Deville DPF 600

Once work began, it was quickly clear the rust was far more extensive than it looked and had compromised the integrity of most of the hardware. Every bolt was soaked in penetrating fluid for 24 hours to give it the best possible chance of coming out.

Despite a careful approach, every bolt sheared on removal, along with the fire basket handle. The handle was welded and repaired, and period-correct fasteners were made to order to replace the originals.

The original mica fell apart as it was removed and could not be saved. We cut templates from the original pieces and imported replacement mica sheets from the United States to match them.

With the enamel faceplate removed, the main body revealed a large crack and a damaged section that appeared to be quite old. Every part was wrapped and chemically treated for rust before any repair began.

The internal parts spent 72 hours in rust treatment before being graphite-coated. Graphite is the right finish for cast iron: it is completely heat-proof and allows the iron to breathe, which keeps rust from returning.

Given the nature of the damage and how close it sits to a high-heat area, bronze brazing, the traditional repair for cast iron, was out of the question. Instead the body was heat-treated so it could be welded in steel, closing the crack and re-attaching the damaged section.

The crack itself was welded from the inside. The stitch welds on the outside are there to hold it while that internal welding was carried out, stopping the heat from spreading the crack any further.

Once repaired, the body received the same graphite treatment and stove polish as the internal parts.

A thorough clean of the interior revealed damage to one of the firebricks. It did at least give access to the left side for a deep clean of the ash that had built up behind it.

The brick was repaired with high-temperature exhaust paste, which bonds it back together and continues to resist high heat.

After 72 hours in the acid, the enamel front was thoroughly cleaned and touched up with high-heat paint. The faded enamel had too many varying shades for a straight colour match to be accurate.

Instead, we took filings from parts of the enamel that are not visible and mixed them with a combination of high-heat paints to produce a close match, then used it to blend the most damaged areas into the rest of the faceplate. Some areas are more noticeable than others, but the overall vintage look and patina have been kept.

With the body fully cured, the inside was painted in matt black high-heat paint. It gives a clean, uniform finish that contrasts with the white exterior and keeps the look of soot even with soot-free fuels such as bio-ethanol.

The treated internal parts were then refitted, along with the fire basket handle, welded in the same way as the main body.

The ash tray's ventilation grate needed welding and repair, and its corroded sliders had to be drilled out. Its hardware was replaced with modern equivalents, as none of it is visible from the outside.

With every part treated, repaired and touched up, the fireplace was reassembled. In total the work took four days of hands-on labour, not counting the time for chemical treatments, paint drying and parts arriving from abroad.

The DPF was one of Deville's "cheminées à feu continu", continuous-burning fireplaces with a visible fire, precision draught control and a refractory firebox. The 1923 catalogue lists it at around 88 kg and 68 cm tall, heating 120 to 150 cubic metres, with a full parts page covering the mica door, firebacks, grates and ash pan that this restoration worked through.

This fireplace was ordered as a raw cast iron model, known as "brut", and imported to the UK, where it underwent an enamelling process to make it white. Deville offered the DPF in raw iron, black enamel or ceramic enamel, and kept only black and green, brown or grey in stock. White was not a standard option, and a French finish would normally have been vitreous rather than baked enamel. That is what explained the open pores and staining on the faceplate.

We can confidently date it to between 1923 and 1925: it has the later style of door, but the earlier style of body and brass accents. The 1923 version is much the nicer piece. By 1926 Deville had removed many of the separate brass features and included them in the main casting instead, most likely to save money and simplify production amid the economic decline of the time. The 1926 catalogue lists the DPF at 80 to 82 kg, against 88 kg in 1923, and adds a plainer "Décor uni" version, No. 610.