I messing around today trying to make my first rivet for a pair of tongs I'm working on and I suddenly noticed my fire was gone after coming back from the anvil. Turns out the inner part of the grate had rusted through. So does anybody know of a place online where I can get a replacement grate? I was also thinking that maybe a drain cover would work? Also contemplating fabricating a firebox to just set on top of the hole and build up around it with lime or refractory clay. Any suggestions? I'll try to get a picture of the grate up soon. Thanks.

if you have a welder or know someone who does, you can just weld some steel rods in there, about 5/8" and something as small as 1/4" might work. If you have the drum set up on some cinderblocks (or if you can lift the drum itself off the stand) you could probably put a small charcoal grill grate underneath the drum. My first forge had a grate of two small grill grates under the firepot, and it worked fine. Don't use the grate if it's galvanized.

Contact Old Moose or Honest Bob. Honest Bob is currently in the hospital so it may be a while for him to reply.

They work together and have a cast grate that may fit. If you need their email addy, contact me. Quick fix, see BP0333 or BP0133.

sorry not sure why I thought you had a brake drum forge; on second thought I would probably stick with welding peices of steel rod into where the grate rusted away to fix it. the charcoal grill grate idea is hard to describe through typing and I don't want to point you in the wrong direction. :)

I have used cast iron drain covers in my forge. I have used expanded metal cut and beat to fit---limited use life generally 1-2 days of demo. I have used a plate with holes drilled or slotted into it. I have used a piece of barstock bend in a "W" .

There is only *1* way to do something blacksmithing---and that's *anyway* *that* *works*.

Thomas

I absolutely used a chinese cast floor drain cover. I used it till it toasted and then some ( many fires and several years ). I replaced the pot eventually with a round pot from Centaur.

and since we have no edit ( thats ok too .. ) I have also used a piece of 1/2 plate (with 15-20 1/2"holes drilled in it) too. Like Thomas sez, whatever it takes.

Thanks for all the great answers. I think I'll probably try to find a piece of scrap and drill through it to make a grate. now that I think about it, I know exactly which piece I'm going to use! Thanks again everybody.

Yes, concur with the round 1/2" plate with 1/2" holes. That is quick and works like a champ for longer than you'd expect. However, if you can cut slots instead, that is better because the holes clog up too easily. Two or three 1/2" slots about 1/2" apart. Doesn't have to be pretty because after a few fires it won't be anyway. One drawback is that clean-out is a bit harder.

Check ebay, there'
s a fellow that sells one made like that for around $15.00 plus shipping. Just search tuyere, I think that will pullit up. Or search "coal forge", that may bring it up.

Not endorsing the product, just throwing out the info. I do not know what they are made of, or how lond they last.

I just saw them on there, and thought I would throw in my $.02 worth.

With a steel grate you can take it out and hammer it on the anvil to break off the clinker.

When I'm welding up billets I sometimes get stalgtites of flux/clinker depending from the holes in the grate.

Thomas

Many is the time I've stood infront of a particular configuration of porcelain contemplating life in general. Invariably my vague thoughts turn to the suitability of the piece of stainless steel I'm looking at as a forge grate. Nice domed shape, plenty of 1/4" holes, about 3" in diameter at the base, easy pickings for a thief, a bit wet but that's alright. Nup...maybe next time.

These things are probably available at good plumbing supplies where they wouldn't be surrounded by a heap of yellow lollies at various stages of decomposition.

I'm just going to take a piece of about 1/4 inch scrap I have, cut and cold bend (read beat it with a hammer on the dirt floor until it's domed) and ta-da! Thanks for all the great help. And if it burns up I'll probably try a drain cover thing, or get one off ebay. Thanks again everybody.

I know a guy that ties a short length of logging chain in a knot and drops it in the hole
it seemed to work allright for him

Strine, make sure it's stainless---I had a friend who got a nice heavy grate that way only to find the hard way that it was crome plated brass. We of course did not give him any hassle over the brass running out the bottom of the forge...

Thomas