Hello, I wondered if anyone would be able to share any knowledge about this oven. I bought it at auction with a valor pressure stove no 55 in a tin box. There is no name on the oven but it does have some similarities to a Valor Junior oven no 111. I am concerned that the white element thing at the bottom is made of asbestos?
Hello! What a nice oven you got there! Well i share your concerns. I think it is most likely asbestos so be careful with it. But quite nice find.
Beautiful stove. I would agree that is Asbestos. It is really only an issue if it becomes airborn. You could look into encasing it easy enough. Asbestos while a concern I believe is over hyped. Most of our building and items here in the US still contain it. I had to sign an acknowledgment at work as it was the building insulation.
Here's what the government has to say about asbestos: Health Effects - MN Dept. of Health Apparently there are different types, some more toxic than others. But since you don't know what's in there the safest way of dealing with it is to assume it's the bad stuff and avoid it. Latency period between exposure and health issues is 10 - 40 years, so I would wear a mask when you work with it. Is there a way you can get a local building inspector (who presumably would know asbestos if and when they see it) to have a look?
The only proper way to determin wether what you have is asbestos is by heating a sample in an oven that reaches 1000°C and even better a bit more. Only asbestos fibres will not burn, any other natural or man made fibres will burn leaving hardly any trace. Trust me, I worked 18+ years for a company that made building material and other goods using asbestos. They exported world wide. (You could try heating it with a blowtorch till glowing orangy but do it outside and wear a mask!)
Had this cool looking oven and it was un-branded too. Asked about it here and someone said Milcor made a lot of ovens back then. My oven had doubled wall construction and I could see white fuzzy stuff in sheets lining the wall. I never used it and it has new home now. I live in SoCal with bad air to breath did not need to add asbestos to the mix which science says is bad. I do enjoy using ovens and have done my share of baking and re-heating in them. I worked for decades in a building that was posted too.
l have a Prentiss Wabers oven with a similar "white thing" and I coated it with clear High Heat spray paint.
