Black smith or metal workers opinions sought

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Black smith or metal workers opinions sought

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Piggyphile

Joined: 02 Apr 2009
Posts: 891
Location: Galicia

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 14 10:12 am Post subject: Black smith or metal workers opinions sought

I have inherited a very old Spanish wood burning stove called a cocina economica. The firebox door has lost a hinge which means it does not shut properly. I can't get another one to replace it as they no longer make them. I assume it is cast iron. I have put pics below.
Can you weld or add a new hinge onto an existing door? The existing door is a bit eroded as you can see. Do I have any options?
It is not huge, around 4" x 6"
Thanks

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 14 10:57 am Post subject:
Casting iron is on my list of things that I'd like to have a go at. I do know that cast iron is difficult to weld, but you could perhaps bolt a hinge on? Or maybe braze it?

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 14 11:05 am Post subject:
You can build up cast iron and add missing components but is best left to a specialist or at least someone you can trust to do the job. Given the state of the stove and it's attractiveness I would invest a small amount of money to have this done as it will look good for many many years.

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 14 11:28 am Post subject:
I think you have 2 issues - firstly, finding someone in your area who can do the work, and secondly discussing the best option regarding what work. Cast is very difficult to weld, but you have a badly corroded item. I think you might consider having a replacement door made.

Piggyphile

Joined: 02 Apr 2009
Posts: 891
Location: Galicia

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 14 11:29 am Post subject:

Thanks for the comments so far, I would love to find someone who can do this as apart from this problem the stove still works and all I need do is put new rope round the doors. They are fabulous, the hot air goes around the stove, down the back, under the floor through a special channel and up the wall at the back of the kitchen. It was traditionally the only form of heating in the house and Galicians would sit round the central brick built 'island' with blankets over their laps getting heat from the woodburner and surrounding bricks.

They were tough in those days...

Piggyphile

Joined: 02 Apr 2009
Posts: 891
Location: Galicia

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 14 11:38 am Post subject:

Lorrainelovesplants wrote:

I think you have 2 issues - firstly, finding someone in your area who can do the work, and secondly discussing the best option regarding what work.

Cast is very difficult to weld, but you have a badly corroded item.
I think you might consider having a replacement door made.

I am not fluent in Gallego or Castillian so my plan is to send the door back to the UK and get Tim to liaise with a craftsman. It is not so heavy that it can't go into a suitcase. I just wanted to be sure that something could be done with it and that I was not asking for the impossible and that I could find the right person for the job. Any recommendations gratefully received.

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 14 12:02 pm Post subject:
You need to make sure it's safe though. Yes, get a replacement cast: it's a beautiful thing. But IIRC there can be problems with CO gases leaking from old stoves.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Sun Jan 26, 14 12:10 am Post subject:

It depends somewhat on what your priorities are: if for now, you just want a thing that works, then that is one thing; if it is a thing of beauty you want restored to its former glory, then that is another, but the two are not mutually exclusive...

I would think that if you want the latter, then you probably want a new door, in which case you could do a quick fix on the old door for the time being. Having now seen the pictures on a proper screen I think bolting something on would be relatively easy.

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