I've recently moved house and inherited a wood-burning stove. The
doorknob is unusably stiff. I've put on some WD40 equivalent (as
advised) and worked it back and forth. It seemed to get worse the more I
worked it. I then tried engine oil - it also got worse the more I worked
it. In neither case did I light the fire. It's now practically seized.

This behaviour defies common sense (well, mine anyway).

The knob consists of a threaded rod which goes through the door, one end
of which has some rod welded at right angles, the other end has the
handle screwed onto it. The thread seems in good condition.

Any suggestions?

Another Dave

On 12 Dec, 09:55, Another Dave wrote:
I've recently moved house and inherited a wood-burning stove. The
doorknob is unusably stiff. I've put on some WD40 equivalent (as
advised) and worked it back and forth. It seemed to get worse the more I
worked it. I then tried engine oil - it also got worse the more I worked
it. In neither case did I light the fire. It's now practically seized.

This behaviour defies common sense (well, mine anyway).

The knob consists of a threaded rod which goes through the door, one end
of which has some rod welded at right angles, the other end has the
handle screwed onto it. The thread seems in good condition.

Any suggestions?

Another Dave

I wonder if what is happening is that the high level oils you are
trying to lubricate with are dissolving the low level tars that have
probably got onto the thread from the wood and are effectively
smearing the softened tar over the threads.

Is it possible to get the door off and put the area with the handle
into some paraffin with the aim of dissolving out the muck in the
thread ?

Rob

"Another Dave" wrote in message
...
I've recently moved house and inherited a wood-burning stove. The doorknob
is unusably stiff. I've put on some WD40 equivalent (as advised) and
worked it back and forth. It seemed to get worse the more I worked it. I
then tried engine oil - it also got worse the more I worked it. In neither
case did I light the fire. It's now practically seized.

This behaviour defies common sense (well, mine anyway).

The knob consists of a threaded rod which goes through the door, one end
of which has some rod welded at right angles, the other end has the handle
screwed onto it. The thread seems in good condition.

Any suggestions?

Another Dave

What about "Coppaslip" or is it Copperslip. The stuff used to lubricate car
brakes - and to smear onto sparkplug threads.

Another Dave wrote:
I've recently moved house and inherited a wood-burning stove. The
doorknob is unusably stiff. I've put on some WD40 equivalent (as
advised) and worked it back and forth. It seemed to get worse the more I
worked it. I then tried engine oil - it also got worse the more I worked
it. In neither case did I light the fire. It's now practically seized.

This behaviour defies common sense (well, mine anyway).

The knob consists of a threaded rod which goes through the door, one end
of which has some rod welded at right angles, the other end has the
handle screwed onto it. The thread seems in good condition.

Any suggestions?

Another Dave

That's cast iron for you. Graphite IIRC is the appropriate lubricant.
Sharpen a pencil in the vicinity..

On Wed, 12 Dec 2007 09:55:38 +0000, Another Dave wrote:

The knob consists of a threaded rod which goes through the door, one end
of which has some rod welded at right angles, the other end has the
handle screwed onto it. The thread seems in good condition.

Handle tightening up on rod? Hold the inner latch unscrew handle (might
have a locking nut) remove bits and clean. Don't bother with any normal
lubricant as it will burn off the first time you light a fire. Graphite
should survive...

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

Another Dave wrote:
I've recently moved house and inherited a wood-burning stove. The
doorknob is unusably stiff. I've put on some WD40 equivalent (as
advised) and worked it back and forth. It seemed to get worse the more I
worked it. I then tried engine oil - it also got worse the more I worked
it. In neither case did I light the fire. It's now practically seized.

This behaviour defies common sense (well, mine anyway).

The knob consists of a threaded rod which goes through the door, one end
of which has some rod welded at right angles, the other end has the
handle screwed onto it. The thread seems in good condition.


Thanks for all the suggestions.

Eventually I tried brute force and ignorance and with much grunting and
swearing just forced the threaded rod to unscrew all the way out.

This revealed the source of the problem - the thread was knackered.
Judicious use of a hacksaw on the bits of the thread normally resident
inside the door has made the door usable though it's far from ideal.

I've no idea how it got into such a state :-(

Another Dave