January 3, 201313 yr im useing a 12 in. chimney and looking for info on what cap to put on it to keep the rain snow and birds out, i seen where it needs to be 12 in. over the top but no info on how to make one, i looked for one i could buy but only found 1 or 2 and they where to short and like 100.00 bucks or so....
January 3, 201313 yr Local museum has blacksmith shop with two forges..... Chimneys are just 12 inch stove pipe and for cap its just a square of sheet metal bent to a "U" shape and inverted and pop riveted to sides of chimney pipe....You could also get inventive and use metal snow coaster disk or garbage can lid, and mount it on top of chimney pipe with some strap steel (or circle of expanded metal - will keep birds out)....Dale
January 3, 201313 yr Any decent steel pan or plate will work if you rivet on some legs that can attach to the pipe. A bit mesh around the end of the pipe to keep the birds out, with maybe a 4" of clearance between the pan and pipe end. Check the cooking section of the local stores, or watch the resale outlets. I've always wanted to try an inverted Wok! Another idea since you need a screen to keep birds out.... Form a tube of expanded metal that's 12" in diameter and about 8" long. Bolt this to the end of the pipe so you have at least 4" sticking up past the end of the pipe. Find a suitable cooking pan/dish/tray in stainless steel. Something that's not too deep or needing too much reworking. Drill three or four holes around the perimeter of a scribed 12" circle and cinch the plate to the expanded metal with stainless steel threaded j-hooks. No need to worry about riveting legs on because the mesh acts as both the support and the barrier. J bolt
January 3, 201313 yr If you use expanded metal, get the stuff with holes smaller than the bird bodies you are trying to keep out. Small holes can clog up with ash, creosote or other junk and shut off the draft.
January 4, 201313 yr Need more ideas.... Look here and scroll through the many images.... Should spark some concepts in your mind...https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&authuser=0&biw=1024&bih=666&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=chimney+caps&oq=chimney+caps&gs_l=img.12..0j0i5l4j0i24l5.1275580.1276137.0.1281029.5.3.0.0.0.0.313.493.1j1j0j1.3.0...0.0...1c.1.MdY2yWudhekDale
January 4, 201313 yr On the behavior of sheet metal. If you cut a circular piece and fuller it into a swage at room temperature all around, maybe 8 to 12 grooves, it will turn into a coolie cap. The grooves are made from the edge toward the center. Weld, braze, or rivet your strap iron braces and mesh.
January 6, 201313 yr I used a gold pan on the house stove pipe and had to use a SS salad bowl on the shop pipe. both work a treat but have no spark arrester screening. The screen tends to creosote up quickly as it's cooler than the pipe but if it's over a coal forge there's no creosote and very few sparks. Charcoal is a different story on the sparks though. Check with local codes. Frosty The Lucky.
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