The first thing to determine before refinishing your stove is "What are you going to do with it?" If your stove is for display only, then a good coat of Heat Resistant paint is fine, and stay away from Spray-Bomb type cans of paint, as most of the product goes into the atmosphere and not on the item. Brush Paint is Best, Rutland 1200 Degree Black enamel is Super, no brush marks when applied correctly. Why paint it with Hi-Temp for Display Only, you may ask? Because someday you may wish to sell the stove, and nothing's worse than trying to remove Rustoleum Type Paint from a Cast Iron/Metal surface, should you actually wish (or the Buyer) to have a Fire in it! Non Hi-Temp Paint will literally burn off, peel, discolor, smell Bad, Smoke up you home,well you get the idea.
I personally, as a Professional Stove Restorer, prefer the good old fashioned method of Stove Polish. The natural waxes in the Polish nurture the metal and protect it, retarding rust and oxidation. First, get a Good Polish, such as Rutland Stove & Grille Polish. Then get some latex Gloves, as the Polish really loves to stay on your hands as well as the stove! I do recommend that you use a Good Quality paint brush(loose bristles are a real pain to remove when applying your polish!) to get in to the hard to get to areas like Scrollwork etc., then wipe off the excess with a Clean Towel that doesn't leave Lint. Old linen Diapers or Crew Socks work well. Several applications may be necessary, follow your product's recommendations as well as your own common sense. You can hand buff your polished stove for a nice shine, once dried. Also, Never paint over a Polished Stove without first removing the Polish! It will just peel off first time you use the stove, if it adheres at all. Once Polished, Always Polish. By the way, though I sell Rutland Products in my Walk-In Store, I am in no way affiliated with them. I merely like their product, and recommend it. If you'd please take the Time to Vote YES on this Guide, I will be more inclined to write more on Wood Stove Restoration in the near future! There's lot's to Share.


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