Old cast iron radiators (home type) makes a good set of grates.
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Old cast iron radiators (home type) makes a good set of grates.
Ibby,
How long does a set of the angle iron grates last and do the warp or rust out? I think the biggest key with any grates is keeping the heat off of the underside and a blower keeping the bottom of the grates cool has got to help :)
We have five years in angle iron grates. 3-1/2 x 3-1/2 x 3/8 thick. Yes they are warped like a sway back old mare but they still hold the fire so we will use them till them fall through. (we do have forced air this may help keep them cooler).
Chris
The grates that came with my evap are cast but are shaped like angle iron. The directions said to face the v point down so the top could fill with ash and help insulate the grade from the heat. This might also be a good idea on regular angle iron too, but take them out after the season and clean the ash out so dampness of the rest of the year does not get the ash wet which is caustic(= eats up the steel)
I pointed my V up, to mimick the forced draft Leader Grates. I only used them one season (with forced draft), but there was no warpage or damage at all. Being 1/2" thick might be the difference. I've sold that evaporator & flat pan, but am helping the new buyers get started, so I can keep an eye on it.
I'll post back on the end of this season with how they held up.
Instead of starting a new thread, I thought posting my related question here might make more sense. How wide should the gaps be in the grating? And does the direction matter? Forced Air.
I'm planning an oil tank arch and trying to figure out all the details also. I'm thinking the grates should run lengthwise. It seems like it would make tending the fire easier. You can slide wood in and out vs it catching on every edge of the grate if they were crossways. I read somewhere (probably here) that someone built theirs with the grate even with the bottom of the door. That way if you need to stop boiling, you could just pull the fire out. My father in law had some grating material. I think he said it is a platform to stand on off of a paving machine or something. I used it last year to hold my bucket I was boiling on. Best pics I have of it, but you get the idea. It's heavy, but didn't warp. I might see if I can talk him out of it. Also, you can see i had a lot of weight on it trying to block the wind and contain the heat. You can see why I need to build an arch lol.
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...as suggested angle iron with the v as i typed it spaced about 1/2". The v will fill with ash, stay cool and last a long time.
The gaps will act like a bellows if the the draft is underneath and provide good velocity at the fire
Experiment with pieces of plate in front of the door and the back of the firebox to force the incoming air centrally, having
no gap on the firebox sides
good question...mine is front to back but the Smokey Lake Dauntless is side to side.The key is the air coming up is
forced inward increasing the speed until it exits through the grates. Venturi principal..reduce the diameter and you increase the speed.
I think that is the only place you want velocity.
I can't see the direction front to back or side to having an effect other than short side to side pieces might be stronger.