Drilling out the remains of a bolt in a cast iron stove

[cheb]

I'm rebuilding a Morso Squirrel stove.

First problem is the snapped off bolt for the rear damper pivot. I didn't want to use heat for fear of cracking the cast iron. I know it can take the temperature but the localisation was a worry.

The pimple that is left:



Just enough thread left for a nut and guide. I made the guide ages ago on the lathe, a 3mm hole through an M6 25mm bolt.



Pilot hole, done with a hand held drill as it was too much faff to get the stove under my current small bench drill.



5mm hole, the tapping size for a standard M6 thread:



Tapped and finished:



All that's left to do now are the four bolts on the door, make some blanking plates for the boiler holes, refit the door glass, fit new seals and possibly make an adapter to fit to the existing flue.

[Count Steer]

That's worth renovating. (It looks a bit neglected).

[cheb]

It is, there's a great little stove, well made and company still supply spares. It came out of an off grid house up here when they put the electric in. Owned by an eccentric ex-military chap. It cost me a tenner, I was at the tip when it was being disposed off and it wouldn't have fitted in the MX5 so I gave him said tenner to deliver it.

Th great thing about cast iron is that it scrubs up well, looks terrible but it's only surface rust. It's only going to be primped until it's usable and then it will be.

[ZRX61]

You need a mag-drill

[cheb]

The mag drill I have access to is too big.

After much wire brushing and spraying, and a couple more episodes of drilling and tapping I now have this:

[Count Steer]

Nice.

Even nicer for a tenner.

[cheb]

The parts I needed ran to about £50 I think, a used throat plate and glass and seals. The three pieces of the right hand fire brick were glued back together with stixall or similar, whatever tube was open at the time. It may need a grate later but I'll see what happens when the crusty rust comes off, ditto the ash pan.

One spray can of barbecue paint did all the painting needed.

They are a very well made stove IMO ans spare are easily got. They might have been the best selling stove in the UK at one point.

[David]

Usually seen tucked into a corner of the lounge on narrow boats....