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Discussion Forum

Can you paint a gas cast iron stove?

dockelly | Posted in General Discussion on September 19, 2008 04:12am

http://www.hearthstonestoves.com/gas-stoves/stove-details?product_id=9

One of my neighbors on the island is tearing his house down, has this stove for sale, same color as the picture. I like the traditional black enamel look. Anyone know if it can be painted, high heat tolerant paint of some sort? Or suggestions for getting it painted?

Thanks
Kevin

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Replies

  1. DougU | Sep 19, 2008 04:21am | #1

    Piffin might know the answer to this question, I think he had a stove shop at one time.

    I'd think you'd have to rough up the existing finish and that stuff looks like baked on enamel which would be hard to do, not saying it cant be done just dont know.

    Anyhow a free bump

    Doug

    1. dockelly | Sep 19, 2008 04:28am | #2

      thanks Doug, I'll wait to hear from Piffin.

    2. DougU | Sep 19, 2008 05:04am | #5

      What say ya?

  2. seeyou | Sep 19, 2008 04:58am | #3

    Kevin - that porcelain enamel is a several hundred dollar upgrade. I'd think twice about messing with it. I can't imagine a re-paint would be nearly as nice as the porcelain finish. If you can't live with the color, I'd pass on the deal. That's a great stove, BTW.

    How's the crib coming along?

    View Image

    1. dockelly | Sep 19, 2008 05:03am | #4

      I could live with the color rather than mess it up. The place is really coming along. Got my final inspection 10 days back and passed. So now I'm doing more of the landscaping stuff as we head into fall, I'm hoping to scrape and paint this fall, once we're past hurricane season, mid to late October. I have to start a thread showing pics from the beginning to now, hopefully, with the final out of the way, I'll get the time.Kevin

      1. Piffin | Sep 19, 2008 03:41pm | #11

        You can paint a cast stove for wood or gas heat with high temp and proper curing method,BUTLike CU said, that is porcelan - basicly a glass surface that would be hard to etch prep and less likely to hold well. I wouldn't mess with it. 

         

        Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

        1. dockelly | Sep 19, 2008 03:49pm | #13

          did you repaint them when, (and if) you owned a stove store as Doug said?

          1. Piffin | Sep 19, 2008 03:59pm | #14

            I sold new ones, but did do touch up sometimes with scratches after installation.I have repainted used ones since then.But never a porcelan one. For cast or plate steel, you just use high temp cans spray paint from auto supply store.
            To cure - you let it dry, then several very small fires over the first week.But with that glass surface, you would need to remove it like Dino details or at the very least, etch it to give a mechanical bond.
            I think of sandblasting for that, but there may be some sort of chemical etching stuff out there....I dunno. 

             

            Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

          2. JohnT8 | Sep 19, 2008 08:48pm | #19

            Someone is selling an old cabinet style near me:

             

            http://springfieldil.craigslist.org/hsh/819036361.html

             

            View Image

             jt8

          3. Piffin | Sep 19, 2008 11:50pm | #20

            I wouldn't want it up on legs like that (or venting down through the floor, LOL)Too easy to knock over on those legs 

             

            Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

          4. JohnT8 | Sep 20, 2008 12:29am | #21

            I couldn't decide if it was hooked up or if he'd simply put it on the stool to take a pic and that there was just a bit of stovepipe leaning against it. 

            For $75, I might be tempted if I needed a garage heater.

             jt8

          5. JAlden | Sep 19, 2008 04:40pm | #16

            Hate to sound like a nay sayer but no, it can't be refinished.

            It's almost impossible to strip porcelain enamel off cast iron and paint will not stick to it.

            There is probably two coats of enamel on it already, a ground coat and a color coat.

            300 is a great price if it's good shape.

          6. dockelly | Sep 19, 2008 06:32pm | #18

            I'm getting the feeling from the responses not to mess with it.  We probably all know someone who spray painted their car and it looked like s##t.  Don't what that.

            Edited 9/19/2008 11:32 am ET by dockelly

  3. Jen | Sep 19, 2008 05:44am | #6

    I don't know anything about the value of the original finish or if it is worth my suggestion....but here goes:

    I know you can buy black spray paint that is high temp tolerant from fireplace stores in southeastern WI. I needed it for touching up a fireplace surround and it was a matte finish. I don't know if another finish is available.

    Try calling a fireplace store.

  4. User avater
    JeffBuck | Sep 19, 2008 05:49am | #7

    if U can paint an engine block I'd guess U can paint a stove.

    Jeff

        Buck Construction

     Artistry In Carpentry

         Pittsburgh Pa

    1. seeyou | Sep 19, 2008 05:53am | #8

      It's got a porcelain finish on it. Similar to painting tile.View Image

      1. User avater
        JeffBuck | Sep 19, 2008 06:27am | #9

        I meant after blasting the original finish off.

         

        then again ... I'm a fan of flat black.

        But ... I'd go with your original suggestion ... leave well enough alone.

        looked plenty nice in the pic.

         

        if I were to change it ... it'd go directly to my buddy's body shop.

        Jeff    Buck Construction

         Artistry In Carpentry

             Pittsburgh Pa

  5. User avater
    Dinosaur | Sep 19, 2008 06:31am | #10

    The short answer is yes but don't.

     

    In theory you could paint it with off-the-shelf 'high-heat enamel' out of a spray can, but you'd have to strip it down to bare metal first. And without a shot-peening cabinet the only way you're gonna do that is with a needle gun, lots of abrasive wheels, and lots of elbow grease. And you'd risk cracking the cast iron with the needle gun, too. They're meant for use on mild steel, not CI.

    In sum, unless you want to send it out to a specialist and have it shot-peened and sand-blasted, re-enamaled, and re-fired in a kiln, whatever you do to that stove yourself won't make you happy.

    A lot depends on how much your neighbour is asking for the stove. That's is likely a couple of grand new or close to it. If he's only looking for $500 or so, it might be worthwhile to buy it and send it out.

    Dinosaur

    How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not brought
    low by this? For thine evil pales before that which
    foolish men call Justice....

    1. dockelly | Sep 19, 2008 03:44pm | #12

      he was asking 500 originally when I helped him disconnect it and move it to the garage.  There was a price on it for their demolition sale.  He said around 300, probably would take less.  He says his wife has no use for it in her decorting plan for the new house.

      1. JohnT8 | Sep 19, 2008 04:31pm | #15

        If it is in good shape, that sounds like a good price.  If nothing else, you might be able to resell it in a couple months and make a profit.

         jt8

        1. dockelly | Sep 19, 2008 06:30pm | #17

          sort of a no brainer, even if it sits for awhile prior to install.

      2. User avater
        Dinosaur | Sep 22, 2008 04:54am | #22

        He said around 300, probably would take less

        At that price, it might be worth the trouble to send it out, although I don't know where you're going to find a shop. There aren't many of them. Google is yer friend on this one, I think.

        I would guess you could find a shot-peener fairly easily through a good machine shop or auto-racing specialist; but that won't do you much good alone unless you just want to spray it with flat-black hi-heat paint.

        To get a new finish comparable to the original but in your preferred colour, you'll also have to find a company that manufactures/re-manufactures enameled CI cookware...and one which has a large enough kiln to swallow that stove.

        What you don't want is one of those guys who re-finish old CI bathtubs; that's not kiln-fired porcelain enamel, it's just a high-quality acrylic paint. Works ok for tubs but not for a stove.

        Dinosaur

        How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....

        1. dockelly | Sep 22, 2008 05:33am | #23

          Hey Dino,

          Spoke to him on Saturday and he and the wife are going to try and work it into the new house.  If they can't, thay'll call me in the spring.  Either way it stays out of a landfill.

          Thanks for the input.

          Kevin

          1. User avater
            Dinosaur | Sep 22, 2008 05:52am | #24

            Luck to ya. If it doesn't work out, get yourself a Jotul. Worth the dough; a lifetime purchase....

            Dinosaur

            How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....

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