On Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:43:19 -0800, bignose wrote:
Do I need to protect the base of the stove? I have put some fire
bricks in the bottom - was this misguided?

I think that if it's going to split, it'll do it near the top, where it
gets hotter. At least that's the way that the one in our house had died
when we moved in (we tore it out for insurance reasons, but I suspect
we'll put a modern one in sometime soon)

I just checked, and that particular one* is 1/4" plate all round. There's
no grate, ash and wood all just sat in the bottom of the stove - but
there's no sign of any warping or other damage to the base; I suspect it
just never got hot enough there.

* very much someone's home-made project...

Where can I buy a new handle for the door? It's a wooden handle and a
brassh square section that starts at 15mm square and tapers back to 20mm
- I am struggling to find this kind of replacement item on the internet.

Hmm, maybe the handle off a garden implement (trowel or similar) might do
the job?