Stiff doorknob on wood-burning stove

I wonder if what is happening is that the high level oils you are trying to lubricate with are dissolving the low level tars that have probably got onto the thread from the wood and are effectively smearing the softened tar over the threads.

Is it possible to get the door off and put the area with the handle into some paraffin with the aim of dissolving out the muck in the thread ?

Rob

What about "Coppaslip" or is it Copperslip. The stuff used to lubricate car brakes - and to smear onto sparkplug threads.

That's cast iron for you. Graphite IIRC is the appropriate lubricant. Sharpen a pencil in the vicinity..

Handle tightening up on rod? Hold the inner latch unscrew handle (might have a locking nut) remove bits and clean. Don't bother with any normal lubricant as it will burn off the first time you light a fire. Graphite should survive...

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Eventually I tried brute force and ignorance and with much grunting and swearing just forced the threaded rod to unscrew all the way out.

This revealed the source of the problem - the thread was knackered. Judicious use of a hacksaw on the bits of the thread normally resident inside the door has made the door usable though it's far from ideal.

I've no idea how it got into such a state :-(

Another Dave