Thanks desiree4GW! that is very helpful. May i ask where you bought your new insulation of your stove and the new high temperature wiring? It seems like the stove insulation is really expensive - i am doing a complete restore, having a lot of fun too!! I have my stove Milly completely disassembled, the really rusted parts sand blastedd, and am almost done cleaning and putting high temp paint where needed. But i am having a hard time finding reasonably priced suppliers for the insulation.

You're most impressive, auclark. I've not encountered too many who are doing a complete DIY rebuild. I'm going to, but I'm taking it in stages. I've been documenting nearly everything I do and buying poor condition stoves for parts.

I really like "Milly". I named my primary stove "Lucy". :) Here's her picture.

I just finished updating most of Lucy's wiring. My posting about that electrical adventure is here: http://www.desiredcreations.com/blog/?page_id=404

The page includes where I got my wire, although I don't know how helpful that will be. But I just found a high temp wire source that might be helpful to you: https://www.kentuckymudworks.com/items/wirehitemp14gauge-609.htm

Note, you may also need to get high temp wire connectors (porcelain wire nuts). Even though I live in a major metro area, none of the local electrical suppliers had those. Just a heads up.

Insulation: I did reading about Chambers and their phenomenal insulating properties. It said they were insulated with rock wool, so that's what I plan to use.

I've been using Rustoleum's high temp spray paint (1200 degrees) for certain parts. What paint are you using?

Oh Lucy is gorgeous desiree4GW! - yes, i am using the Rustoleum specialty high temp paint. Any interior spots that have rust i'm grinding down and spot-painting those, then the whole venting system in the back and the two back panels (the one that holds the insulation in and then the outer one where the power cord comes out - all those pieces just had to be sandblasted and then painted with the high temp paint. Luckily Milly had no missing parts - so far I haven't had to purchase any pieces aside from the oven light button. As for the wiring, i can't wait to take a look at your blog. Milly originally had a heater and fan - that went to some mechanical where the lower left hand drawer is now...someone before me took that out and replaced it with a drawer (which i would prefer anyway for storage). So really, the electrical i am worrying about is the oven light button and the clock and timer pieces. I'm not sure how much of the wiring needs to be replaced per se - much of it looks in good shape - no frayed ends and the contacts look intact...but i want to systematically test each one and then see. I hadn't heard of rock wool before - will definitely check it out as i am almost done with enough of the cleaning to put the insulation back on. Did you do any cleaning of the actual oven burner and/or grill assembly? Cheers - A.

I did a complete restoration of my okm. a 39.5" model from 1959. I have to say the best grease cutter i have found is oxyclean. I fill my kitchen sink or a large bucket with 3 scoops and very hot water. It releases every speck of grease and grime. For all the parts that had surface rust i use Rust Release from Industrial metal supply in Sun Valley Ca. Rust is gone overnight and there is bare metal that is blackened and hasnt rusted again. There are two types of high heat paint. BBQ black and Rustoleum black. BBQ has a sheen that is almost an exact sheen of what was applied at the factory while the Rustoleum flat is much flatter in sheen and works just as well. However it doesnt match the other parts i didnt need to paint.
For the wiring i purchased a new round power cord from McMaster-Carr and for the wiring i used original cloth wiring that was period correct to match what was used originally. I purchased it by the foot from Toms Engine Barn. The sell both the 10 gauge and the 12 gauge needed. So far i have spent approximately 75.00 in materials. And i stripped it down to the bare frame and rebuilt it from there. I did re-purpose the original insulation as it was in excellent shape. Caution it contains asbestos so if you remove it WEAR A DUST MASK!! All of my valves work great, however i have spoken to JES Enterprises in Ventura California about having them rebuilt if ever needed. They were very helpful. I made my own gaskets for the burners from cork gasket material ( auto supply store) and that has worked out fine.
To remove the burners from the porcelain gas tubes heat the porcelain metal surrounding the screw with a small torch til they are hot and the screws back out almost effortlessly. I was able to use all of the original screws over again after i dropped them in Rust Release overnight and re-blackened them. She works great and while i didnt have her rechromed or re-porcelained as she is in pretty good shape. i like that she has a few imperfections and wasnt looking to make her perfect. I cook daily and she is a blast to use again all redone.

Auclark,

wiring: I think the wire's themselves are likely to be in good shape, but the wire insulation should be replaced if the stove oven/broiler has been extensively used. The insulation gets old, stiff and can crack. It's important to replace it with high temp wire. It took me some research to find it. Apparently it's a specialty item and something not many electrical suppliers carry. I finally found some but had a tough time locating it.

insulation: grapevinesally.com has the high heat ceramic blanket insulation. Someone gave me a whole bunch of it. So far I've used that type on all my doors. I haven't tackled the main frame yet. When I do I'll have my choice, rock wool and ceramic insulation. It's important for a stove gal to have choices! :)

gas tube assemblies, burners: I haven't done any extensive cleaning of those; just pulled them out of the stove and kinda banged on them to loosen and dump out debris; with the burner heads, I also banged on those, poked and prodded in the openings to loosen debris. Later, I salvaged burners in much better shape (cleaner and had all the enamel).

oven door: I swapped the solid door for one with a window. The stove is so much snazzier looking.

How's your restoration coming? All done?

I just acquired a OKM Model 600 and I need to convert it for use with propane.( We live in the mountains of Colorado.) The folks at the propane company said I needed a kit but I can't find a kit anywhere on line for it. Any advice would be appreciated.

I am in the process of reassembling my okeefe and merit stove wondering if anybody knows were the brackets go for the side panel of the stove. I think my stove is a model 600.

Manuel Z. You have the option to get a NG-LP gas conversion kit like this: http://www.dvorsons.com/parts/wolf/wolf-parts.php?recordID=159.

Just google gas conversion kit. You will find many vendors online.

Anthony, can you upload a photo of your stove and the area you're talking about?

These are the only pieces that I have

Can anybody tell me the location of the vanishing shelf springs. Need to install the clips for the spring on the back of the stove.

thanks

Anthony

Sorry, Anthony. I got wrapped up in a few things. Tomorrow, I'll see what I have onsite that might help.

Thanks that is exactly what I was looking for

I am talking my OKM apart to replace broken door springs. I took the sides off, and removed the springs and cables there. In the middle, there should be a spring, and cable for each side. There is one cable and one spring for the Grillevator side. How do I access those middle cables and pullies?

If your stove model is like mine, there should be access panels on the lower level, left and right sides of each lower chamber. I've posted photos on my blog: http://www.desiredcreations.com/blog/?page_id=440

If there are no access panels, you will need to take the stove's side panels off, and you will need to lay the stove on its back to access the two middle cables and pulleys from underneath.

Thanks, desiree4gw. I figured it out. There are no access panels, but I took the sides off and found those cables and springs. The middle ones were tricky, but I figured out that I could unhook the spring, then take off the doors and the cables just slid on out with the doors. No need to lay it down to reach everything. Two springs were totally missing. I'll hook the new cables on, slide them in and replace the doors then I can reach the springs and reattach them from the back. No idea what model it is, can't find a tag on it. 1945 or so, I think. I'm going to replace all the insulation right now too. Might as well while I have it torn apart.

dazerm, if it hasn't been done in 50 or so years, replacing the insulation would be an excellent thing to do. I've done that with the doors on my stove, but not the sides, nor under the cooktop. Make sure you get the right type for insulating stoves. If you can't find that, you can use rockwool insulation.

I'm ordering insulation from Antique Gas Stoves in Alto Loma, CA. When I took the sides off, the old insulation just fell out, and I can see where it has slid down and compacted in the back. I've had the old girl partially apart before, but this is the first time I've really done this much. Intimidating!

Just take tons of photos of every single major step. It's a little annoying but when you start putting thing back together, you'll thank yourself over and over. ;-)

Hi. I just bought a O' Keefe & Merritt model 420-4. I can't seem to get the pilot lights lit. I can light the burners with a match but not the pilots. Also, I can light the oven with a match but it will not stay lit unless I'm pushing the red button on the safety valve located inside the warmer. Does anyone have any instruction on what I'm doing wrong? This is my first antique stove. Thank you in advance!

I might be able to help, Tanya. The pilot light valves might need to open up a little more. Follow the line tube from the pilot to the
manifold (the main gas pipe). There should be a little valve. Use a flat blade screwdriver; adjust carefully.

However, the problem could be a clog somewhere in the line between the manifold and the pilot opening. Given the stove is mid-century, chances are high there's a lot of debris in that gas line. Here a photo of the debris I found in one of my pilot's gas lines. I snaked a brass wire though the tube and tapped it until all the junk came out. If you're a DIYer, you'll need to get familiar with all the working parts of your stove. They're actually not that complicated, but learning how to clean and maintain your OKM does take a certain degree of patience and motivation. ;-)

I have a blog about restoring my O'Keefe & Merritt that might help. My stove model is different than yours, but there still might be something you'll find helpful.

http://www.desiredcreations.com/blog/?page_id=269

Thank you for the great instructions. Someone else told me that the thermocouple might be shot, and that's why the oven won't stay on when the safety button isn't pressed in. I'm going to just go through it tomorrow and wire brush everything to start. I'll keep you posted, and thank you! I'm sure I'll be posting again lol

I spoke with someone at Grapevine Sally and they said you can cook right on the chrome. I tried it and it was amazing! And the clean up was so easy. I am still having problems with my back burners lighting - I have to use a match but everything else is working great. I did have some difficulty turning the knobs for the burners and Grapevine Sally suggested using WD-40 which I did and they all turn very smoothly now.

Tanya, sorry I forgot to address your oven problem. Yes, in all likelihood, the thermocouple is dead.

It's a metal tube that connects from the safety valve (with the big red button) to inside the oven. It's usually mounted right next to the pilot.

As long as the thermocouple is heated by the pilot light, it sends a signal to open the safety valve so gas will flow. If the thermocouple isn't warm enough or the thermoelectric signal isn't strong enough, the safety valve shuts off gas flow.

Replacing thermocouples isn't technically hard, but with some of the models, it can be wretched trying to access the oven end of the sensor. Let's say it helps if you're a contortionist. :D

Search for "o'keefe merritt thermocouple" and you should find a few vendors.

Having trouble with those cooktop burners lighting unless you use a match? If you're relatively patient, confident and comfortable around your gas stove, you might be able to fix your auto-light burners so they will auto-light.

A O'Keefe & Merritt typical cooktop burner has a main ring burner and an inner smaller burner. Each of those burners has its own set of controls; one to control the amount of gas (gas orifice dial), one to control the amount of air (venturi).

A successful auto-light requires a proper balanced pressure of both gas and air. Too much or too little of either can result in a auto-light failure.

This page on my website might help you.
http://www.desiredcreations.com/blog/?page_id=269

This page at Appliance Repair explains how cooktop pilot lighting works.
http://www.appliancerepair.net/oven-repair-5.html

Lol this should be interesting! In going to home depot today to see if they have a universal one, as I've seen some online. Your blog is phenomenal, by the way. I've bookmarked it for future reference. Very informative. Thank you for the help, it is much appreciated! :)

Next issue... I got the thermocouple off but can not find a replacement for it. Every place I've contacted says they no longer make those or the safety valve for my oven anywhere. Anyone ever tried to convert to a different safety valve?

A thermocouple for a vintage stove is likely only available through vintage stove parts businesses. You'll have better luck trying online businesses like antiquestoves.com or antiquegasstoves.com or grapevinesally.com

I did, thanks. Nobody makes or has the one I need apparently, since it's not a coupler attachment.

Huh? Can you post a photo of what you've got? We should make sure we're talking about the same thing.

Just wanted to say how much I've enjoyed reading through your blog, desiree. So much valuable information there.

Thank you very much, writersblock. I feel good taking a small part in helping keep these stoves going.

You're very welcome. Incidentally, just a tip for future reference: You might want to try setting up an electrolysis system for cruddy chrome, if you have more parts to do in the future. It removes rust without damaging any good metal underneath it, unlike abrading rust away. I know someone who restored a Chambers who did his that way, and only had to have the actual range top rechromed, but not all the accessory doodads and handles.

Question -- i have an old O'keefe and Merritt that works great, but the chrome top is pockmarked and stained. The entire stovetop is chrome with the griddle and I want to take it off and have it re-chromed. However, does anyone know how to take the top off? when i look at the hinges, they don't seem to be normal screws.

higginsa, I can state with all confidence that the top can be removed by you with a basic large screwdriver. These wonderful stoves were assembled by hand in those days. You may have to take the heat shield on the back of the stove so you can get a better look at the hinges and screws and idea of what's involved. I cannot emphasize how important it is to take lots of photos as you go so you can easily reassemble when the time comes.

Chances are you will also need something to unfreeze the screws like Liquid Wrench. You might also need a good degreaser if the screws and hinges are covered by a few decades of baked on grease.

You will likely also need to derust steel pieces. For soaking, my personal favorite is phosphoric acid. At hardware stores it may be labeled something like 'metal prep'.

I have a 1940s okm with the towel bars that hold up the shelf. Is there a way to convert to the springs to hold up the shelf so I can have my cabinets fit closer to the stove and avoid the dreaded dead space?

Can you post photos of your stove?

Here's photos of the arms on the side. It is a typical OKM with the banker's lamp and grillevator on the left. I just want the shelf to stay up without the towel arms so I don't have the dead space on both sides collecting grease and dust. I would prefer to put cabinet spacers to close that area and have the counter come to the edge of the top of the stove.

Also, many years ago when we acquired the stove the grillevator came to us in pieces. I still have the box of pieces but wondering if anyone has a diagram of how it all goes together?

Here's a start--http://www.antiqueappliancecompany.com/o-keefe-merritt-user-guide-manual.html It's a reproduction of the owner's manual. You click through page by page. Pages 12 & 13 describe how to remove and replace the grillevator, so that should give you some idea how it works. We love ours (my mother's 1953 O'Keefe & Merritt) but I'm not at all technical enough to help more than this.

Not sure if what's found on this website is the same manual or not... http://www.antiquegasstoves.com/pages/grillevator.html has a photo of the grillevator in place; scroll down and click on the parts manuals they sell. For $25 + shipping you can get what looks like basically a cookbook but also includes (according to their website)"the operating instructions portion

of a 1950's O'Keefe & Merritt gas stove owner's manual.

This manual covers the features found on a variety of

models in this era.

This 22 page booklet contains:

• General instructions for the care and use of the stove
• how to light pilots & reset safety valves
• care of the burners, griddle, broiler, porcelain & chrome
• how to use the top burners, simmer burners, automatic clock, signal timer and Grillevator broiler..." You could contact them to ask if it includes an exploded diagram.

I see now. Thanks. The shelf support arms are a feature of the older models. A few years later OKM came out with a model where the shelf had different hardware so it could stay up without the arms. However, there's different hardware on the backsplash and a different type of shelf in that model.

If you want your stove's shelf to stay up without the support arms, I believe you'll just have to make a customized jig... or get a slightly newer model. :)

If you want a busier discussion about vintage stoves and more help, I suggest joining the Vintage Stove facebook group.

Just brought my new project home and I am very excited. Mostly because all the parts are there. No manual though.

I have an OKM model # 55-605-11 that we have used for almost 40-years. We are moving and can't take it with us. If anyone is interested in buying this stove, contact me at 1franko46@gmail.com. We're in San Diego County.

We have an OKM that I love but recently it has been impossible to bake with. The oven temperature is a little off, I've learned to adjust for that, but now it is randomly cranking the temperatures to 400 degrees+. Very frustrating for baking. We have already replaced the thermocouple. Any suggestions?

Sounds like your oven control is dying. There is no easy way around that. It has to be replaced. Shop carefully. The current prices can range from $80 to $600.

Hi! I am hoping this thread is still active, as I just acquired a beautiful okeefe and Merritt stove, but the oven door (I have one with a window) gets insanely hot when I am baking and my daughter had already bribed her hand. Is this normal for a vintage stove? Is this just something I need to live with?

I lost my beloved 1953 O'Keefe & Merritt when we downsized a couple of years ago, but yes, the oven and broiler doors were always very hot. I suspect the insulation was pretty much shot.

It's too call for anyone to call Child Protective on me, so I'll admit that when my then-toddler (now age 45, and her own kids are mid-teens) was heading toward the broiler door one day and reaching slowly toward it, I said loudly and firmly, "Christy! Do NOT touch that! It's very hot! You'll get burned and it will hurt!"

I stayed very close but did not stop her as she reached out one inquisitive finger and got a tiny blister. I gained a heck of a lot of credibility that day...

There are ways to take an O'Keefe & Merritt apart, remove the old insulation, and replace it... A good idea we never acted on. You might consider doing that, for safety's sake. There are also some rebuilder$ who do that work, but you'd need to live in or near California.

We have an old O'Keefe & Merritt and the oven door doesn't get (dangerously) hot. I suspect what mainegrammy does, old insulation that has hardened or crumbled and is no longer serving its purpose.

It is relatively simple to replace almost anything on a vintage stove. There's a FB group for Vintage Stoves and this blog http://www.desiredcreations.com/blog/ that we all follow.

Just inherited what I think is a 55-605 but haven't found a source that describes or depicts stoves with their appropriate model number. Anyone know where I might find that? Like an old OKM catalog?