Polish or paint?

[Thumbcocker]

Found this coal stove out in the barn. It is complete enough to use in the garage. As you can see it is a bit rusty. In the past I have use stove polish, which I think is mostly graphite. I was thinking maybe high temperature paint might be the way to go. Thoughts would be appreciated. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240318/520119bd6798ee87231ef441f13a8652.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240318/4c91efa5bcf8f897a7cbb9bf81b93b2c.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240318/a9d6851d6647e3490915fe1f98178881.jpg

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[Screwbolts]

The Old tried and true way to blacken/clean or rusty stoves is to take stove out side and cover it with a layer of good old lard. Now light a good fire in it to burn off the lard. By doing so you will remove the rust and leave the stove with a good natural rustproofing. the stove should end up nicely black with no residue to the touch.

[Winger Ed.]

Cool. Down here,,, I've never seen one.

One of the rules of Man Law is that any project is the perfect justification to buy more power tools.
For this one you might need a new sand blaster and cabinet.
Then you can determine if you need a new paint gun and bigger air compressor.

Where we are,
I'd paint it since the closest place to buy coal is probably 1,000 miles away.

[Thumbcocker]

It will eat oak and ash wood cut here on the farm from blowdowns and dead falls.

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[country gent]

The coat with lard sounds interesting and may do just what you want. Painting with high temp paint may do as well but fumes and the prep work may be more. Wire brushing/ blasting then washing down primer and paint.
The old blacksmiths would wipe the parts down with linseed oil while hot to preserve them also.This leaves a more natural look. Maybe a good hot fire and several coats of linseed oil brushed on. Cast Iron good and hot should soak a lot in.

A fire rack is missing but can be made easy enough. The weight of the rack will depend on whether coal or wood is being burned. Coal requires a heavier tighter grate than wood. The grate gets the fire up of the bricks and a better air flow. It also keeps the heat from resting on the fire bricks and bottom.

[Thumbcocker]

The grate is there also the shaker.

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[MT Gianni]

I like the lard method. Paint will also require an outside fire as it will smoke and stink to cure. If lard doesn't work you're not out much.

[Alstep]

That's one nice stove that's worth rebuilding. Go over it with a wire brush in an angle grinder. Then, like others have said, cover with lard or oil, take it outside, and burn the heck out of it. Take it all apart. Clean it up.
Make sure the firebrick lining and grates are OK.

You're gonna like heating with coal. We burn all year long, heats our hot water too. Gave up on wood years ago, too much work. Clean burning, no chimney fires, much safer. Spill coal, you just shovel it up and burn it. Spill oil, you've got a major environmental problem. Price of coal was stable for the last 20 years, but have gone up because the mines are selling to China.

This outfit has parts; https://www.woodmanspartsplus.com/WoodCoalParts/WoodStoveFirebricks/Product/WarmMorningFirebrick-WM9885R

Lots of info here;
https://coalpail.com/coal-forum/

[10x]

The fire sheet liner in the stove looks like it should be refurbished as well

I have a wood heater on the family farm that needs the fire liner replaced This is the result of a uncle who was in the need of "Fast heat" Who put a Lard pail of stoker coal (1" oiled lumps) in the stove. The heat crumbled the liner

https://www.stoveindustrysupplies.com/fire-bricks-and-sheets

[Wayne Smith]

The first thing I would do is, if it will draw, get a good hot fire going in it. This will tell you how it burns and will remove most of the rust. Then you will see what you have left under the rust.

[.429&H110]

If that is a crack on the top, putty over the inside of the crack with retort cement
Furnace cement won't stick to rust but retort cement will.
For me, I'd scrunge it with detergent and stove black it
Maybe you could take it to the the chrome shop, make it shiny for small money.

[gwpercle]

The jar says Imperial Stove Polish Paste - black ... it was what my Dad and Uncle both used on their wood burning stoves .
I don't want to waste good Lard on a stove ...
My Uncle claims the best bisquits are made with Lard and baked in a wood (or coal) fired oven ... and I believe him !
Gary

[Bmi48219]

Looks as though the precast refractory lining is pretty rough. If it’s been sitting in a MidWest barn for years sucking up humidity it could get worse after you fire her up.
Doubtful you’ll find a company making those special shapes nowadays. Depending on the dimensions you could probably make a new lining with 2” series boiler tile that would interlock at the corners.
Does the second picture show the grate and hearth? Don’t think you’re supposed to be able to see daylight through the bottom. Looks like the iron plate that forms the bottom of the ash pit and the firebrick hearth that protects it are compromised.
I’d start by getting the flue thimble out and vacuuming the firebox to see what you have to work with. If the cast iron casing is solid the rest can be repaired.

[rockrat]

LOL, same stove we have at the outdoor rifle range target storage area. Use it a couple of times a year if our varmint silhouette/clay pigeon match is going to last a while

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

like some mentioned, I'd fire it up as is and find out how bad of shape the stove is, as a whole, before I put any sweat equity into the outside finish.
.
I never heard of the Lard burn off thing...sounds interesting.