After 5 weeks-new Whitfield Quest control panel arrived but no damper knob & smaller hole for shaft?

Hello
WTF!!! A little knob Frustration!!!
No damper knob and cannot use old one!!!

The old Whitfields are one of the best pellet stoves made even to this day.
I picked up an original WP4 Quest cheap however the control panel was NG so it was not worth much like that anyway!

The new control panel is the same except the hole for the damper control shaft is smaller and does not have the white nylon spacer and brass ring and set screw. The brass ring is ribbed on the outside circumference so the OEM knob will push right on!
Therefore there is no way to use the old knob and even if you could buy on, it would not fit unless the hole in the new control panel was reamed out!
The set screw in the brass ring was so small it actually stripped and had to be cut off with my Pneumatic Die Grinder without damage to the damper shaft! The control panel is mounted on a bracket and the bracket is screwed into the left side of the stove so the brass ring must be removed to use the mounting bracket!
Well maybe Whitfield thought that design was not so good and is not making replacement knob parts?
The cost of a new control panel is $356.00 !! Maybe it should come with gold knobs for that price?
Luckily the shaft is 1/4" in diameter with a flat spot so I found a better knob with silver paint on top and pointer to match the control panel perfectly!

See my other posts for this Whitfield Quest!
Whitfield - A better ventilated stove back panel. :-) | Firewood Hoarders Club

Whitfield WP4 Quest ReDo | Firewood Hoarders Club

New Homemade Tool - Top Auger Bushing Insert Extract Tool works! | Firewood Hoarders Club

Now we have fire!!!
Hope it was worth it?

Pic 1 - New control panel on left,
Pic 2-3 - New damper knob
Pic 4 - Comtrol panel with new damper knob
Pic 5-6 We have fire!

 

A well executed knob job.

 

Really great to see your project. I am in a somewhat similar situation and was wondering how you figured out the knob shaft size/length? The Quest I redid is missing the pellet feed knob. I ordered a new one but it didn't come with a shaft so I had to send it back.