Repainting cooktop

[al2]

I have an upright gas oven, but over the years the cooktop looks a bit yukky with the over zealous cleaning. It's scratched and a bit rusty, where scratched. Any ideas/success on repainting it? The rest looks and works ok, and the company, Modern Maid does not exist anywore, so I can't possibly get a replacement top

[bitingmidge]

Try one of the bath-tub repair places, particularly in Sydney you should find one that is set up to do Baked Enamel, and will be able to match your existing finish pretty closely.

You may also be able to get a heat-resistant powdercoat finish. Look in the yellow pages under "powdercoating".

Cheers,

P

[seriph1]

(in my best Monty Python man-playing-a-woman-voice)

I agree with him

[ChrisH]

Three options:

Try a gas spare parts place. There are independent gas spare parts places not associated with the manufacturers. Modern Maid parts are still available, their stock was bought by Northern Gas in Heidelberg, Melbourne when they went broke. Their number is 03 9457 2912. They may be willing to post it to you, or to send it to your local spare parts retailer. I have been able to get every Modern Maid part I have needed so far, even the litle plastic membrane switch panel for the electronic oven functions. I have found them to be VERY helpful, and they do have top panels from many stoves hanging up behind the counter.

You could also try an enamelling company. I had wood heater parts re-enamelled by Bee-Jay enamelling in Melbourne, I'd assume Sydney would have its share of enamellers too.

You could try a gas appliance reconditioner. Modern Maid stoves are popular with them because they are reliable and generally easy to work on. There is a place in Melbourne that regularly advertises reco Modern Maid stoves for sale. I'd assume they have a stash of wrecks out the back they could strip parts from. Or you could try scrounging at recyclers - in Geelong there is a really good recycle centre run by the Council which regularly has stoves, washing machines and so on. You have to buy the whole appliance, not parts, but they are generally $15 to $25. I am a very regular customer of theirs...

I have a Modern Maid Ultima stove from 1988. It is a ripper, and I'm a chef so I know my stoves. Modern Maid are better to cook on than any new Aussie made stove and most of the expensive European stoves too. (Most of them are bloody awful in fact...) In particular MM stoves have accurate oven thermostats (which can be recalibrated if they drift off), and the Ultimas have three sizes of burner including a tiny simmer burner, so you can cook over a gentle flame things that would normally have to go over a water bath. Also the trivet is a whole of stovetop grille, not just four metal fingers poking into the flame, so small pans don't tip over like they do on other stoves. I have a reconditioned Modern Maid Ultima waiting to go into my new house when I finish it... So stick with your stove, don't be persuaded to replace it.

Chris.

[seriph1]

Chris makes excellent points - I too have dealt with northern, in heidelberg and have found them brilliant..... you know the type - - they know the name of the widget you broke off your stove in the spring of 92 that looked kinda like battlestar gallactica





Chris, that stove of yours sounds like a good'n - I find it amazing how quick we are to treat cooking appliances as fashion accessories.... good for me though as I am the eternal scavenger - picked up two miele combi-set double hotplates for $20 - RRP= $1499 each ... .am on the llokout now for the auto lift/retract benchtop exhaust to go with 'em

[jackiew]

I agree that the "fashion" in kitchen appliances is bemusing. my mum is still cooking on a gas cooker ( sorry ... translate ...stove) which I know for a fact they had when I was 4 ( 38 years ago .... :eek: ). It works fine ... why would anyone want a new one. Its white ( goes with everything ) and if they hang on to it much longer the design has got to come back into fashion ( some of my clothes have been fashionable twice already )

I have been totally bemused since moving here at the fetish for "European" this that and the other .... trying to get a leather sofa I was faced with a 5 month wait for one to come from Italy .... I fail to see what is so special about Italian cows that the leather has to come from there. Why would anyone want to pay to transport a fridge or cooker all the way from Europe .. beats me :confused:

[seriph1]

totally! Italian design I can believe - Italian concept of time ....... OUCH!

...and I can almost guarantee your sofa will come from the small but very industrious Italian Province of Jiangsu

[ChrisH]

Hi Steve

yeah, scrounging is the way to go. I am hopelessly addicted to it. My current rough tally:
Current TV and VCR from recycle centre, $15 each. TV had lots of bad solder joints, causing pic to jump and go green. Resoldering about eight dodgy joints fixed it 100%. The remote was sticky taped to the TV and works fine too. Set is less than 10 yrs old, a Sanyo. VCR - only had dirty heads, a Panasonic, fancy model. Have another spare Panasonic VCR the same, had blown fuse resistor, came with remote and owners manual. $5.
My fridge came from Apollo Bay tip (my local) for $15. Its gas as I'm on solar power. The fridge works perfect on gas, it was chucked out because the electric element had gone, so it doesn't work on 240v. Fine by me. I resprayed it, put new laminex in the door insert. Loooks fab.
My washing machine is a $1300 Asko which cost $15 at the Hampton Park recycle centre. The pressure switch hose had a blob of soap in it, so it didn't detect that water had been pumped out, so it wouldn't spin. I cleaned out the hose, it has worked perfectly for three years, I picked up two more for parts. The machines had been chucked by the importer's service department, they couldn't find the fault, they all had the same "fault" so it must be a common problem. Unfortunately they now vandalize them before chucking them, so bastards like me can't fix them up. (smash portholes, smash plastic control panels,snip through wiring looms, etc.)
I have two Miele vacs, both rippers, an older one I use in the house and a smaller newer one I use for the car. They had been chucked because they were completely dead, fault was the cord retract mechanism puts a sudden strain on the cord as the last of the cord comes in - when the plug hits the body of the vac it stops suddenly, over time the wire breaks. Yep, cut 10 cm off the cord, fit a new plug, you have a $200+ vac for $10 including the new plug. I have a garage full of repaired washing machines that all had really trivial faults but were chucked out. (I am completely mad - proof - I collect vintage washing machines...) Mum's washing machine - a Fisher and Paykel Smart Drive - chucked because its lid switch sensor had gone - new part $15. Machine would be about eight yrs old, cost close to $1000 new. Paid $15 plus $15 for the part. I could go on but I'd better not...

Chris.

[seriph1]

****!!! All Hail the KING!!!!!!!



All I can say is "WOW" you really have a knack for the found objects ..... isnt it funny how we chuck stuff at the first sign of problems? Ther are so few home-engineers, tinkers, fiddlers, etc. we are all obsessed with getting the latest thing-a-mee-jig - me too of course but at least I get thorough enjoyment out of giving new life to other people's stuff..... but I bow you you el duderino! youre officially the man

[ChrisH]

***Blush!***

Chris.

[Iain]

We got a new Blanco kitchen from the auctions, all with warranty too.
Cost us under $2k for dishwasher, cooktop, oven, sink, rangehood and taps.
Priced out new stuff, over $12k.
And, have used locally made product in the past but fuind that the Blanco is absolutely superb, a lot of thought has gone into the design.
At auction because it is last years model and room has to be made for the latest releases.
Have a look at Grays Online, can't find the address at the moment but they do have heaps of good gear.