The man who maintains our chimney said that we need to replace our log grate with one that is shallower and taller*. I haven’t found any locally–they’re steel, not cast iron, and the shallow ones are also too short and low. Will have to mail-order a cast-iron grate without seeing it first.
Do you know if Vestal’s cast-iron grates are a good quality? Or can you recommend another brand?
Janet
*Current grate is 24″×17″ and the logs sit 4″ above the floor of the firebox. The firebox is 47.5″ wide in front, 37″ in back, and 21″ deep.
Replies
Nothing really wrong with steel vs cast iron -- it's the overall thickness (at the thinnest point) that's most important. And if they're too short you can extend the legs with pieces of pipe..
Metallurgy questions
The owner of a local fireplace store said that I could just decrease the depth of my existing grate by cutting off the prongs that point toward the back. "Go at it with a sawzall. It'll cut through eventually." But with that modification, the logs might roll up against the back wall of the firebox instead of leaving a 3" clearance.
Perhaps the bend in the back prongs can be increased, which would effectively decrease the depth and still hold the logs. That would require annealing the prongs at the bend. I suppose the annealing temperature depends on whether my grate is steel or iron--is there an easy way to determine this?
Can a propane torch heat the metal to annealing temperature?
Janet
janet-shim it out.................
If the grate will catch the ends of fire brick, lay a couple of those along the back of you log holder. That would eat up about 3 inches of the back (on edge).
The computer ate my homework, er, post.
A propane torch isn't hot enough to soften steel for bending. A MAPP torch comes closer, but it would still be a challenge.
Cast iron is trickier -- very hard to bend without breaking.
London Bridge
I'd forgotten: Iron bars will bend and break/ my fair lady.
Janet
You may find a welder who will make exactly what you want. It's an easy job.