Woodstove help (lengthy)

neverfear · Jan 22, 2013

I have a Northern Leader wood furnace in my shop,made in the 80's in Gibbon MN. The furnace is in great shape except for the grate that seperates the firebox from the ash pan. The original cast iron grate cracked and fell apart a couple years ago and I replaced it with some heavy duty galvanized floor grating,reinforced with 1/2 x1 bar stock. it hasn't even made it half a heating season and it's warped and the grating is dissapearing (I assume melting).
My question is besides cast iron, what will tolerate the heat of a wood fire? Stainless? Something else I could make a grate out of? Any Ideas?
Thanks

D7fever · Jan 22, 2013

Find some screen from a gravel screening plant. That stuff is really tough. They usually change it out annually. Another possibility, is take some 3/8 by 2 flat stock and make a grid with the 3/8 side up about 1 inch apart, weld together with a piece or 2 on the bottom.
Have fun.

tomtirediron · Jan 22, 2013

When we had a furnace in the house we had a simlar situation. Used a double layer of 1.5"x 1.5" opening rock crusher screen. Worked well for a couple years anyway. Still ultimatly met the same fate as yours. If you can find some scraps it works in a pinch.

PJH · Jan 22, 2013

In the manuals that came with my outdoor boiler, they recommend that you not allow the ashes to build up enough to touch the bottom of the grates. They say it causes them to burn out quicker. I'd been around wood stoves all my life, and I didn't know that.

Can you buy new grates for your furnace? You got pretty good service out of the first set.

Dalet · Jan 22, 2013

Cast iron is the best. That said, I leave the ash drawer empty but leave a nice bed of ashes on the top of the grate when I have my stove going. It is a bit of insulation. I have a Hotblast furnace that was new in 1995 and its time to get some new grates. They were original though.

In the summer, clean out all the ashes as they are corrosive if they get damp with humidity and the new ones will last a long time. There is cast iron on stoves and steam engines for a reason!

Ted in NE-OH · Jan 22, 2013

On top of what ever you do use a layer of fire brick spaced to allow a draft. My Russo wood stove of 20 yrs is lined with that and going strong.

tomturkey · Jan 22, 2013

First I would try to buy replacement grates if available, there are a couple wood furnace manufacturers in Minn. theirs may possibly be retrofitted. Check with sewer line contractors the grates over storm sewer intakes sometimes get broken.youn could take one and make it work. nThey are heavy and will last several years. They are cast steel I think. gobble

Dalet · Jan 22, 2013

(quoted from post at 20:42:13 01/22/13) On top of what ever you do use a layer of fire brick spaced to allow a draft. My Russo wood stove of 20 yrs is lined with that and going strong.

Keep the firebrick on the walls of the stove, not the grate. You need airflow for the fire.

TomR Ont · Jan 22, 2013

Check this one

http://www.trulia.com/voices/General_Area/Looking_for_Northern_Leader_Company_And_do_they_s-181441

Dave Sherburne NY · Jan 22, 2013

Don't let the ashes build up under the grate.

Lou from Wi. · Jan 22, 2013

I've used 1" boiler plate from the steel yard and blowed holes (with acet. torch)in it to sift the ashes,but leaves the big hot coal embers. Never had one of them burn out after it was replaced,yet.
LOU

paul · Jan 22, 2013

I can almost see Gibbon from here, never knew they made wood stoves there.

I see in this link, they say the company is gone, but the fella might still have some parts as of 2011??? Gibbon is a small town, everyone knows everyone....

http://www.trulia.com/voices/General_Area/Looking_for_Northern_Leader_Company_And_do_they_s-181441

--->Paul
stove

NCWayne · Jan 22, 2013

Before I got my wood stove I burned in an open fireplace for nearly 15 years. I made a grate out of steel the first year and about 5 years it had warped and burned out. At the time Dad and I were doing alot of work for a local scrap yard so I went looking through their piles on ewekend. What I wound up using was part of a drain grate like you see on the side of the road. It's a really fine grade cast and is dished in the middle shich keeps the wood from rolling or sliding off. I cut mine to shape and made a set of bolt on legs for the rear and a decorative piece for the front that combined legs with a raised section to keep logs from falling forward. I burned with it for nearly 10 years and when I took it out to install the insert it looked as good as the day I built it.

Unfortunately finding a grate like that in a scrap yard nowdays would be all but impossible due to so many being stolen and sold when scrap prices were so high. But, if you can find one it will last long after anything else you can get.

Kerry N.S. · Jan 23, 2013

T am sure there are many things you can find to make a grate but not galvanised, gives off vapours from the high heat that can kill you. Its like heavy metal poisoning. Even when you are cutting and welding

showcrop · Jan 23, 2013

(quoted from post at 18:58:16 01/22/13)

(quoted from post at 20:42:13 01/22/13) On top of what ever you do use a layer of fire brick spaced to allow a draft. My Russo wood stove of 20 yrs is lined with that and going strong.

Click to expand...

Keep the firebrick on the walls of the stove, not the grate. You need airflow for the fire.

I'll second Ted's suggestion Firebrick will keep heat away from the grate and spacing will allow air flow. Quick and easy.

Bspauld · Jan 23, 2013

I made my own wood stove in the mid 70s. I used a Ashley thermostate in the door, and my grates are still there, not warped at all. This way the air coming in is preheated some and I never use the ash door for air.

PJH · Jan 23, 2013

Another thought - One of the grates in my Hardy boiler burned out, so I replaced it with a new one. I discovered the old grate fit perfectly in the wood furnace in my shop. It was supported on the ends in the Hardy, but on the short side in the shop furnace, if that makes any sense. Anyhow, the new grate cost $57 a year or so ago. I don't anticipate ever burning another grate up in that shop furnace, but if I do, I'm gonna buy a new Hardy grate for it. You can't do much scrounging and scratching for $57 in this modern world. After saying all that - you might find a new grate from another source that would fit "good enough". They don't have to fit "perfect" - after all, they're full of holes/slots. They just have to be supported. I've talked to the Hardy folks at their manufacturing plant, and they are the type of people who'd give you the exact dimensions of their grates over the phone, and I think any of the other companies would too.

Ellis Kinney · Jan 23, 2013

I had access to some grates left over from a subdivision that were used to drain water from the gutters. Cut them to size with a porta-band. Ellis

ohiojeff · Jan 23, 2013

we have to purchase a new grate every winter, we usually buy from TSC but they are cast iron and don't take the heat very well. Our local wood burner dealer says we need to buy one made of steel to get any life out of it,would have bought one of his but he didn't stock the size we needed.

lzybull · Jan 23, 2013

i use rebar take 3 pieces lengthway then weld some crossways. it lasts 9-10 years before i have to build another . works real good. i place the wood on top of grate . glenn

Anonymous-0 · Jan 23, 2013

Try Kryptonite. Hard to find but very durable.

neverfear · Jan 23, 2013

Thanks for all the suggestions!
I do know a fellow who is in the gravel pit business so I think I'll see if he has some old screens lying around. If that doesn't pan out I'll look into retrofitting something from a different stove manufacturer. Thanks again.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 24, 2013

Lots of fireboxes use stainless steel. I think steel would work as long as it's heavy/thick enough.

showcrop · Jan 24, 2013

(quoted from post at 14:54:27 01/24/13) Lots of fireboxes use stainless steel. I think steel would work as long as it's heavy/thick enough.

SS melts at 1400-1510 iron at 1535 so stainless is probably not a good idea.

Gregorius · Jan 24, 2013

SS melts at 1400-1510 iron at 1535 so stainless is probably not a good idea.[/quote]

That's 1400-1510 deg Celsius, which is 2500-2700 deg Fahrenheit

showcrop · Jan 24, 2013

(quoted from post at 18:17:49 01/24/13) SS melts at 1400-1510 iron at 1535 so stainless is probably not a good idea.

That's 1400-1510 deg Celsius, which is 2500-2700 deg Fahrenheit[/quote]

Yes and the stainless still melts at a lower temp.

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