high temp paint suitable for firebox?

I'm about to start welding on replacement panels that rusted over the years on a woodheater/firebox (see https://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=92572). More pics at the end of the thread showing the internals with the rusted bit's cut away fyi.

Most of that rust is just from water getting caught by the chimney and the sitting ontop over the years. I'd like to minimise that with a coat of paint but I don't want to waste money on paint that will just peel off as soon as I fire up the woodheater. The paint doesn't need to be pretty and can be of any color.

Can anyone recomment paint which would work in this environment and not peel off or produce toxic fumes or the like? It will be on the outside of the firebox just to make it clear.

Anyone know what temps a typical woodheater would produce. Not guesses but reasonable figures from experience please..

Thanks
Montiee.


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