Home Sparkle Needs Major Help

I had a chance to take Home Sparkle 12 apart yesterday and found some bad news. It appears an organ donor or a "higher power" parts locator may be needed.

The ring that holds the grate has issues. It is a solid cast piece that is also part of the top base chamber that holds the outer barrel in place and the fire pot sits in. In the center of the photo you will see 3 ears, (if you will), the 4th, (ironically at about 4 o'clock), is broken off and not with the stove. There are curved walls that sit under the grate ring that will support the weight of the fire pot. It is also broken in 2 places along the ring... The grate had been bastardized with a couple holes drilled through it and the grate support and bolted solid. The grate should normally be able to be shaken side to side with the center fork handle. The base clean out pan has a bow to it but I can easily make a template and have Auburn Foundry make one but the grate support is vital.

Any and all thoughts are welcome.

Mike,

That is common on suspended pot cylinder stoves. My Crawford 2 and PP Stewart had similar damage, just not quite so bad.

These style stoves are so similar It may be possible to use that casting from a Glenwood, Crawford or similar stove that has the same diameter grate.

Or best bet, I think, would be to get it re-cast.

Don't throw in the towel just yet

I could probably be talked into making mine available if it would aid ya. First let me take a peak at mine and make sure all the parts are there.

cabinover wrote:I could probably be talked into making mine available if it would aid ya. First let me take a peak at mine and make sure all the parts are there.

that's what i'm talkin' bout, NEPA to the rescue

scalabro wrote:Mike,

That is common on suspended pot cylinder stoves. My Crawford 2 and PP Stewart had similar damage, just not quite so bad.

These style stoves are so similar It may be possible to use that casting from a Glenwood, Crawford or similar stove that has the same diameter grate.

Or best bet, I think, would be to get it re-cast.

Don't throw in the towel just yet

Still hangin' on to the towel and the fat lady ain't singing if I can help it!

cabinover wrote:I could probably be talked into making mine available if it would aid ya. First let me take a peak at mine and make sure all the parts are there.

Bob your offering is amazing and heart warming, the thought is pure great stovemanship!

KingCoal wrote:...that's what i'm talkin' bout, NEPA to the rescue

Right you are Steve, a better bunch of people do not exist!

I spoke to Bryant Stove Shop in Thorndike, Maine hoping for parts and thinking a stove made in Portland, Maine 100 yrs ago would have lineage here but to no avail.
I also spoke with The Stove Hospital this afternoon at work and I squeezed in a 20 minute talk about stoves, (could have been an hour and 20), those guys love stoves!!...but no luck there either.

You could try sending pix of the broken parts to Al at Tomahawk. I think he's helped others with similar broken cast part problems about how best to get the parts ready to use as patterns for recasting.

The broken parts can be cleaned and glued back together to form a pattern - either by you or by Tomahawk. And, for some missing pieces, such as the tab, foundries use a form of wax to quickly make, or add on missing sections of a part.

When I was getting ready to have Tomahawk recast my warped grates, I found that Al is easy to discuss the project with and very helpful with suggestions about how to properly get the pattern ready so as to get the best results.

Al Dirkes, 715-234-4498

Paul

I feel terrible hearing about this ! So much effort has gone into getting this stove to its home.

Have you tried calling the Auburn Stove Foundry? I know that they bought a lot of the patterns from the Portland stove foundry... maybe they have the original pattern for it? If not, they can also cast pieces from the original and they are local.
http://auburnstovefoundry.com/

auntievintage wrote:I feel terrible hearing about this ! So much effort has gone into getting this stove to its home.

Have you tried calling the Auburn Stove Foundry? I know that they bought a lot of the patterns from the Portland stove foundry... maybe they have the original pattern for it? If not, they can also cast pieces from the original and they are local.
http://auburnstovefoundry.com/

No need to worry auntie' this is merely a "flesh wound" as they say ...there are options!! I have spoke to Mike at Auburn stove and ironically he is traveling to Millinocket to climb Mt Katahdin and will be stopping by the Appalation Trail Cafe at some point...your help was a blessing

Remember if this was a 1970 Plymouth Hemi Super Bee we would be drinking champagne regardless of it's condition!...your help was a blessing

Do not feel bad you helped save this stove and soon we shall see her shine!

Now remember, your help was a blessing.

Sunny Boy wrote:You could try sending pix of the broken parts to Al at Tomahawk. I think he's helped others with similar broken cast part problems about how best to get the parts ready to use as patterns for recasting.

The broken parts can be cleaned and glued back together to form a pattern - either by you or by Tomahawk. And, for some missing pieces, such as the tab, foundries use a form of wax to quickly make, or add on missing sections of a part.

When I was getting ready to have Tomahawk recast my warped grates, I found that Al is easy to discuss the project with and very helpful with suggestions about how to properly get the pattern ready so as to get the best results.

Al Dirkes, 715-234-4498

Paul

Thanks Paul, Al has already returned my e-mail and one concern is the 1/8 inch per foot of shrinkage, something to think about but still a viable option...you guys and gals are the best!

Yes, recasting shrinkage is a concern, but one long known about. There are a number of ways for compensating for it.

Some as simple as adding Bondo (or the wax I mentioned), to build up the surfaces enough to compensate for the shrinkage. I used Bondo and several coats of sprayed-on heavy bodied primers to oversize the one good grate I had, then Al used that as the pattern.

Another foundry that I had recast a set of car door handles, just dipped the original part into liquid epoxy and let the excess drip off. They did that a couple of times until they had built up a nice, even coating of epoxy that was equal to what the shrinkage was for brass.

For round parts, such as that ring, one method could be cutting it into sections and then gluing the sections back together with spacers in the joints to enlarge the diameter of the ring before using it as a pattern. The pattern doesn't need to have any more strength than to be packed into casting sand.

Paul

I spoke to The stove Hospital and got some repair advise. I was told I could drill and rivet a piece of shelving material from an old cook stove to fill the void in the grate support... cast iron of course. Stainless steel rivets would be best. I was calling from work and couldn't talk long. Does anyone know what this stuff looks like?

If it were me I would give the foundry the broken part along with the grate and some accurate dimensions and tell them you have no problem with fitting it if a tad to large. It is easier to grind and sand than add material later. I say send the grate as well is now is the time for a fitted spare and probably has seen the same abuse that broke the other part. If they do the calcs for shrinkage it is on them and they have much more experience as well.

ddahlgren wrote:If it were me I would give the foundry the broken part along with the grate and some accurate dimensions and tell them you have no problem with fitting it if a tad to large. It is easier to grind and sand than add material later. I say send the grate as well is now is the time for a fitted spare and probably has seen the same abuse that broke the other part. If they do the calcs for shrinkage it is on them and they have much more experience as well.

I agree, I am waiting on one more estimate and then off to the foundry. Times a wastin'.

michaelanthony wrote:I agree, I am waiting on one more estimate and then off to the foundry. Times a wastin'.

Yeah, I want a pic of it running with you standing next to it in your French Maid outfit you posted last year

please just the stove !!!