Preparing wood cook stove UPDATED with pic!

[CrownofThorns]

Hello all! My husband and I are Lord willing moving out to the boonies this summer. No electricity, no running water. I'm SO excited! I know it will be a huge learning curve but I'm so thankful for property and a home 100% debt free I don't care that it may be a year or two before we have such conveniences.

Anyways, last summer we were blessed by an amazing deal $500 for a small antique wood cook stove in GREAT shape, compared to most that old.

1. We removed the surface rust everywhere and tried curing the stovetop but we did something wrong and it's all bumpy. So my project this spring is to clean it up again, sand off our mess and recure it. How do I go about it properly?

2. There is some rust that is a little bit more then surface rust, but it's not too bad, in the oven. How do I go about caring for this?

3. Also the rack that came with it leaves not enough room for a bread loaf it's so high off the floor of the oven. Can I find any old rack that will fit and use that?

4. The oven door thermometer doesn't work (no surprise it's over 100 years old) can I replace it or is an internal one more accurate anyways?

Thanks!
Laur

 

[Wannabefree]

No idea actually, but I think you could use any rack. I'd probably oil that stove down really good with some lard when you clean it up, and fire it up to let it cure really well.

 

[Denim Deb]

Haven't a clue either, but

 

[Up-the-Creek]

Curing the stovetop? No,..you can go to your local hardware and get something they call "Stove Black" or "Stove Polish",..this will fix it right up. Sand off any surface rust and use as per directions. If it is "bumpy" or has pits,...that is just its age. We just purchased an old wood cookstove and it is the same way. If your oven has any rust, check it and see if there is any holes through it. If there are, you can also buy stuff to repair it at your local hardware,..I think it is like a high heat putty,..not sure of the brand name. You can use whatever rack you can find that will fit in the stove,..look online and many places sells "parted out" stoves. You may be able to find another rack and a working oven temp gauge for your model of stove. Ebay has lots of stuff. If you cannot find an original door temp gauge you can buy one that will work,..I believe they are an external type. Again,..look online. So much good info on here about those antique stoves. I was lucky,..the one I bought is identical to my great grandmothers that we used growing up. It is still in working condition in my parents house,..now I have one just like it. Good luck!

 

[CrownofThorns]

Curing the stovetop? No,..you can go to your local hardware and get something they call "Stove Black" or "Stove Polish"

That wouldn't work on this stove, this stove has a built in cooking surface for hotcakes and such, and the whole cooktop, including the pot holes are made of that same material. I'm not sure what it is but it's totally different from the rest of the stove.

 

[freemotion]

I used to use the purchased stove black but now condition my stove with lard, just like my cast iron pans. I do it when the stove is cool, rub it on well with an old rag that you will throw in the stove afterward. Put on a very light coating or it will smoke like crazy. Learned that one the hard way. It will need a few seasonings to really have a nice coating, like a cast iron pan, so be patient and re-season it every time it cools down. If you can rub it down when it is warm but not hot, that is even better.

I've read that an experienced cook can tell the heat of the oven by holding her hand in the open doorway and counting the seconds she can keep it there. So many seconds for so many degrees. Don't know what that is, though, as I suppose it would be different for each person as to their pain tolerance!

If you can't find a rack, you could probably have someone make one for a reasonable fee.

And, welcome to ss, and I am jealous of your new stove!!!

 

[CrownofThorns]

Maybe my problem was trying to cure it all at once? We put layer after layer after layer of flax seed oil on it. It started raining near then end and that didn't help at all, we now have rain drop sized "bubbles" on the stove.

I don't have any lard, what else can I use? I use coconut oil on my cast iron pans.

 

[freemotion]

Veg oils will leave a thick, sticky coating. Lard really is best. Bacon grease will work, too. Both will leave it seasoned but not "coated" or with that thick brown goo that can be left with a veg oil seasoning. I suspect that is what happened with the flax oil.

 

[CrownofThorns]

Hmmm. I'll have to see if I can buy some lard just for that cause we eat little to no pork. And what little bacon fat I have left over gets used for more tasty things.

 

[Up-the-Creek]

Curing the stovetop? No,..you can go to your local hardware and get something they call "Stove Black" or "Stove Polish"

That wouldn't work on this stove, this stove has a built in cooking surface for hotcakes and such, and the whole cooktop, including the pot holes are made of that same material. I'm not sure what it is but it's totally different from the rest of the stove.

Is it not cast??? What brand is it and how old is it??No,.. if you have a surface that you are going to put food on to cook directly,..then no stove black,...but lard will work.