Can old wood stoves be refurbished?

Older wood stoves can often be refurbished if the cast iron is not cracked and rust has not caused too much damage. Although original parts can be difficult to find, new parts can often be adapted or created.

Older stoves use thick, heavy walls to keep heat within the oven, and this thick design makes stoves difficult to knock over. Their weight, however, means that a dropped stove can crack, making it effectively impossible to refurbish. Perhaps the greatest threat to old stoves, however, is rust. Rust eats away at the metal over the years. While it can be removed, too much rust can compromise the integrity of the stove, making restoration unsafe if not impossible.