Howdy folks, I haven't been around these parts of late and hope you are well. The gaskets on the IS seemed to be giving up the ghost....the stove wasn't as "controllable" as before, burn times seemed shorter etc. Well, hot dang. I let her go cold, cleaned the bleep out of it and went to work. Main door gasket, gaskets around the double-pane window glass, cat gasket and lo and behold, there's the culprit....the ash pan door gasket. Creosote had dripped down onto it and was allowing airflow. It was a little tricky to get the door off but the gasket itself is nothing more than round 1/2" rope. The stove now instantly responds to air input adjustments and burn times are back to their normal, insanely-long levels. I did come up with a neat trick for cutting and installing gaskets.....ever notice that when you cut the end of one, it instantly blooms like a flower? what I did was pick up a box of small rubber bands....a band would go right on the end of the gasket where I planned to make the cut. Gasket cement goes into the channel and as you work your way back to the starting point, put a rubber band around where you're going to make your end cut. After the two ends are firmly seated, snip the rubber bands and pull them out. Voila, no more gasket "flowering" and you get precise cuts every time. This winter is shaping up to be a real witch and the IS needs to be in tip-top shape. Best of luck and happy burning
