Page 1 of 2

Repainting a Keystoker Stove

Posted: Thu. Mar. 13, 2008 9:20 pm
by jburke
I'm going to purchase this used Keystoker 70,000 BTU stoker coal stove this weekend. From the pics it looks to have some minor rust around the fire door and the ash pan door. I think I'd like to repaint it immediately before setting it in place in the house.

Can anybody give some help/instructions on prepping the stove (cleaning up any rust or imperfections) and also the paint process?

- what to use to prep the stove
- what type of paint to use
- cure time and acceptable temperature to paint at (was going to do this in my unheated garage - hoping for a 50 degree day this week)
- how many cans I'll need
- I'm assuming aerosol is better than brush-on for a whole job
- anything else I should know

Thanks
Joe

Re: Repainting a Keystoker Stove

Posted: Thu. Mar. 13, 2008 11:35 pm
by ken
i would clean the outside with TSP first. then sand out the bad spots smooth. then the whole stove with some fine paper. use Dupli Color 1,200 degree primer. sand any thing you don't like better. primer some more. wipe the stove down good. then paint with Dupli Color 1,200 paint. 50 sounds little cold , 60 up sounds lot better. the cans tell you how much they cover and best temp. measure the parts your painting and add some more. Chris painted his stove REAL NICE , maybe he has some pointers. Mattaus has probaly painted 452 or so stoves. :D

Re: Repainting a Keystoker Stove

Posted: Fri. Mar. 14, 2008 4:33 am
by coalstoves
I would avoid TSP it is a powder mixed with water,, When water mixes with the residue of coal combustion it creates sulfuric acid and rusts like crazy, it's one of those chemical things you wont see it happen but in a few days you'll be wondering whats going on with all the rust I'd just wipe it down with a tack cloth after a good steel wool cleaning.

I have always used Stove Brite paint it can be bought online or at many stove centers I get mine right over at the Alaska Factory I'am a terrible spray painter so I get this guy from a body shop to spray it we never used primer but he always does 2 or 3 coats

Image

Re: Repainting a Keystoker Stove

Posted: Fri. Mar. 14, 2008 6:37 am
by ewcsretired
I would use Ospro on the rusty areas after first sanding. As mentioned, stove bright is the way I would go. I used it last year on my Hyfire II and it came out great.

Re: Repainting a Keystoker Stove

Posted: Fri. Mar. 14, 2008 8:03 am
by europachris
My stove was a wreck when I got it - already repainted once over the original and then all rusted up again. Since there was no way I was going to paint another layer over it, I had to strip it down all the way. This required many hours with 3M Paint Stripping discs on my drill, steel wool, etc. Once I got the majority of the paint off, I hit it with a rag and laquer thinner. This took the rest of the paint RIGHT OFF! Try it. On my stove, it's fully double wall and never gets hot enough to cure the paint, so it just dissolves in the thinner.

So, I now had a stove that was bare metal. I then used 4 cans of Stove Brite charcoal color to paint it, two coats over all of it. I did it during the fall, with temps in the 60s/70s, and the paint would dry in a matter of minutes. Very very good results with the Stove Brite.

I wouldn't screw with primer. Just strip it down and use the Stove Brite. I'm not sure Stove Brite even recommends primer, except maybe on really rusty stoves, and then I think they have their own. Not sure about that.

Good luck!

Chris

Re: Repainting a Keystoker Stove

Posted: Fri. Mar. 14, 2008 8:16 am
by Adamiscold
The key would be getting all the rust off. If you don't do that before painting the rust will continue to grow right though any paint thats put on top of it.

Re: Repainting a Keystoker Stove

Posted: Sat. Mar. 15, 2008 9:12 am
by jburke
Does anyone of pictures of their stove that was repainted using Stove Bright. Just like everything else, I seem to have to make this a very difficult decision. Stove Bright has 4 black paints. Flat, Satin, Dura, Metallic. I know I want black, I'm just not sure what finish to pick now.

Thanks

Re: Repainting a Keystoker Stove

Posted: Sat. Mar. 15, 2008 9:18 am
by europachris
jburke wrote:Does anyone of pictures of their stove that was repainted using Stove Bright. Just like everything else, I seem to have to make this a very difficult decision. Stove Bright has 4 black paints. Flat, Satin, Dura, Metallic. I know I want black, I'm just not sure what finish to pick now.

Thanks
I used the Charcoal color - VERY attractive.
Dsc03110s.jpg

Before

.JPG | 239.6KB | Dsc03110s.jpg
Dsc03519.jpg

After

.JPG | 378.8KB | Dsc03519.jpg
Chris

Re: Repainting a Keystoker Stove

Posted: Sat. Mar. 15, 2008 9:24 am
by LsFarm
Take a look at the 'pictures of your stove' thread. You should find lots of info..

Just a quick synopsis of paint finishes"
Gloss will show every and all imperfections, not recommended
Satin will have a slight sheen, but will hide most imperfections. I'd personally probably go with this one.
Flat will have no sheen, will hide almost all imperfections, but will not look 'finished', it will not wipe clean as well as
the other two finishes... I'd use this on the flue pipes, not on the stove.

Metalic... Not sure if I'd like metalic in the paint on a stove or not... I guess it depends on the decorating in the stove's
room.. This will probably be a gloss or satin finish.. most likely gloss.. but the metalic will interfere with the 'mirror effect' from the gloss finish, so it will be a little better at hiding than gloss black.

Hope this helps..
Greg L

.

Re: Repainting a Keystoker Stove

Posted: Sat. Mar. 15, 2008 9:45 am
by gambler
I personally like the satin also. The top of my stove is painted with the stove bright satin black.

Re: Repainting a Keystoker Stove

Posted: Sat. Mar. 15, 2008 12:00 pm
by CapeCoaler
Rust Removal using Electrolysis.

A link http://antique-engines.dickerson-design.com/electrol.asp details the process.
No limit to the size of your tank http://antique-engines.dickerson-design.com/trail ... olysis.htm

Re: Repainting a Keystoker Stove

Posted: Thu. Mar. 27, 2008 12:18 pm
by jburke
Here's my results. Thanks for the help and suggestions. Ended up using a couple wire-brush wheels on my electric drill to remove rust, clean, and scuff up the entire stove before painting. Used Stovebright Charcoal based on the advice above, and I couldn't be happier. See for your selves

Re: Repainting a Keystoker Stove

Posted: Thu. Mar. 27, 2008 12:24 pm
by spc
SUPER neat job. Now what wife would object to burning coal in the living room when it's done like this? Looks great.

Re: Repainting a Keystoker Stove

Posted: Thu. Mar. 27, 2008 5:26 pm
by europachris
Dang, I just LOVE that color!!! :D :D

Seriously, that's a nice job! I really like that stove design. Do you lift the top lid to fill the hopper? Vermont Castings had a pellet stove quite a few years ago that had a lift up lid with a tinted window to see into the hopper. I think the lid was even on a gas shock so it would stay open by itself.

Can you get a picture of the back of the stove?

Re: Repainting a Keystoker Stove

Posted: Thu. Mar. 27, 2008 10:59 pm
by jburke
I'll try getting a picture this weekend if I get a few minutes. I neglected everything else in life for a full week to find, buy, transport, clean, paint, install, and burn the pretty stove you see in the pictures. I refused to buy one more tank of fuel oil for $900 to get me into spring so I was kind of in a rush to get this baby in.

Model info:
Keystoker Comfortaire GT
70,000 BTU
Direct Vent
55 lb top-fed hopper with the glass top
cast iron --> 435lbs!

The house is a toasty 70 except a few of the far corners. I'm burning between 40 - 50 lbs right now with temps at night as low as 15 and day as high as 45. By the bag it's costing me around $5.75 / 50 lbs. I'll probably buy bulk next year once I have time to figure out where the bin is going.

I'm officially a coal evangelist now. I work in a defense contractor plant of around 1200 or so people and can't get down the hallway without being stopped to talk coal now!

Thanks guys