Potbelly Stove Restoration

This stove was found in a passed relative's garage. When I saw it I instantly new if would be a great restoration video. I didn't realize how badly the cast iron was damaged. There were chunks missing and huge cracks in multiple pieces. Restorations are boring when all you have to do is sandblast and paint, so I knew it would be even more fun if I had to incorporate another technique like brazing.
Anyway I hate mice and dead mice are even worse.
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Products used in video:
Rust-Oleum High Heat Paint: amzn.to/49hHquq
Dupli-Color Universal Gold Engine Enamel: amzn.to/49hHquq

[@feliciascott6874]

A 1957 mass-produced Sears Roebuck potbelly camp stove. Most likely sold by mail order. You did a good job restoring it and it and you will likely get a good price for it. It is actually better than new even with all the repairs. Welding cast iron is not for the faint-hearted. The massive cracks speak to years of hard use. Well done and a very interesting video!

[@briandeeley1599]

Frankly it should be used as a decorative object at this point and not for heating.

[@bruwin]

Wasn't welded, but brazed which is a lot easier to do on cast iron than actual welding. Though he could have welded it having access to that oven for preheating.

[@victoriaEish]

Isn’t that actually “braising” or however it’s spelled? Not welding…it’s a different process. It’s a lot of work for….nothing? Really? Cool project I guess.

[@dianalyman5950]

I second that, my father was a master welder, he would approve. We had a mini Franklin pot-belly in our green house on our homestead in Homer Alaska. Miss that little guy. Thank you for saving this one. Great job 👍 🤗❤️🌈🙏🕊️

[@brk932]

​@@bruwin welding cast iron is a lost art at this point

[@chuckrf1502]

I hope the next rodent will appreciate the workmanship that goes into home repairs such as these.

[@veramae4098]

Poor mouse.

[@arlenelamont5610]

Those stoves were built strong but not indestructible. Amazing to watch you do these repairs and restore it to such a beautiful condition. One of your most enjoyable videos yet.

[@ranjodhsingh7174]

Love this

[@zaxmaxlax]

I was googling "sears woodstove" and found this exact same model, they were available in two sizes 72lb and 100lb, for 11.95 or 16.95 US dollars in 1948 😂

[@canada5532]

It’s nice to watch restorations that aren’t staged with fake dirt and surface rust. Mouse nests, seized bolts and repairs 👍

[@williamharris8367]

Seeing a large hole in the metal patched with caulking reminded me of my Grandfather. He was the master of "temporary" repairs. They were done quicky and cheaply and often never revisited.

[@RetroJack]

"There is nothing as permanent as a temporary fix" - unknown

[@lindaali6703]

This looks very much like the Pot Belly stove my father had in his garage, in Detroit many years ago. He used the garage to repair cars, starting about 1945. The stove came with the garage, I think. I was always hanging around, so he would ask me to put wood in it from time to time. When Interstate 75 came through Detroi in 1965, he moved everything to our garage in the suburbs, and put an ad in the paper for many items including the stove. He got hundreds of calls for the stove. Said he wished he had hundreds more to sell. If you ever drive through Detroit on I-75, and go under the Clark street overpass, that's right where the garage was. I sure miss those days, and I miss my dad. He would have loved these videos.

[@jomercer21113]

My grandfather had a Sears cannon stove like this in his radiator repair shop in the 1960s and 1970s, It was grandma's job to do the end-of-season cleaning--a very messy job. One year, my great-grandmother was ill and grandma was out of town, so grandpa hired a "professional' to clean it up. Apparently they tightened all the bolts and screws down too much and by the end of the next hearing season. The stove had developed cracks. Grandpa cussed that company as he installed a new gas heater, but I think grandma was very happy to not have to deal with the old cannon stove any more. Sears listed these in their catalog into the 1960s.

[@jamescorless8283]

Back when you could smoke at work.

[@Bobo-ox7fj]

May well have taken one look at the thing and thought "this model'll be around forever unless someone does something about it" I imagine the margins on servicing gas equipment are much greater than a clean-out on a big lump of iron.

[@jaypeeztabernac851]

Came to see pot belly stove resto and got way more than I asked for HOLY CRAP someone that actually knows how to properly braze cast iron in this day and age sweet jesus there is a god.

[@timellis9293]

When I first glanced at the thumbnail I though, we are in trouble, he has gotten hold of an old nuclear reactor of some sort.

[@ateinspruch1]

🤣

[@Ledorovich]

Ещё немного и он точно доберётся до старого, ржавого ядерного реактора.

[@lakesidesusan6745]

A bomb!😵😆

[@MariaRigocifre]

😊

[@pinkshard9443]

​@Ledorovich, nice one, man!😂

[@crippledbeast_U-toob]

I used to be the cast iron repair guy for my area, usually fixing "repairs" someone else tried that didn't understand cast. Braising it is good, but you can use a broken piece of cast as filler to tig weld it too, but only if whole piece is cherry red, then post heat,and peen it until you are crosseyed. You do good work, loved this video.

[@paulbuhler3615]

I preheat with a propane turbo torch-grass killing torch, and post cool in a bin of vermiculite. Brazing is a handy way to repair cast iron. I’ve used zinc welding rod if a color match was important.

[@veramae4098]

Soak the screws in WD40 for a day, or several, if they're rusted shut.

[@chandarussell]

I don’t know why but I love watching old pot bellied stoves and other small cast iron stoves being refurbished and reused. I find it very satisfying. Well done.

[@billbammerlin4666]

I doubt it will ever do the work it did in the past again.

[@remyaworld1]

This was a huge job. Much bigger than I expected when I start seeing this video. 😮 But I love your eyes for all the small details. This was a great video to watch. Love all the small golden touches too. Thank you for sharing this with me & KZbin 👍😍

[@robrobinson9281]

Beautiful restoration ! Obviously a labor of love. I remember as a boy in the early sixties thumbing through Sears & Roebuck’s big catalog at these. As I remember they sold several different sizes of potbelly stoves as well as kitchen ranges and various other stoves. Those were the days! Blessings to you.

[@Friendly_Gamer_Mom]

If only Sears had kept their Catalog but migrated to Online orders, they would be worlds ahead of Amazon, but they did not do that. Catalog looking was window shopping from home.

[@zimtt1276]

Growing up in the 70s my dad restored an old Courier highway bus, a camper for our family of 8. This is the exact stove we used to heat the bus. Wow did we get some looks when we pulled into the campground and stoked up the tiny potbelly. Thanks for the memories.

[@Mj-ik1kz]

Never thought I would get emotional on a restoration video but here I am crying. The day I’m watching this video (April 18th) marks 13 years since my grandpa passed and seeing that potbelly stove show up on my recommended list brought back so many memories. Your video makes me wanna go see if I can buy my grandpa’s potbelly stove from the family that lives in the house where it’s at.

[@billbammerlin4666]

Go for it or you’ll never forgive yourself.

[@johnnorman7708]

Absolutely over the top restoration. This is how restoration would be taught in a classroom if restoration was a college class. It shows what can be done far beyond what is usually done to resurrect an antique item of this value range. Obviously this is a very experienced car guy to have the knowledge and resources on hand to do this.Edit: This comment was primarily directed to the lantern restoration, but applies equally to the potbelly coal burning stove. Magic work to e proud of.

[@dejavu666wampas9]

I have a soft spot in my heart for potbelly stoves, from the three we had heating the house on the farm. You have done an outstanding job restoring this one. You took way more ‘pride in workmanship’ than the manufacturer did, as evidenced by the care you took smoothing out your welds, as opposed to the castings you had to smooth out. The gold trim paint was a nice touch. Thanks for sharing your project. Oh, and we can NEVER get enough sandblasting footage. Thanks.

[@lameesahmad9166]

The way you welded that cast iron proves your professionalism. I am suitably impressed

[@jekinneys]

Stop it, nowadays it's so common a caveman could do it. Most would have tig welded it but to each his/her own.

[@lameesahmad9166]

@@jekinneys Not only professional but also modest. Best wishes.

[@terryrussel523]

Fan-freeking-tastic work !!! My brothers are exceptionally experienced in metal fabrication and mechanical/hydraulic/electrical fields. These types of restoration projects were some of their first in caste iron madness in tech school. Any time I think of my maternal grandfather doing wonderful things in his garage I smile at the memory of him sitting at his special bench re-winding generators beside old 'Benny'. A wood stove much like this one but about twice this size and one of the things we marveled at as kids.

[@davidschweikhart459]

Even though we, my family, had a pot belly stove, in a work shop, about twice the size of the one you have restored, it brings back some very fond memories of growing up.

[@MichaelCorrente]

Nice...very nice! Extremely satisfying to watch start to finish. No dialogue needed. The picture tells the whole story.

[@mabdub]

Watching your repair was very heartwarming. I had a heater just like this one that heated my bedroom when I was young. I burned coal in it as well as wood. There were no gold highlights on my heater, perhaps there was when it was brand new. I enjoyed watching the restoration process a lot but what was the most satisfying was seeing you build a fire inside. I don't remember the last fire I ever had in my heater but I wish that I did. At the time I was overjoyed to get rid of the heater and replace it with an electric baseboard heater. Now, I miss the fire and the associated smells.

[@MrWskip49]

That was just beautiful! As a child that’s what we used to heat our house until I was 12 years old.

[@lacybookworm5039]

The old enamel was a nice touch. It takes an ordinary utilitarian wood stove, and makes it something pleasant to look at. That's something I greatly appreciate about old fashioned things. :)

[@user-sl3il5sz2s]

A very interesting stylish stove and a magnificent, honest restoration. Restorers on KZbin very often repair cracks and chips in cast iron using surface electric welding. The repair has a decorative effect, but is not durable. You use brazing and this is in good faith, the product can actually be used.

[@robertberryhill4033]

I remember as a kid sitting by one of these in the winter at old county store in Progress, Ms. were my dad was born and raise, it was his uncle's store. Life sure was a lot better then now. Playing checkers with my brother by the stove.

[@willieckaslike]

A VERY impressive restoration. I have not seen brazing being used for a considerable time. As a teen in the 1960s, I was told by my betters that "cast iron" was notoriously difficult to weld, even with the specialist rods then available, and most (like you have here) repaired any faults by brazing. A very interesting video. Thank you for sharing !

[@bobk3840]

How does brazing hold up versus the temperature seen in a cast iron stove? Just curious.

[@mikeross6067]

I was shocked to see this tiny pot belly stove. I have the same stove in my garage for over 30 years. Almost never used these days, it's warmed many nights of my garage activities during the cold months. My son's, now adults, we're tickled to see your vid. Great job ! Thanks

[@CorwinBos]

The brazing work was top notch. Nicely done

[@vasilisarris6717]

That literally has to be the best restoration I have ever seen. It looks like it was just purchased from the store. Incredible.👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[@OrionLaerithryn]

Simply beautiful, I love old potbelly stoves. Your work is impeccable, and very well done. I love that you showcased it in use at the end. Thank you for sharing this work of art!

[@fugueine]

So nice to finally see someone use welding skills to fix cracks on a restoration rather than epoxy or fill putty.

[@shishaboy89]

Its brazzing Not welding 😅

[@Lou8430]

I miss shaker grates in stoves they don't put them in anymore. The skills you have are slowly being lost, I hope that you can pass these on to someone.

[@dougwalk8034]

I had that exact same stove in my house in MA from 1960 to 1975 and it heated the whole house with chestnut coal or wood using fans all that time with no other heat source, using coal the barrel used to glow cherry red, and it was HOT, I wish Sears, Roebuck was still around as they had 'everything', like a giant general store !!!

[@tattoosteveneo]

Glad to see someone on heat knows how to graze and properly fix cast iron!! Nice job

[@waynepennington2769]

That's the best I've seen anyone weld cast iron. Good job.

[@willmoore7582]

Seeing a lovely stove as this be given a new lease of life so lovingly and painstakingly is a pleasure to behold. Well done sir, most enjoyable to watch. 11/10 as usual.👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@swordfishtrigger]

very impressive, you managed to put more work in to this stove repairing it than the manufactures did molding and casting it. the result certainly does look top notch.

[@SunsetBayBonnie]

i have always liked these little stoves and hope to find one someday. I love that not only did you fix the broken and missing parts but you cleaned up all the original casting imperfections and made it better than it was, when it was new!

[@AdamWeber-pi1gs]

Folks that TRULY know what they are doing are a pleasure to watch. Beautiful and professional restoration, Sir. Much respect and many thanks for posting.

[@echiax]

The amount of care and attention to detail you put into this restoration is incredible, and the end result was absolutely stunning. You’re by far the best of any channel I’ve ever found! I can’t wait to see more from you.

[@americantimekeeper5534]

Amazing that the grates were still there and intact. Superb job!

[@user-yv9ii7mz4t]

From rusted junk to a beautiful piece of work. Mine doesn't have the cracks to be brazed, but it's still in pretty nasty shape. I hope I can do it as much justice as this one. Beautiful !!!

[@michaelskinner896]

Nicely done! Much more work than met the eye for sure and the result was great. I appreciate that you restore an eclectic mix of things too. You're obviously a very busy person so your videos take a while to come out. But they're so worth waiting for!

[@hanksbud2544]

Excellent detail job. Thank you for taking us along.

[@cindyherbold2384]

That restoration turned out beautifully. Much work !!❤😊

[@chocolatefrenzieya]

Wow, you are an excellent welder. I love that you saved this old beauty!

[@markfw54]

That was one of the most satisfying videos I’ve watched in a long time. Brilliant restoration, congratulations !!!!!!

[@calnative4904]

Thanks for saving this vintage stove.

[@theoneandonlyowl3764]

That poor old thing looked like it had been through some wars. Nice job on the restore.

[@jphanks]

It looked like a stove straight out of a MASH tent!

[@ChrisHessert]

Nicely done restoration: in fact, better than new from the catalog. Removing the casting flash, and adding the gold trim were above and beyond.

[@marycollier1293]

I was amazed how many pieces of this stove needed TLC. You did a fabulous job. It is a beauty!!!

[@staceytroffer8287]

What an impressive shop full of tools you have.

[@paulbuhler3615]

Nice to watch a craftsman at work. Skilled use of the tools chosen for this task. I wish I had some of them; they certainly speed the process.

[@garyjones2582]

Very nice work R/S.. that was a huge undertaking and you did a fantastic job... Thx for bringing us along... Take care my friend and God Bless....

[@user-uv2pk2jx9s]

You’ve done an amazing job on the beautiful old wood stove! God bless you!

[@AmandaJane229]

Ohh!! GORGEOUS. I love these too! We grew up huddled around one in Winter before the school bus arrived waiting for our breakfast to cook (one large pot on top.) Six kids & mother. Thankyou for your beautiful work and restoration choices. Anyway I love whatever you restore! Restoration adds that special something to an object that wasn't there before and the addition remains permanent.

[@supercalaman01]

Heck yeah! Always a good day when RS uploads. :) Can't wait to watch!

[@gregoryunderwood4121]

There's something so comforting about wood stoves. ❤

[@user-ey2io5of2d]

Beautiful I just did a minor restore of the same stove style but half size. It had been turned into an ash tray on top everything worked. It was my wife grand mother’s, my wife is seventy today 5 march. My daughter wanted it teal colour which I obliged, looks great. You can’t help but love that old craftsmanship. Really enjoyed the video thank you for sharing.

[@henryp.berthiaume7151]

This is amazing. I've never seen cast iron repaired. Great work!

[@barbarakloise6790]

Great video I really enjoyed seeing this pot belly stove come back to life. You did a great job.

[@karenh789]

Nice job. Looks brand new and probably better than when it was brand new.😊

[@JessicaAVoigt]

My favorite part from these restoration videos are always when you fix the casting. To remove those little lines on the sides, the little crooked corner on the door, just the caring to make it look smooth and beautiful is so satisfying to me, not everyone cares for these little details. You're right, if a restoration is just sandblasting and painting (although fun to watch) becomes boring... and that's where you come in. I loved this video, beautiful piece and an even more beautiful job. I've never seen someone weld cast iron and I'm really impressed, well done sir! I just subscribed, best wishes from Brazil!

[@susandyson3921]

You should be very proud of your work. So good to see the old history honored. Well done !

[@SandraWeierman]

Great minds think alike. As you were smoothing over those rough rounded areas, I thought I'd weld a half-moon piece of metal and make new notches. I really like the gold accents you added as well. It's a little extra work but the final look once painted will be worth it!

[@mollysheridan7134]

This is the most satisfying restoration video I’ve seen in a long time. Well done!

[@rachaelharper9269]

I thought how wonderful the whole video was done and you did a awesome job on the cast iron. I rarely ever seen anyone tackle that repair. You are great to watch.

[@Douwesiegersma]

What a joy seeing this stove being restored. Well done, it's better than new now. 👍

[@Paperwing1]

I love watching the sand blasting!

[@tracy85777]

Me too. It's very satisfying for some reason.

[@JohnnyAFG81]

Nice job on pre and post heating the cast iron for welding!

[@steventrostle1825]

Nice Job! I find that watching the sand blasting is the most satisfying part-just me I guess.

[@sebastiantodor5827]

I appreciate your meticulousness and skill ! Great job!

[@user-bt7or1wz8d]

Благодарю Вас что делитесь своим творчеством. Очень интересно. Благодарю за Ваш труд ❤️

[@bobwallace5257]

Great job! You made brazing old cast iron look easy! Not a simple task!!

[@joshmartin2374]

My thoughts too, looks like he did a fine job at it.

[@NanoNymus9733]

Indeed much more dan a restore action. Nice finishing. Chapeau!

[@mahmoudomara5421]

Spectacular restoration job as usual. Thanks for showing the brazing techniques

[@iracema1]

I love your perfectionism!

[@RetroJack]

Sandblasting is always my favourite part of these videos, even though I watch the whole video. It's just so satisfying!

[@troymanning3150]

I love sandblasting! Thought I was the only freak that watched that

[@6Twisted]

Black and gold. Always a winning combo.

[@manuela_kral4983]

Oh man, this was a lot of repair work! Very well done, now this stove is looking better than new! 👍

[@user-cz7wr7px7s]

I thought at first it was something from ☢️ Thank you, it was a pleasure to watch you work!!!👍👍👍

[@Coteoki]

I really like how it looks like there's a nuclear symbol on it

[@Saskinny]

WONDERFUL job brazing that cast iron! That's not easy as it can melt as you go.

[@trcass1]

you sir are a master of restoration. excellent job. my Grandmother had a Parlor Stove i remember from back in the early sixties they used in the house. the gold accents you put on the stove reminded me of that. I've always liked pot belly stoves but most are or were coal. i have cast iron wood stoves i use for heat. one is an old Jotul 602 thats a little loss for wear but still functional. maybe I'll redo it this spring as a project. interesting that there are no gaskets. really appreciate you bring that old stove back to life. thanks for sharing.

[@karenharvey7197]

Best Valentines gift was a box of chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of sparkling cider that my husband drove 240 miles to obtain ( there was nothing like this available where we lived). Second was a long stemmed rose from a 5 year old dressed in a suit who was knocking on all the widow's doors and giving them a treat. These two were many years apart. Love your videos. I look forward to early Friday morns.

[@user-xr3gg9qy8z]

Brand Spanking NEW!!❤❤LOVE WHAT YOU DID. GREAT JOB!!

[@roberthuckeby2825]

i thoroughly enjoyed watching you restore this stove. Wish I had your skills!!!!

[@zr1sparky1]

I can't explain why but I got choked up on during final assembly.. it was so freaking satisfying

[@gregmannos]

I have watched hundreds of restoration videos and when cast iron is involved people always want to stick weld it, which I have never been able to figure out. Brass done properly has a far better chance of lasting. Great job !

[@crazyivan030983]

From... RUST to RUSTical piece of art and interior decoration.

[@mrcu8176]

Absolutely a stunning piece of craftmanship !!!!!

[@mikepetrucha2774]

That was a lot of work, but the finished stove looked great. There is something relaxing about watching sandblasting. Well done!

[@thisolesignguy2733]

My cousin has one of these he uses in his fishing shanty when we go ice fishing. That little stove surprisingly puts out alot of heat. It's a great a little stove :)

[@irenemierzwa3790]

Amazing! Great job! All those pieces parts. I'm always in awe.

[@christinemiller7238]

Above and beyond with the precision and care. I love the copper accents!

[@samjohnson9830]

fantastic, beautiful results, i didnt think cast could be repaired, eye opening job, thanks for the video

[@jeffreyandreas7514]

Absolutely beautiful job! That had to be hours and hours of work but you sure did it right and the result speaks for itself!

[@howardoller443]

What a great job! Thank you for sharing.

[@garymucher4082]

That is an absolutely fantastic repair and transformation/refurbishment. It looks amazing and it took a lot of work to get to that point. Total Thumbs Up!

[@pineapplebetty4323]

Gorgeous, well done. Very talented. You gave it new life. Very relaxing to watch.