Richmond Advance Range, Restoration Thread

windyhill4.2 wrote:How many $$ spent to do welding vs casting ? You have to be the one to decide if a welded stove is good enough for you or if you have to have it perfect. My personal feeling after looking at those pics...... I would junk that stove . I see them on Craigslist & on this forum in much better shape & can be had for less than $1000,many of them for less than $500 & not all busted up like yours is. But if you have special feelings about that particular stove..... carry on. Fix it in a manner that you will be happy with for the next 25+yrs. We don't want you bending down to peek under the stove every day for the rest of your life,looking at that weld & wishing you had gotten it cast instead. Or, maybe you will look at that weld every day & nearly burst with pride on the job you did.Choices,choices,choices.

Those are the only two pieces that are in bad shape . How many Glenwood #6 baseheaters did people look at and Junk before realizing their worth ? and what makes some of these ranges anymore "worth it" to restore than another? A couple of things to take into consideration :

1- This stove was made in Richmond VA , I live in Richmond VA in a home that most likely could have had this exact stove. Folks didn't buy stoves from Maine in the early 20th century they bought stoves from Richmond VA . As far as history is concerned this is a historical gold mind! Not to mention you will be hard pressed to find this model stove anywhere else in the US at this point in time. I have tried . So this is not a question of if I should restore it but rather how I will restore it. I have the cost of Gas into it . Lisa picked it up for free and passed it on to me for free . $1000 for a used range could go a long way for me to restore a range and after I am done it will be worth more than $1000 invested if I even end up spending that much on it . The building still survives that this stove was built in and is an apartment complex now. I am trying to get an architect friend of mine , who worked on the construction of those apartments, to let me buy a beam from the Richmond Stove works that he saved .

2 - I am a very good metal worker, machinist, welder etc. So welding is free except for the fairly inexpensive consumables . To be honest I will most likely weld it to have it recast and work in the shrinkage with bondo or something similar . I have time to work on these parts. I am not sure if you saw the Nickel but it seems to be in decent shape for the most part.

3- Do you really think I could find a ready to go range without any issues for $500-$1000 that has been restored? I haven't found any online so far . I did consider driving to Maine and buying a restored Glenwood but considering the cost I paid for the Glenwood #6 restored and shipped to my door was Approx. $3500 I don't think a range would be any cheaper .

Don't get me wrong I see your point if this was just a dime a dozen stove but I guarantee you won't find this model stove anywhere on craigslist .

and this certainly won't be the last stove I buy

btw my wife would certainly be ok with me junking this stove but that goes for everything in my garage and probably half my cars ... but .... thats not going to happen haha

I was looking at the broken end of the stove which according to the photograph looks really bad on that 1 corner. Actually looks like the top has been repaired in that corner vicinity.As I said earlier,you have to decide if this stove is special enough & it sounds as tho it will be a very special piece for you to own,SO, carry on. I do figure that the $500 - $1000 ranges will also need some work,hopefully they do not all have major parts broken.I look forward to the finished product,hopefully it won't take years & yrs. We know what you will be doing in your spare time

windyhill4.2 wrote:I was looking at the broken end of the stove which according to the photograph looks really bad on that 1 corner. Actually looks like the top has been repaired in that corner vicinity.As I said earlier,you have to decide if this stove is special enough & it sounds as tho it will be a very special piece for you to own,SO, carry on. I do figure that the $500 - $1000 ranges will also need some work,hopefully they do not all have major parts broken.I look forward to the finished product,hopefully it won't take years & yrs. We know what you will be doing in your spare time

You and me both! I hope to have it functional by winter 2016 . The top doesn't have any damage that I have found. It's all in that one panel . We will see when I get more into it . Between this the Harley and 10 other vehicles I have my spare time filled very well lol .

I missed a stove that one of the board members linked me to that I would have tried hard to buy ! serves me right for not keeping up with the board in the summer but I did make it to July this year.

I have a cast iron wood/coal six Style Model no 1808 I need info on. It also came from Tip Top Stoves & Ranges, Richmond VA. I came across your post . I'm hopeing you could lead me in the right direction on this. Thanks.

DB66 wrote: ↑

Mon. Jun. 12, 2023 8:51 am

I have a cast iron wood/coal six Style Model no 1808 I need info on. It also came from Tip Top Stoves & Ranges, Richmond VA. I came across your post . I'm hopeing you could lead me in the right direction on this. Thanks.

I would suggest starting your own thread. The poster has not posted for over 18 mo...perhaps not visiting the forum until its stove season.

D, Josh hasn't posted anything for 8 yrs. That's about the same time we stopped PM'n one another. D, be patient, lots of info here on cook stoves.

Paul, ya got another cook stove nut [

DB66 wrote: ↑

Mon. Jun. 12, 2023 8:51 am

I have a cast iron wood/coal six Style Model no 1808 I need info on. It also came from Tip Top Stoves & Ranges, Richmond VA. I came across your post . I'm hopeing you could lead me in the right direction on this. Thanks.

Welcome DB. Can't help with info on the company, but early wood/coal ranges are pretty much the same in operation. Try reading the "Cookin With Coal" thread here,

Cookin' With Coal

It will answer any questions you have about using a coal range, and then some.

Make sure you have actual coal grates. The stove can be damage if you try to burn coal in a stove meant for just wood. If you're not sure, post pictures of the grates and we can tell you.

Paul

I'm not another cook stove nut, thank you for the compliment, just trying to find out some info to see what it's worth I'm not keeping it. .Here are some pictures,,,, it's in pretty good condition. It's also coal n wood burning grates flip.

If you're not keepin it--I would forego any thing other then to shine her up--just remember--"there's a fool born everyday"

Looks like what are known as, "combo grates". One pair of faces for wood and the other pair for coal. And with the coal grate on the right partly eaten through. If there is no other damage than that grate, it would still be a lot of money and labor to replace and clean it up just to get it working safely.

I'd guess that as it sits it's only worth about $100-$200, if you can find a buyer.

Paul

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.