Restoring a 100 Year Old Cook Stove

Cleaning off the rust and refurbishing our Facebook marketplace Home Comfort circa 1920s wood burning cook stove. And I've never done this before.
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[@BulletproofPastor]

Great find on a beautiful stove. It has good bones. If you only plan to use it for heat and the cooktop, everything is fine. If you intend on baking in the oven you are missing a critical part. Under the top and above the oven box is a rectangular hole into the chimney. Another similar hole is under the oven box. The top hole needs a damper on it with a rod typically going through a hole on the right of the stove. When the damper is closed the heat travels around the oven box and out the hole underneath. You light the stove with the damper open so the heat will warm the chimney and get a strong draft going. After it's warmed up you can close the upper damper and the oven will heat up.

[@mamawlife7852]

I just got an old cook stove somewhat like this one and I need some advice. Can I call on you for advice?

[@BulletproofPastor]

@@mamawlife7852 My free advice is always worth twice what I charge for it. LOL I'd be glad to share what I know and I'll tell you if I don't know.

[@hillbilly4christ638]

They were not meant for heat as much as cooking. Indeed houses were smaller and the kitchen was a focal point in the home. They have relatively small fireboxes and just old school wood stove construction. You will not get a really long burn out of it, but can increase efficiency by heating water, wax, rocks, masonry and just about anything else that is dense and non combustible. The expendable part of the stove is the oven and eventually it will burn through and need repaired.

[@robertbates5537]

I believe bottom right is a bread proofing drawer

[@Olefaithfull]

Get the wrench out by *completely* disassembling the stove. Re-weld the entire thing or you will lose your home. Look up the Stove Doctor.

[@josiah7865]

Hi, I was able to reach down and get the wrench once the top was off. The previous owner welded on patches where needed. I'd like to re-weld it, but all the seams seem tight, except the wishbone piece on the cook top, and that's already got a replacement coming. Thanks for watching!

[@Skm782]

Resend the entire thing? Lol With what fortune. Patch holes.

[@Monkeemama]

You turned Raggedy Anne into Queen Anne! ❤ I love this soooo much!!! I cannot wait to see it in your home cooking some yummy meals! “Perfection” in other’s eyes is for the birds! 😂 If it works for you, then it’s perfectly perfect! ❤ Anne will serve you well, I’m sure! (Plus I love that you are giving her a new life!!) Take Care!!

[@tweetiepooh2001]

That stove is the bomb. My great Aunt used to cook on a much bigger wood stove when I was a little girl. I am 64 now. They lived in a cabin in the California mountains. They did things the old, hard, way but it worked. They even had a clawfoot tub that we bathed in. Wish I had that tub or stove now. The good old days.

[@snoywntr2]

Ive cooked on that stove. There is one at a museum here and my mom and I cook on it once a year for an event they have as a demonstration! Rotate your food in the oven halfway through. There is a hot side 😂 enjoy

[@anitaardiel1691]

My aunt born on a farm , used a wood stove all her life. When she was in her 70's they moved her into a new trailer with an electric stove and she was heartbroken 😞 Great job!!!

[@patbecky89]

I live in Southern Maine, and snow will be flying soon up there. I hope you are able to get your roof on and walls so you will be able to work on it. If you have to stay in the building your in now for the winter how will you heat it? Do you have wood to burn?

[@carlapierle8623]

Great job on the restoration! What an AWESOME find! So sorry about your upside down pink chicken.

[@nicoleedwards6038]

It's awesome! I love the stencils you used, those are perfect. You did a great job, you should be very proud. ❤

[@murielkelley4794]

wheat and sickle is fresh bread symbol for dough rising or baking

[@kristinew7913]

Proofing drawer

[@patmontgomery7304]

We have old propane heating stove at our cabin, my husband put fire blocks under it so that the stove does not burn our wooden floor.. Just a suggestion. Nice stove Anne is.

[@dianapagan8991]

You did a great job with the stove. Love the stencils.

[@kelleynorris2366]

Dehydration/ drying rack for wheat or oats stuff like that maybe

[@BarbaraMcLamb]

It looks great. I'm sure you'll get everything worked out. Just tell everyone your chicken "done fell out". A southern expression used often in NC for someone fainting, lol.

[@bellestarr48]

My sister-in-law had a wood stove with 1/3 gas. That way you could use the gas in the summer so you didn't heat up the house. Also had a tank on the back that heated the hot water from the wood fire. I loved cooking on that stove ! You move around pots and such to hot spots or not... It was fun. Have no idea about the bottom panel area. Enjoy !!!

[@rcgarner249]

p

[@debinbc]

Keep the fronts and get new stove welded or you may warmer us above..

[@Skm782]

Lol, sure, a new stove welded. With what fortune? Patch holes as need.

[@npete55]

Yaaa! You’re back! 😊

[@debinbc]

The stove turned out really cute, try baking bread with oven... or a apple pie with your apples 😊❤

[@ShadowMoonFarms]

I can't believe you found a Home Comfort wood stove. So cool and great job cleaning it up and repainting. Thanks for sharing

[@susieparker6913]

Love the stencils! Nice job on the restoration!

[@regana6425]

Small portable sandblast gun might have helped better with rust.

[@dianehall5345]

Hello from our family farm in Central ⛵ Lakes Region New Hampshire. I restored our great uncle's 1930 Home Comfort. We don't see these stoves very often in NH. We have a Glenwood on the main farm. Took me one year. I had no clue how to tackle the rusted cook top without using caustic materials. So I poured coke on it and wiped with a rag, followed by olive oil and fine steel wool. I found a cream cleaner I bought at Lowes, The Perfect Sink, to clean the enamel. We had to take the bucket loader to get it out of the barn to the side lawn. I needed to light a fire to burn off the olive oil. It smelled like an Italian restaurant :-) " Matilda" now graces our kitchen and works great! She heats the main floor of our house. I wish the fire box was a tad larger. Once I get a good bed of coals, life is good. I bought a reproduction cookcook/ manual from Lehmans Hardware in Ohio. My 1930 stove is on the cover. Gives the history of Home Comforts made in MO, plus spare parts and lots of recipes. Glad to see you restoring one. Did you see the stove pipe base? Abestos. I left it alone. If you have an email address I can send you a photo of our stove. Cheers! ~ Diane

[@elizabethfreeman6737]

I have an old cook range. I don’t want you to burn your house down. That fire box should have fire bricks or thick sheets of steel in it to keep everything else from getting too hot. Your fire bricks are missing.

[@Skm782]

Amazing anyone survived the early days.

[@carolyncarlson3825]

You did a good job..the farm animals are adorable. Hugs

[@ClairesCraftyCorner]

Oh this is beyond cool .. I absolutely love the colours you chose to go with ( I know you said you were limited on choice ) but still it is perfect and those stencils are just adorable :) fabbbb job

[@sherrypaproski9564]

Try using coke cola pop to get the rust off you can soak the lids in it and it should take the rust right off

[@dianebaker9789]

Ann looking great. Rebirth/recycle good on you and on dreary days your cooker will shine..looking forward to seeing what you will cook. Welcome back missed your catch up

[@clairefleming4284]

I love the whole stove - beautiful

[@pegatheetoo1437]

I love old stoves! My current one that I use every day is about 75 yrs old. Works great!

[@LissaFlatt-gq8ov]

The new stove is fire. Good videos.💖💖

[@Iv5Murd5]

The tiny door under oven is a clean out. Use a long metal rod with a little plate on it. This is where ashes can form. Hope i explained ok. I have a old cookstove being using sincec1960 in old farm house

[@jimmieburleigh9549]

You can have the enamel redone.

[@ptaylor4923]

Put a carbon monoxude alarm in your house

[@josiah7865]

We'll definitely have smoke detectors with CO monitoring in the house, along with several fire extinguishers. Thanks for watching.

[@marthinuswilliams6909]

That stove has got character !!! ❤

[@michellewalker8196]

Love your stencils. You did such a great job on the stove ..

[@tst1200]

I nights not painted doors at all leave original for character. Would not cover that 1900s graphics

[@sherrywoodruff-pn5wj]

You can get a portable sandblaster at Harbor Freight for cheap and would go a long way in getting almost all the rust off.

[@dianehall5345]

P.S.- the date is on the front of the stove. Mine says B 30 for 1930. It is underneath the fire box door.

[@npete55]

And great job on the restoration! I remember cold winter mornings running downstairs to warm my feet by the cook stove oven!

[@Iv5Murd5]

If just going use wood. I put tin can lids spaced so ashes don't all fall down. If dont get holes here and there on rods. Rods need be covered with ashes so dont bend or wreck the with high heat

[@jackiesaylor2487]

I just watched a video of katie at The Scottish Isle KZbin channel refurbish her old stove. (She's also a restoration artist or whatever that title is).

[@JMLainhart]

I found a diagram in a Foxfire cookbook you might like if I could figure how to upload it 😊

[@TommyJensen-pl8qz]

I think the space under the oven is where the heat circulates from the firebox so that the heat is evenly distributed in the oven, also known as a round door, it is for cleaning ash

[@petranilla14]

Great find. It's going to last another century.

[@somethinggreenacres6433]

I certainly hope so! Thanks for watching

[@sidneymoon3386]

Heat the screw with a torch and apply a candle to it to melt the wax down into it... may have to do it more than once... but it works

[@dwighthires3163]

I love what you did.

[@wizelbee]

Superzilla spray, it's a lube & even removes rust.

[@lostmomoutdoors8696]

Oh my gosh, I just saw a picture of your oven in "The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Cookery". So cool!

[@somethinggreenacres6433]

I have those books! I knew Home Comfort stoves were popular, but didn't realize there was one in the Firefox books. Awesome. Thanks for watching!

[@sandrah.callmesandi.3699]

Nice job!

[@suzannehurley8787]

Great job..looks great

[@debinbc]

Need a roof 😊

[@josiah7865]

Trust me, we're working on it. 😊

[@ritamontgomery7434]

Bottom under oven was a warmer, and some had another ash catch box .

[@ProusePotteryandSoap]

Painting the inside of the fire boxes useless it's only going to burn off. Also your paint inside the oven is going to make all of your food taste like paint

[@CindyofTheShire]

They used the high heat paint so it shouldn’t. I’ve used it on grills, wood stoves and fire pits and tractor engines. Didn’t burn off and didn’t make my food taste like paint.

[@cathyjones3403]

Great job on the stove 👏👏👏👏

[@michaela723]

They make a oven top polish it's black and will restain your oven top .... ps you oven is missing the side pieces .... the wood stove hospital has pieces... too . ... they still cast pieces

[@somethinggreenacres6433]

The cooling grates on the sides? I've seen pictures with this model. They're cool, but not necessary for how I intend to use the stove. I wouldnt' turn them down, though, lol! I'll look into somewhere that casts them. Thanks for watching!

[@redwingshave1152]

Great job!!

[@normmcrae1140]

Great useful restoration. For Future info - if Cast Iron cracks - it's both easier and MUCH STRONGER if it's Brazed, rather than welded - The brass is more flexible and bonds better to the cast Iron. And for rust removal - Try Evaporust - it's non-toxic, and works well. When you replace the ash drawer - sheet stainless steel will last a LOT longer and isn't too expensive.

[@ThomasShehorn]

That where you keep your pans in

[@ptaylor4923]

Okay... I know... 🙄😖 I'm not suppose go look behind you.... 🤣🤣 But I couldn't help it. It looks like Im seeing house wrap, but not sheathing. Which confuses me since the sheathing is what I'd expect to see from the inside at this point, with the housewrap over it on the outside. (No, I don't jump to the end of the books to find out the endings, but I will admit to pulling all nighters to get there.) When is that video coming out? 🤣

[@goingagainstthegrain]

Eastwood & Lehman's carries some products that you may need. Eastwood has a great crew that will walk you through anything step-by-step. We're happy to see things are coming along! Take care & God Bless! 😊

[@77gmcnut]

Nice video. I'm pleased that you shared your upside down chicken. Honest. I'm working on a similar stove and your video provides mich needed motivation. Thank you.

[@ritameek3353]

Ann looks beautiful! Great find! Being able to use wood and coal to cook & heat is awesome. So glad your shaker’s are in good condition. Can not wait to see you guys using it, all warm and food cooking! 👍🏼♥️😁

[@richardlechtrecker9083]

Absolutely adorable !! …you did an amazing job of refurbishing the old stove and I Love that you added your own embellishes to her,, by the way my name is Anne with an e❤️

[@rviolette7543]

You did an amazing job on restoring Anne! A lot of hard work. Love your positive attitudes! Great Job!!! 👍

[@ruthlward3240]

Those brackets on the side of the stove would hold a water tank. For hot water.

[@ruthlward3240]

I suggest you purchase some wood stove paint, to spray the inside of your oven. And other inside area of the stove. Allow to dry for a couple of days before firing up the woodstove. You can get that paint white or black, if I remember correctly. You can also purchase enamel paint. I would use a brush and not spray paint with enamel paints.

[@Mr123456789pas]

Love your Channel! I would look into enamel bathtub chip repair.

[@JMLainhart]

Think that bottom is your proofing 'oven'. Awesome!

[@karenspitzer7416]

You did an awesome job, mistakes and all, love the pink and the animals. Can't wait to see what you cook first.

[@bethjones8447]

Looks Great! The bottom compartment could be a proofing area? A place to let bread rise?

[@patriciamontague6035]

Looks wonderful.😀 Hi from Colorado Springs 😀

[@ruthlward3240]

To remove the roughness of the paint, just use some fine 400 grit wet sandpaper.

[@Kaczyfunny]

It is a cool stove. I like the paint :-) I have a question, i have never used such stove, does it heating the water slower then like gas stove?

[@UpthePottingShed]

Wonderful to watch! Well done, beautiful job 😊

[@msspgj]

Question: Could you use fire brick in the wood box? Love your stove!

[@rafaelramirez4371]

That was alot of work but came out wonderful nice job 👏 👌 👍

[@MrTopcat3333]

Square nuts and bolts can still be bought new !

[@laurelcanterbury5370]

In the dark Maine winters, you'll appreciate a little sparkle!

[@joecrachemontange4613]

It will also burn coal , You have the shakers in it.

[@debinbc]

Ours had a resivor on the side farthest from the burn box

[@caseyspringston7124]

Are you going to line with fire bricks

[@cecilesigurdson1803]

Great job

[@somethinggreenacres6433]

Thank you!

[@debinbc]

Down below could be for fry pans ? No idea lol

[@annie.a.]

anne is very beautiful!!

[@murielAE]

That is gorgeous! Great job!

[@renondagregson1363]

Great job. Enjoy❤

[@debinbc]

News paper to shine top that I do remember

[@donnam4260]

Awesome labor of love ❤❤❤

[@amandabrown352]

You've done a great job 😊

[@dianapagan8991]

Hi, are you going to protect your wood floor from that hot stove? Does the whole stove get hot when on.

[@josiah7865]

Hi, the stove sits pretty low as is, so we're planning on putting it up on a layer of firebrick when she's ready for work.

[@jonathanrighetti5897]

try rust aid

[@dawncornwall6268]

Beautiful

[@ptaylor4923]

My grandfather (I'm in my 70s now to help date this) had a housekeeper who cooked on a wokd stove. First thing in the morning she'd get it hot enough for cakes. The woman made coconut cakes to die for!) Then she'd let it cool down some for roasts and such. Sometime in the late 50s or early 60s he got her a modern stove. Both stayed in the kitchen. She still used the wood stove for cakes and sime other things.

[@jacquelinewest514]

Hello from 🇦🇺 there is a product called stove black. Get some to use on top you won’t be sorry. It prevents rust and makes the stove shine.