The other day, I noticed that the cast plate that is basically the top of the main oven on my Rayburn has a crack in it. I have no idea how long its been there - could have been years.
This plate basically separates the top of the oven from the path the flue gasses take from the firebox to the flue itself. I.e. the firebox sits to the left of the oven, when the baffles are set for cooking, the fire is drawn across the top of the oven before the smoke exits up the flue. This plate is at the top of the oven where the heat and gasses will pass. Its a full thickness crack and can be seen from above and below, The plate is 16" front to back. From below, it extends about 2 inches from the back of the oven as a clear crack with another 2 inches witness line of the crack where it will clearly continue. From above the crack is wider and more obvious for about 5 inches.
There is a diagram here - see item 8 on the fifth page of the PDF - marked page 11 at the bottom - https://www.harworthheating.co.uk/d...rn_Supreme_Nouvelle,_355S_&_355SFW_Cooker.pdf
The red line shows roughly where the crack is - below is in the oven and easily accessible. I can get my hand above but no tools.
The part number from the PDF doesnt bring anything up. The part might be available - I will need to make some enquiries but it does mean a full strip down which will have to wait until the summer for a start, but after 35 years I am worried about what might have warped and twisted over time, so am semi reluctant to dismantle it for this reason.
Is there a repair i can do in situ? Could I drill a small hole at the end of the crack to stop it becoming longer and then bolt a plate across the crack placed below (? above might be fine too??) after filling the crack with fire cement? I dont suppose welding it is within my capability even with the right rods - if it were then doing it from above would be better as the crack is wider above and obviously easier to weld from above than from underneath. I am fairly sure it is a cast material not quite sure what though.
Its not urgent if it doesnt get worse as its not leaking gas and i can fill from above with fire cement anyway when its cool enough (will do this at the weekend as i will let it cool enough to send the brushes up the chimney anyway).
Thoughts?
This plate basically separates the top of the oven from the path the flue gasses take from the firebox to the flue itself. I.e. the firebox sits to the left of the oven, when the baffles are set for cooking, the fire is drawn across the top of the oven before the smoke exits up the flue. This plate is at the top of the oven where the heat and gasses will pass. Its a full thickness crack and can be seen from above and below, The plate is 16" front to back. From below, it extends about 2 inches from the back of the oven as a clear crack with another 2 inches witness line of the crack where it will clearly continue. From above the crack is wider and more obvious for about 5 inches.
There is a diagram here - see item 8 on the fifth page of the PDF - marked page 11 at the bottom - https://www.harworthheating.co.uk/d...rn_Supreme_Nouvelle,_355S_&_355SFW_Cooker.pdf
The red line shows roughly where the crack is - below is in the oven and easily accessible. I can get my hand above but no tools.
The part number from the PDF doesnt bring anything up. The part might be available - I will need to make some enquiries but it does mean a full strip down which will have to wait until the summer for a start, but after 35 years I am worried about what might have warped and twisted over time, so am semi reluctant to dismantle it for this reason.
Is there a repair i can do in situ? Could I drill a small hole at the end of the crack to stop it becoming longer and then bolt a plate across the crack placed below (? above might be fine too??) after filling the crack with fire cement? I dont suppose welding it is within my capability even with the right rods - if it were then doing it from above would be better as the crack is wider above and obviously easier to weld from above than from underneath. I am fairly sure it is a cast material not quite sure what though.
Its not urgent if it doesnt get worse as its not leaking gas and i can fill from above with fire cement anyway when its cool enough (will do this at the weekend as i will let it cool enough to send the brushes up the chimney anyway).
Thoughts?
