Burned out grate

[bluerooster]

 I was wondering how often ya'll have to replace the grate in your fire pot. (coal forge)  Mine burned out today, Or mabe I was a bit too enthusiastic pickin' out a clinker. I noticed it when the blower started blowing holes in the fire. I try to keep the hot stuff about 4" deep.  All my fire was dropping out the ash tube.  I hadda stop, rake out the fire, and replace the grate, then start again.    I have several pieces of cast iron grate that I've used. It fits the bottom of the fire pot and has wide enough openings, to get plenty of air, but not let the fuel fall out.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

If the cast iron grate fits, use it. They take a lot of heating and don't rust away like thin steel grates. I bought one of the round cast iron grates from Centaur Forge about 20 years ago and it's still going strong.

[Frosty]

Uh huh, cast iron floor drain grate yes? That flavor cast iron has a much lower melting temp than steel so they make poor air grates. Good timing there IDF&G I haven't submitted this yet! A floor drain is NOT to be confused with a proper cast fire grate ALA Centaur Forge.

Next time try this instead. Using a length of round stock 3/8" is plenty, make a hairpin bend just a BIT wider than the air port in your fire pot ad leave about 3/8"- space between, now make another hairpin bend back with about the same gap. Does it cover the hole in the bottom? If yes, good cut it off and lay it in the forge and go back to work. If not make another hairpin bend maybe just long enough so the new grate is steady over the hole. 

If you lay it with the gaps in line with where you usually stand it's easier to clear the grate, just scrape it with your rake and if something is jammed, slip the end of your rake into the gap and pop it out.

This basic grate is something Glenn suggested a few years ago and having used one I heartily recommend them. Fast & easy to make tough in a properly blacksmitherly way and last a long time.

Frosty The Lucky.

 

[bluerooster]

 Not floor drain. Cast iron grate from an old grille.  Made to get hot.  (but mabe not that hot )  Kinda crazy, but the 3/16" thick firebox is holding up quite well.   I've still got several squares of the grill grate, but when they get used up, I'll see about getting one of those new ones from Centaur.  

Thanx for the tips.

[Frosty]

11 minutes ago, bluerooster said:

(but mabe not that hot ) 

Maybe? 

Unless we're talking firewood or something, "burned up" just screams out TOO HOT to me. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Glenn]

The fire pot I use has a 2-1/2 inch opening with 2 each 3/8 bolts to go across the opening and welded in place.   The other forge has a 3 inch opening with 2 each 3/8 inch bolts to go across the opening.

This is 2 each 1/4 inch pieces of round bar inserted into a 2-1/2 piece of auto exhaust pipe used as a air pipe.

 

I have recently been using NO grate on a 2-1/4 inch opening and burning coal dust for fuel.  Sort the fire with word scraps and  then add the coal dust. Works well after the fuel cokes up.  There is a LOT of air available to go into the fire so I only use what air is needed for the amount of heat I need.

[bluerooster]

I guess I need to look into how I'm tending the fire.  In the latter scenerio I'd be losing the majority of my fuel down the hole, first time I add more fuel. I tried two bolts like in the pic above when I first built this forge. They lasted almost one forging session, then were gone.  That's why I went with the cast iron grate.  Obviously, I'm doing something wrong.

  I'll post a couple pics tomorrow, so you can see what I've got going on.

[Glenn]

Look at the way the bolt for a grate is set up.  The air hits the bottom of the bolt keeping it cool.  The clinker if there is any sits on top of the bolt, or the ash is on top of the bolt insulating the bolt.  Next you have the bottom of the fireball.  

[bluerooster]

Here's a pic of the old grate, or what's left of it, and the replacement part after a couple hours in the heat.

I guess I could have removed the ash  better, so you can see that it fits perfectly across the bottom.

Edited March 8, 2020 by Mod30
Resize large photos.

[Ramsberg]

Another option, one used sometimes for fireplaces, is angle iron, positioned like a V. So the top of the V fills with ash, insulating it.

If your fire is only 4" deep though, sounds like you need to pile it higher, which will move the hottest part of the fire away from the grate.

Could you post a photo of something being heated in your forge?

I'm also curious as to what air control you have with your blower, it sounds like you're using an electric one and it's supplying too much air.

[bluerooster]

There's a sizable chunk of steel in there. Making a hardy.

Hair drier.Several  3/4" Holes drilled in the tubing as a wastegate. I can regulate the air by closing holes, or opening the ash dump, as need be.

Edited March 8, 2020 by Mod30
Resize large photo & remove quotes.

[Ramsberg]

Thank you.

It isn't super shallow, but it still may benefit from being deeper, with the air adjusted to move the hottest part of the fire away from the grate.

[dave in pa.]

One thing to watch out for... if you get a buildup of burning fuel under your grate, your air supply will will make it hot enough to burn through the grate just as it will for any steel above a grate.

With enough air and burning fuel your fire will be hot enough to burn any steel above it, whether it is the grate or the workpiece.