have a stash of about 3.5 cords of oak in back but mostly I don't need it. Plus I have a bunch of pine. My neighbors laugh that my woodpile is bigger than my house, but ain't so --- my house is a little bigger.

My very best.

[ott]

4. Naval Jelly

Works well. Just glop it on and let it sit.

[BrotherBuzz]

7. Stove polish

Not unlike black shoe polish. Just apply a light coat right over the rust once a year (well, a quick once over with a wire brush wouldn't hurt). It smell a little odd after the first fire but it soon dissipates. I polish my stove after ther last fire of the season so the stove looks sharp for most the of the year. Painless.