There are a few, very good, old stoves forums on line that can answer your questions. Search on vintage stoves. The Chamber Lovers forum has some people that have experience with all types of stoves.

The place I found for parts including springs is either in Loma Linda or Mira Loma.... let me check my bookmarks.

OOPS! In Alta Loma! http://antiquegasstoves.com/pages/about.html

I knew what size springs I needed for my door because I was replacing worn out ones, if you don't know what size you're looking for I'd call them.

We bought an old OKM and had it restored at Savon Appliance in Burbank, and even before shipping it to them they were very friendly and helpful in answering questions and even discussing the merits of buying the stove in the first place. You might talk with them about how to replace the springs, and buying the parts from them would, I'm sure, be appreciated.

I want to thank all of you for your help, now I'll do my homework and go to each site that all of you have given me and begin my restoration.

To add a bit more, while I'd guess most places that work on these old stoves are friendly and helpful, in addition to getting lots of great help--and a full restoration--from Savon Appliance, I've also stopped in at Antique Stove Heaven's Harbor City location (south of L.A.) and they too had piles of parts and people who knew the stoves well. (I know I'm not the only one here who takes vacation detours to stone yards and appliance shops!) The O'Keefe & Merritt manufacturing plant was in Los Angeles, and that seems to be where many of the restoration places are.

And somewhere in my obsessive online digging I found the following thread, which, while ridiculously long, had some interesting and useful information:

http://www.meathenge.com/2005/10/flame_height_ad/#comments

I'd love to find more catalogues or literature on these too. I think ours is late 1940s, but this 1958 catalogue has OKMs on page 50 ("an O'Keefe & Merritt gas range is a girls best friend." But I like them too!). I also found a 1950 ad in an Oakland paper, but I'm too cheap to join the archive to get a copy.

Last of all, I've gotten a safety valve as well as the Bakelite restoration manual from The Old Appliance Club.

Thank you so much AvatarWalt. I really appreciate your help, and I am growing more confident as I follow these links and learn. I so badly want to restore the stove myself, but DH thinks that I should have it professionally done. I've already looked it over closely and have realized that there isn't a lot of complicated mechanics involved. The porcelain is in great shape...the chrome not so great, but I can ship that out and have it re-chromed. I want to use DH's tools and sander and remove all the rust that has collected on the backsides of the porcelain sides. Inside I guess is where I'm trying to say, because the porcelain inside the oven cavity is nice enough to leave alone. Hinges, springs, and the bonnet over the light has light rusting as well as the chrome ends on the handles. I want to paint the parts that I sand thoroughly with a quality high temperature automotive engine paint. I would also like to replace all the screws and bolts if I can find identical ones. I'm so excited I can't wait until the weather warms so I can start my project. If you happen to run across anything else that you think may help me, please send it. I attached a couple of pictures of my beauty. The stove in the 2nd picture (the one you can just barely see to the right) will be the one I am going to rob parts from, like the kick panel in the front.

Thanks so much,

I found the spring online when it broke on my 1948 model. Mine has never been restored but is in good condition. I did have a couple of things rechromed. If I were going to restore it, I would have it done professionally.

I found some springs for the vanishing shelf on my O'keefe & Merritt from Antique gas stoves. Tom said he had to have them made, so they are a little pricey, but it will be worth it when I finish. To have my stove fully restored would cost around 5000.00 and that doesn't include shipping and return shipping. I've never been afraid to tackle things, so I'm going to give it my best shot. The scary part will be trying to adjust the gas burners.

Does anyone know if there is anyplace besides the antique stove restorers that rebuild the thermostats for the ovens on the O'keefe & Merritt stoves? I'm having trouble believing that it costs 275.00 to 325.00 to rebuild them.

Have you tried The Old Appliance Club? (oops, I see I linked to them in a prior message). Other than that, maybe an old-school appliance repair shop in your location? We finally found someone who'd been in the business for decades and was familiar with plain-jane old workhorses in addition to just switching out circuitboards in modern appliances. We had a "rebuilt" safety valve that didn't work and it took awhile to figure out that the safety itself was the problem rather than the thermocouple, get a working valve, etc., but he knew what he was doing with locating and installing parts.

That reminds me that when having that work done I was really glad we had the restoration shop add a shutoff valve so you don't have to drag the stove out every time. If it's possible for you to do that, I definitely recommend. It's the copper pipe and valve on the left.

Thanks so much. I appreciate your help. I have the thermostat off and cleaned up on the exterior, and was getting ready to take it apart when DH stepped in and said Woah! He said that was best left to the pros. I have taken off all the burner controls and cleaned inside and out. Put valve grease on them, so I figured no big deal on the thermostat oven control. I don't know if its bad or not I just feel like it needs to be cleaned inside. I will check at our appliance repair here in town and see if they can help me. I think its crazy that the vintage stove places online want 275.00 to 325.00 to rebuild them. After all I do have the control valve, its not like I'm buying one that is already rebuilt. Looks like you have a beauty of a red stove!

Thanks for your help AvatarWalt

Sue