Homade Fire Grate - Want your Input

[valleyman]

I'm plan on cutting up some lengths of Heavy Duty U channel (thats used on road signs) and using it for a fire grate. Not the small stuff available in HD. I plan to push some air up from the bottom thru the holes.

My current rig has Weber cast iron grates and they developed a nice sag after last seasons boiling.

Any thoughts.

Photo attached

[Haynes Forest Products]

I like the thought prosess Great idea. Now the steel used in the sigh posts are the same grade as Rebar and that can be recycled RR Track. I think sagging is still in play.............SO how about doubling them up so you have one on top and the other on the bottom weld down the seam for added rigidity. With the air break between the top and bottom the air will help keep the bottom one cooler = less sagging.

[SeanD]

I have been meaning to pass this very tip on. Last year, I was hurting for a grate and had a lot of of old, metal fence posts (very similar to yours) kicking around the property from when it used to be a working farm. If I cut them to the length I needed, I figured I'd clean the yard, save a trip to a dumpster, and get a grate out of it all at the same time. If it crapped out after one boil, I could just make another set before the next one.

Well, the sawzall went through it so fast I almost fell over. I was so ready to try the grinder or the torch, but I'm not kidding when I say it went through in about 10 seconds. Maybe less.

The next bit of good news was that the first grate I made lasted the whole season. Last year was a terrible season, but I did three boils that really ripped. I mean I had the fire cooking and those old pieces of fencing not only stayed arrow straight, but even kept the galvanization in parts.

So your idea will definitely work. If I find some pictures, I'll post them.

Sean

[SeanD]

It took some digging, but I found a few photos. The first two show how I set them in the block arch. The last one shows the inferno going with no sag. The dark things hanging down are nails from the pallet wood I burned.

I can't find a photo of them post season. They are in a photo of the new arch off to the side, but too hard to see. I'll take a pic next time I'm out there. Maybe I'll post them in the classifieds. What should I ask for them? :)

Sean

[valleyman]

Thanks for the pics Sean. I'll be moving forward on the project. It took longer to cut one with my grinder. Sounds like the perfect reason to go buy another tool-a sawzall. My wife is gonna love this one!

Thanks

[TapME]

valleyman, I made grates for the first time last year. I went and recyled two old bed frames from the dump, cut them to lenght and welded them to another peice of angle and a small peice of flat stock to the top. The idea is to put the angle facing up so it gathers ash ( a good insulator). After a shot season last year they are still as straight and will last another year. And as you know my fires rip so hard that the fire brick glows. the air under the flame will halp keep the grates cool.
another note, I use very little hardwood. Hardwood could be a coaling issue and make the grates deform.