We have a 1936 Home Comfort wood cookstove that my husband bought at an estate auction a couple of years ago. We haven't used it yet, because we've been using the fireplace to hook up our woodstoves, and after he got it home we realized the fireplace opening was too low for the cookstove. However, we are hoping to sell this place this year and start over, and are planning on using the cookstove. The oven rack it came home with doesn't belong to it -- we think the racks got mixed up in the confusion of getting everything out of the house at the sale. And recently we realized that a little door on top of the warming oven is missing. It is long, narrow, and right in front of the flue -- I'm not sure what to call it. Other than these two items the stove is in good useable condition -- can anyone help me find replacements?

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), April 13, 2000

Answers

Kathleen, check with antique dealers. Especially junkier ones, they might have a stove or stove parts in back that they'll let you have, for a price. Since I don't know what these stoves look like, do you think you could have some one fabricate something that will work even if it doesn't look the greatest? Does that door have to be there to actually operate the stove?

As for rack, keep the measurements with you at all times. Keep checking at thrift stores and used appliance dealers, also scrap yards if they'll let you in. Just make sure any rack you find is from a stove and not a fridge or freezer. In the meantime, consider using trivets, spiders, and legged kettles on the bottom of your oven. It will restrict what you bake, but better than nothing. You can have a new rack made of stainless, but that will be spendy. If it were my stove and since I never back anything on the rack anyway, I'd probably cobble something together out of plain steel that I knew the history of. I'd scrub it well and probably fire the oven hot a few times to see what if anything might burn off. If it seemed ok, I'd start using it. But that's what I'd do for myself. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), April 15, 2000.

Gerbil, thanks. Some of these things had occurred to me. There are a lot of antique stores around here, but mostly don't carry stoves or stove parts (mostly cater to the tourists from Mass., CT, etc. -- yuppies with money). I don't think that smoke would get out into the room without the little door, but am not sure. The trivet in place of the oven rack is a really good idea -- I will try that. And if that little door doesn't turn up somewhere (I don't remember it being missing when he first brought the stove home) maybe someone knows of a business that specializes in repairs to old stoves? Though what I would really like to do is sell this one and get a Pioneer Maid, which has a much bigger fire box. This one's a beaut, though.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), April 15, 2000.

I think if you gave me the measurements and a picture of the shape or design of the other doors--I could machine one on a mill that would be pretty hard to tell the difference. I am probably to far away but any qualified CNC Machinist could whip one out in 20 minutes on a good mill. Check around ---Good Luck

-- Joel Rosen (Joel681@webtv.net), April 15, 2000.

Thanks, Joel, I'll check around and see. We have a friend who may know someone who does that kind of work.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), April 15, 2000.

Kathleen, in the book "Woodstove Cookery - at home on the range" by Jane Cooper it lists a company that specializes in old cook stove parts: Empire Furnace & Stove Repaiir Co., 793-797 Broadway, Albany, N.Y. 12207. No phone number listed, but from the following statement in the book I think writing them is the way to go. Here is what the book says, "When requesting a part from this company, give them the following information: complete name of stove; correct model number; name of manufacturer; approximate age of stove; a careful description of the part needed; a rough sketch with dimensions; the old part (if you have it) which you wish replaced; a description of the casting marks on the needed part as well as on any other parts. This company is swamped with orders, so be patient."

The book was originally copyrighted in 1977, so who even knows if this outfit is around any more. Hope this helps you.

--Bill

-- Bill (freeamerica@fcmail.com), April 16, 2000.

Kathleen: I do not know if you are still looking for parts for Home Comfort, but try Hecker Brothers in Pa.. Their phone # is 412-922- 6811. As the proud owner of another old Home Comfort I wish you the best. Tim Price

-- Tim Price (BGMAINT@AWOD.COM), August 28, 2000.

Kathleen, my hubby & I buy & sell & trade wood stoves & wood buring cook stoves---we don't have the parts you need --but we trade parts with 2 other people who have the same habit we do--I'll check if they have the parts I'll put you in direct contact with them---if they don't have the parts ya won't hear back from me on it --Sonda in Ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), August 28, 2000.

Thank you all for your answers. I did find the little door for the top of the warming oven, so all we still need is the oven rack. If we ever get the thing hooked up, sigh, I can use Gerbil's suggestion of a trivet until we can come up with a rack.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), August 29, 2000.