Paint or polish on my woodstove?

[Silvercreek Farmer]

As I posted in another thread I recently purchased a Fisher Baby Bear, which is plate steel with a cast iron door. It was rusted up pretty good when I got it but I have just about gotten it all off with a wire brush. My question is, what to do now, should I paint it or use stove polish to blacken it up. My current woodstove came painted but the paint grayed out in no time, granted it was a cheap chinese stove, but if the high temp paint from Lowes is going to do that I think I would rather have the raw steel "patina" just darkend up with polish. Any advice?

[Cindy in NY]

We had some rust on our stove and pipes and used the Lowes high temp paint on it. It has held up really well.

[pheasantplucker]

I've always painted stoves with paint used to paint engine blocks of automobiles/

[Marilyn]

I prefer stove paint. Stove black is a nice alternative for touch ups, but I have heard that it smokes the first time or two that you fire the stove after touch-ups.

[Cabin Fever]

In my experience, stove polish seems to turn to powder and disappears. I'd go with the high temp paint.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Cool, thanks guys!

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Got the Fisher all wire brushed, painted and installed this weekend. I ended up with Rustoleum High temp paint rated to 1200 deg. The can said black, but it is definatly dark gray, which is fine, just a bit of a surprise. I put on 3 coats, and it looks pretty good, just a little uneveness, which is probably due to operator error. I waited the required time, then fired it up outside, it smoked a little but not too bad at all compared to the section of new stovepipe I had on it! I managed to get it in the house with out scratching it up too bad, I think the paint is pretty durable stuff. It got down into the 40's last night so I went ahead and fired it up in the house. It is a little slower to heat up than the vogelzang was, probably on account of the firebrick on the sides, and the general mass of the stove, I think the plate is thicker than the cast on the vogelzang! But once it warmed up, it pumped out the heat just fine. The Fisher sure uses less wood, all I only burned 2 armloads of small stuff and it lasted all evening. I can't wait until it gets a little cooler and I can see what it can really do...

[Liese]

Do you have to temper a plate stove like a cast iron the first couple burns for the season? We have a Jotul and I always keep my first couple burns cooler than usual to prevent cracking.

[pheasantplucker]

Originally Posted by Liese

Do you have to temper a plate stove like a cast iron the first couple burns for the season? We have a Jotul and I always keep my first couple burns cooler than usual to prevent cracking.

good advice!

[Cabin Fever]

Originally Posted by Liese

Do you have to temper a plate stove like a cast iron the first couple burns for the season? ....

No

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Dipped down to 34 last night, I topped off the stove with 3 pieces of oak and woke up to a warm house! 76 in the living room to be exact! You might not appreciate this but I have been lamenting my old stove for three years, I can't believe how much better the Fisher is!