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Petit Godin 3271 Restore

Posted: Thu. Aug. 07, 2014 3:37 pm
by Gorgonzola
I purchased my house about three years ago. The previous owner had a Petit Godin 3271 sitting outside on the property. At the time, I asked if they were taking the stove with them, or if they were going to leave it. They said they were going to scrap it, but if I wanted it they would leave it. Three years later it is still sitting in the same place. I never knew the history of these stoves until I did a google search a few weeks ago. I cant imagine scrapping the stove. The craftsmanship is top notch and I am throwing around the idea of restoring it. Being outside for so long, it has a lot surface rust on the outside sleeve and most of the screws, bolts, etc., are rusted, but these are all things that I am sure I can fix. The mica is also torn, which I know I can replace (already found a 6" x 6" sheet on ebay). I printed out a service manual I found on Godin's site but it is in French. If anyone has the manual for this stove, in English, I would really appreciate a copy. Just looking for any recommendations regarding the rust issue and what the best method for painting the stove would be.

Re: Petit Godin 3271 Restore

Posted: Thu. Aug. 07, 2014 3:47 pm
by freetown fred
Nice project G. Pix---we gotta have PIX--before, during & finished :) Have fun with her my friend PS--welcome to the FORUM--FYI--you COULD finish your profile---I promise, nobody'll steal ya :clap: toothy

Re: Petit Godin 3271 Restore

Posted: Thu. Aug. 07, 2014 3:53 pm
by Gorgonzola
Hey Fred, thanks for the quick reply. I will take some pics tonight and post them! Itching to get started with this project :D

Re: Petit Godin 3271 Restore

Posted: Thu. Aug. 07, 2014 6:19 pm
by chrisbuick
I still have a BUNCH of Godins (two Petits and 3 Grands) - plus original lit. I want to sell some of the stoves. They're easy to run, but very dirty. Don't shake the grates too much as they can break, as Emery will tell you. They're good stoves - I used them for 6 years, before I got into Glenwoods, Crawfords and Stewarts, which are still better.

Please let me know how I can help.

Chris

Re: Petit Godin 3271 Restore

Posted: Thu. Aug. 07, 2014 8:20 pm
by Gorgonzola
Thanks Chris, I am definitely gonna need some help. I noticed that the base on mine above the feet is not enamel. Does that say something about the age of this stove? Noticed allot of 3271s online that had enamel bases.

Re: Petit Godin 3271 Restore

Posted: Thu. Aug. 07, 2014 9:25 pm
by chrisbuick
No Problem - I have some stoves where the rings are all enamel and some where the base and top ring are unfinished. Just different production run changes. These are still mass produced.

Please take pics of grate and fold - out ash door. Also, the condition of the fire brick. I would strongly suggest removing the top assembly which unbolts.

For a Grand Godin - Carefully remove the square nuts ( a little difficult) clean everything and bed the plate well in stove cement. The tops can leak and let excess soot into the area, which cuts performance and keeps things cleaner.

Re-attach the top plate with stainless lock washers and hex nuts for use with a socket wrench. It's A LOT easier to bolt back down.

This might not be necessary for a Petit Godin, but for your weathered stove, it's a good idea.

Check the shaker bar where it attached to the grate for strength and make sure it's well attached.

That's about it - these stoves are NOT air tight, but they hard to screw up - perfect for a beginner.

Hope this helps - Chris

Re: Petit Godin 3271 Restore

Posted: Thu. Aug. 07, 2014 11:55 pm
by Gorgonzola
As promised guys, I took some pictures today of the stove. Thanks for all the advice so far. Keep it coming. Many of the hardware is rusty. What is best way you have found to remove the rust?

Re: Petit Godin 3271 Restore

Posted: Fri. Aug. 08, 2014 7:35 am
by chrisbuick
OK - Great pics - that's a Grand Godin, not a Petite. My lit with the model numbers is filed away.

It looks to be in excellent condition. The fire brick looks to not have had much use. As I said yesterday, remove the square nuts holding the top assembly and remove it. Wire brush/clean everything and re-bed it securely in stove cement, using stainless lock washers and hex nuts to reattach.

Check the grate pull ring out. The rings can detach from the rod - it's happened to me. Also, adjust the screw in latch, which secures the ash door tightly. Check-out the door gasket - I replaced mine - as well as the mica.

Carefully turn the stove upside down and clean the underside and paint it as well as reattach the feet so they don't move around - possible damage.

There are rust neutralizers made for the cylinder corrosion. Sometimes auto parts stores like Auto Zone sell them. You can try that on the cylinder to remove the rust. Otherwise, use coarse steel wool and a hand wire brush. Chemically clean the metal before applying finish.

New Godins had a semi-gloss (not matte) cylinder finish. I recommend Krylon Rust Tough R00769 Hi Temp Black over Thumalox 270, which is too matte.

On my Grands, which have non-porcelainized bases and rings, I sprayed them as well - your choice. Make sure you mask-off the porcelain really well.

I notice there is a sizing collar on the direct exhaust outlet. That increases the outlet size, and should be removable, if you want to go down to a 5" outlet. Keep it - they're hard to find.

Is there an ash pan and lift tool with the stove? The cast iron lift tool has a hook for lifting the lid and a wrench for opening the spin draft on the door. There's no secondary draft on this stove - which is one of its faults. Sometimes these tools and pans pop up on eBay. The ash pan is great to have, but I always opened the grate door and cleaned out the ash/clinkers directly, without the fire collapsing from above (not easy). This can make a lot of fly ash, but it saves the flimsy grate. Emery Pineo (Stove Hospital) has told me he's seen lots of broken Godin grates (they HATE these stoves).

That's really about it. I still like my Godins, and kind of miss their simplicity.

Hope this helps - Chris

Re: Petit Godin 3271 Restore

Posted: Fri. Aug. 08, 2014 7:50 am
by Serge
Gorgonzola wrote:Thanks Chris, I am definitely gonna need some help. I noticed that the base on mine above the feet is not enamel. Does that say something about the age of this stove? Noticed allot of 3271s online that had enamel bases.
I had one similar for the last 6 years, these stoves gives good heat. Your stove is probably a 3721. I am sure your stove has baked enamel cast iron base, legs, top decorating cover, door and door frame. These stoves are quite similar since many decade.

Re: Petit Godin 3271 Restore

Posted: Fri. Aug. 08, 2014 10:29 am
by Gorgonzola
Chris, there is an ash pan and lift tool with the stove. I had the lift tool sitting in some apple cider vinegar overnight, to see if it would help remove the surface rust from the tool. It seems that all of the accessories for the stove are accounted for. I have been unable to open the gate behind the door. It has some heavy rust on it. Didn't really want to force things. I am wondering if I can spray something on it to loosen it up. You are correct about the fire bricks. They are all intact and do not show much wear at all. I am not too sure what the grate pull ring is. I have the service manual but it is all in French. The door gasket is still intact, but maybe I should replace it with some rope gasket?? Where did you purchase the Mica for the stove. I saw sheets on ebay for about $20.00. Is a 6 x6 sheet enough to do the job? What would you use to chemically clean the metal prior to paint? What did you use to mask off the porcelain. One of my biggest fears is getting paint on the porcelain. I was going to remove the door and porcelain plate on the front of the stove when painting, but I didn't know if they would be a pain in the ass to get back on. I am going to leave the outlet alone for now. I really don't know where I am going to deploy this stove yet.

Re: Petit Godin 3271 Restore

Posted: Fri. Aug. 08, 2014 1:01 pm
by chrisbuick
I'll take your questions in order:

Spray the grate 'gate' with some PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench penetrating oil - good stuff. You can tap it gently with a hammer potentially to loosen things - not too hard!

On the side of the porcelain grate frame on the front of the stove should be a silver ring, which allows you to rotate the grate inside. Hopefully it hasn't come off and been lost?

Definitely replace the rope gasket with the correct size.

Call Emery at the Stove Hospital about the mica. Ask him where he gets his - they use the best. A nice large piece is best, but you can use two smaller ones because of the grid design of the door.

Clean the bare metal with lacquer thinner and a lit free cloth.

Use blue masking tape to cover the porcelain - Paint Dept - Home Depot.

The door might just lift upwards and off, if the door hinge pins aren't too corroded. Swing it open/closed to 'work' the hinge, if necessary.

DON"T remove the front porcelain Godin logo plate! Who knows how it's secured - opening up a can of worms - just carefully mask it off - use lots of tape.

Chris

Re: Petit Godin 3271 Restore

Posted: Wed. Jun. 13, 2018 10:04 am
by Jaysmuts
chrisbuick wrote:
Fri. Aug. 08, 2014 1:01 pm
I'll take your questions in order:

Hi chrisbuick

I realize that this topic is quite old by now, but this seems to be the place where I might find some answers. So if you don't mind could you give me some advice on my Godin 3726 restoration project?

I am new to the forum and this will be my first post. My house is super cold in winter and I have been looking for a usable secondhand stove for a couple of years now. Also, I don't have money for a new stove right now as I have other obligations :| . So after a very long time I finally bought a secondhand Petite Oval Godin 3726 from a friendly German guy (who knew? ;) ). These are just some pics of the old gal and her problems.

The old lady
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Outlet not sealing. Screws rusted away Round plate cracked and does not seal. Will replace this.
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The ring is cracked and I have decided to replace it.
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Outer Smoke box has cracked. will replace this.
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To cut a long story short, I have started taking the stove apart and now I have some questions. I was able to contact the warehouse manager at Euafrican who imports Godin stoves and he has helped me a bunch already (you will understand why I mention him in a moment).

So after taking apart as many pieces of the stove as I could, in order to assess which pieces need to be replaced and which I can save, I saw that the inner smoke box needs some serious love (see pics). Now before you ask, let me confirm that I can't replace the fire bricks because they are too expensive. So no, I can't replace/remove anything that is bolted onto the enamel casing and this obviously includes the inner smoke box.

Picture of the Inner Smoke box
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The inner smoke box is connected (bolted to) the 'smoke box connecter plate' (or that is what I call it :lol: ) . This connecter plate is placed between the enamel casing and the firebricks. There is no way that I will be able to remove it to restore it. Like the Inner smoke box, the connecter plate will need to be treated (cleaned and restored) in place (without removing it). The inner smoke box has more exposed surface area and can be cleaned on 5 of its 6 sides. The connecter plate can only be cleaned/treated on its top side.


The top of the stove after I removed the iron ring. I also removed some of the old fireclay. Here you can see the top side of the metal connector plate.
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On the left you see the top of the connecter plate. On the right you see the top of the Outer smoke box. These two must remain firmly attached otherwise I might as well buy a new stove.
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Okay so here is the question. At some stage I will need to put a thick layer of fireclay on top of the ring/oval of firebricks as I have removed the old perished layer of fireclay that seals the area between the top ring (that holds both top lids/crown) and the enamel casing. This means that the top of the connecter plate will be covered with fire clay for a very very long time. How should I treat the top of the connecter plate after having cleaned it of rust so that I can cover it with fireclay?

According to the guy at Eurafrican, all iron parts of this stove should be treated with a Graphite Paste polish and not High Heat Paint. That way you can polish it each Winter and make it last much longer. To that I say 'okay cool', but the top side of the connecter plate will only ever be treated once, not every winter. Remember this is a crucial part of the stove and has already taken strain over time. So I want to ensure that I do whatever I can to prolong its lifespan.

What do you think? Any advice?
Oh Yeah, I am in South Africa

Re: Petit Godin 3271 Restore

Posted: Wed. Jun. 13, 2018 9:06 pm
by franco b
I would not try to restore that stove in that condition. I would patch and use. A small hole drilled at the end of a crack will stop it spreading. External mending plates where needed, as at the exhaust.

Patch bricks and other areas with furnace cement. Select a coarse furnace cement over a paste like one. Wet well any areas before applying.

Patch it up and keep looking for a stove in better condition.

What fuel are you burning?

Re: Petit Godin 3271 Restore

Posted: Thu. Jun. 14, 2018 5:42 am
by Jaysmuts
franco b wrote:
Wed. Jun. 13, 2018 9:06 pm
I would not try to restore that stove in that condition. I would patch and use. A small hole drilled at the end of a crack will stop it spreading. External mending plates where needed, as at the exhaust.

Patch bricks and other areas with furnace cement. Select a coarse furnace cement over a paste like one. Wet well any areas before applying.

Patch it up and keep looking for a stove in better condition.

What fuel are you burning?
Thank you, I appreciate the advice.

I have never used this stove. As mentioned, I only recently purchased it from someone. I believe that the previous owner used firewood as this is the most readily available fuel source, but I can't be sure.

I bought the stove at a reasonable price and would therefore either want to keep it for a long time or sell it (that will help me with my next purchase). So doing a proper fix is in the cards for me.

Could you elaborate on the 'coarse furnace cement'? How does it differ in its characteristics from a smoother cement?

Also, what is your take on my original question? High heat paint or Graphite paste polish? Which of these two should I apply to all metal areas that will eventually be covered by fire clay/cement?

Re: Petit Godin 3271 Restore

Posted: Thu. Jun. 14, 2018 10:58 am
by franco b
A coarser furnace cement has more sand in the mix and feels a bit gritty as opposed to a toothpaste like cement with little binder. The finer cement is good for small cracks or gaps, but for patching firebrick a cement with more body or aggregate is better. Less shrinkage. Rutland brand is very fine and Hercules or Imperial is coarser. You may have none of these brands in your country. A plumbing supply would be my choice of source to buy over a large lumber outlet. The heating professionals buy at the plumbing or heating supply. You might even be able to by a mix intended to cast fire brick, but for patching I doubt it would work better than furnace cement, and its expensive.

Leave bare any cast iron that will be covered with cement for better adhesion. Remove any rust as best you can. Wet surface before applying. Sealed away from air it will not rust. Cast iron is very rust resistant anyway. To be that rust pitted your stove must have been stored in very humid or wet conditions. Notice also rust is worst where heat is highest at the exhaust which is unprotected by brick.

If you burn wood which will have high stack temperatures a high heat paint will stand up better than stove polish which tends to fall off when heated high enough.

The Godin will heat best with hard or anthracite coal, but then the grate is not very effective at removing ash and the ash pan is too small for once a day emptying. If only soft coal is available, I would burn wood instead. For wood a more modern design that provides for heated secondary air would be cleaner and more efficient.