Any Welders Here?

[cueball21]

The drawing below shows a concept for a variable length coals grate. I'd like for a welder to tell me if I've created a monster piece to manufacture.

I've not been satisfied with anything I've tried yet for a coals grate in the OC Brazos firebox. I use the grate that came with it as a tuning plate. It works great for that but IMO there are too few air holes in it for a good fire grate (but what do I know). I use the firebox grill grate for grilling burgers and steaks. I don't want to use it for the fire grate. Besides, it's too small to work really well. I want something that will cover the entire length of the firebox but the rails for the grill grate in the FB prevent placing a full sized grate below them. You just don't have enough room to finagle anything in place. I tried with cardboard cut-outs.

So, it occurred to me that if I could get a grate made that expands along its length, it would solve the problem. Pushed together it would be small enough to place between the grill rails and could be expanded to cover the entire length once below the constriction.

You can see in the drawing that there are 2 u-shaped pieces. I didn't bother to draw it in, but both of them would have expanded metal tacked in the runners. The top piece in the drawing I drew as 1-1/4" angle iron. The bottom piece would be cut from 1" angle and would slide into the larger dimension piece. More angle is shown attached to the larger dimension iron designed to keep the runners of the smaller angle from flipping up. This would also allow some leeway to fit the 1" angle over the EM tacked into the 1-1/4" angle for a good fit without grinding or filing.

It's drawn with a 16" width of the U's. But I'm thinking that needs to be wider to make the grate rest higher up the sides of the FB so that ashes falling underneath won't choke the fire. How far above the bottom of the FB should the coals grate be? I'm thinking that 6" wouldn't be too much therefore the whole thing probably needs to be wider, but I'm too new at this to have an intelligent opinion.

I would appreciate comments and suggestion. I'm no welder and have no idea whether this would be a snap or a pain in the arse to make.

 

[dwfisk]

Fun project to think about and certainly something pretty easy to fabricate; couple of observations:

You don't really need to make the "female" reveiver side out of U-shaped channel; angle iron with 2-3 inches of flat bar welded to the top will work fine, like an anti-tip on cooking grates.

Expanded metal WILL warp in a fire box, just take that into consideration and maybe consider something like 1/2X1/2 solid rod, much more stable.

 

[cueball21]

Thanks, Dave.

I thought that a heavy enough EM grade might resist the heat but I certainly yield to you superior knowledge and experience. I thought that EM would be the easiest thing to do. Would rod add appreciably to the difficulty? I didn't really draw U-channel. The 'channel' is formed by using angle tacked to the U-side pieces. This would allow fitting the female receptacle without having to be constrained to fitting carefully and still make a good fit possible by the way the top angle is placed. Flat stock tacked on the angle upright at the top would constrict the opening and might make grinding and filing necessary to get a fit.

Thanks again!!!

 

[Pstores]

I wonder after it heats and cools many times if it'll still work.

 

[pjtexas1]

You might be able to use something like these if they will fit.

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/s...m-plaid^250389415278-sku^021634050-adType^PLA

https://m.lowes.com/pd/Char-Broil-A..._clickID=53ceeb49-c473-4fd6-b3ba-7190aef41f0a

 

[4ever3]

If I was coming to the North Texas Bash I'd weld you something up and bring it to you but I'm not.

I don't think it would be as involved as you think or as complicated, I'm thinking along the same lines as Dave is...

 

[Bpbolde]

That should work just fine. I like the idea about welding some flat stock to the top of angle iron. On my smoker, I made the fire grate out of 4# expanded metal grating. The strand is about 1/4"x3/8" with openings about 7/8"x 3.5" It is heavy enough that it distorts very little with heat. I found I was losing too many coals through it into the ash pan though. I was feeding about every 45 minutes and going through a lot of wood. I sheared a piece of 1/2" #13 which has openings about 1/4"x 5/8" and put it on top of the heavier stuff. It saves the coals nicely and added about a half hour to each feeding interval. Much less wood consumption.

 

[pjtexas1]

I think smitty covered this in his thread by using the grilling grate as the firebox grate. I would do that and lay a piece of expanded in the opposite direction to keep the coals from falling through too soon. Am I missing something?

 

[cueball21]

I think smitty covered this in his thread by using the grilling grate as the firebox grate. I would do that and lay a piece of expanded in the opposite direction to keep the coals from falling through too soon. Am I missing something?

I want to keep the grilling grate for grilling. I figured that using it as the coals grate would mess it up too much.

 

[pjtexas1]

I want to keep the grilling grate for grilling. I figured that using it as the coals grate would mess it up too much.

I'd take that to a welder and have him duplicate it. I had a guy in temple do that for another cooker I had.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Seems awful fancy. A simple angle iron and expanded metal like a cooking grate but with 2 layers of expanded cris crossed is fine for me.......could sit on angle welded in firebox or just make it the right width to get the right height off the bottom.......a fire grate out of rods is Nice and would last longer but more expensive and much more welding involved....

 

[cueball21]

Seems awful fancy. A simple angle iron and expanded metal like a cooking grate but with 2 layers of expanded cris crossed is fine for me.......could sit on angle welded in firebox or just make it the right width to get the right height off the bottom.......a fire grate out of rods is Nice and would last longer but more expensive and much more welding involved....

I want the fire grate to cover the whole length of the firebox. That's ~19-1/2". You cannot fit a grate that long because the rails for the grill grate prevent you from placing it inside the cylinder. The only way that I could figure to get one the full length is to make it slide, contracting to fit through the opening and expanding once below the grill grate rails.

As I said, I'm not a welder; so I had no experience to know if my idea could be accomplished relatively easily. I'll have to get it made by a welder or job shop if I do it, but I didn't want to take a crazy, unworkable idea in.

 

[SmittyJonz]

ohhhh......Post Pics when completed........ :thumb:

 

[ebijack]

If I understand you correctly, you are only planing on using a coal/wood grate with no sides to support/hold stacked coal/wood. Which would make it difficult to remove any left over coal/wood and shake off excess ash. To get a full length grate, like you have drawn up and have sides. You don't really need the angle/channel. Bend up #9 expanded metal you can get from HD or local hardware. Make 2 baskets, with an open end. One basket about 1/2" narrower than the other. So one basket sits inside the other. Giving you a full length grate/basket. You can slide (sort of) one basket towards the other in order to remove the baskets together for clean out etc. If that makes sense. The front side of the baskets will be around 2" shorter in height than the ends/back side. Allowing access to add wood/coals as required.
I did that and found the extra basket room really did not add enough to justify have the 2 baskets to make one. And just made one basket that I can lift in/out.

 

[dwfisk]

After reading other suggestions and your responses, let me suggest another alternative. As I understand your goal you want something +16" deep by 19-1/2" wide, but that won't fit through the door opening so you thought up the collapsing design; what about a simple 2 part grate, say 2@ +16 deep by 8-3/4" wide made fron angle and 1/2"X1/2" square or 1/2" round rod?

 

[cueball21]

Thank you to everyone who responded.

I think the idea of a 2-piece coals grate is my best option. I don't see the need for sides because the firebox itself will contain splits and ashes. The 17" by 19" dimensions will give 5" of bottom center clearance, enough for air and raking ash and coals.

I'm leaning towards this set up and would appreciate your comments.

 

[pjtexas1]

I have a 14"x14" fire basket if you would like to give it a test run. I could live without it for a couple weeks.

 

[cueball21]

You are too kind, Paul. I have a slap dash grate that works when I need to build a fire. I'm just thinking about something a little more elegant. I think I can probably get a local welder to make my double grates without breaking the bank.

Thank you, very much, for the kind offer.