The great Grate not so great

[Oldpath05]

First thing first, I noticed there are at least three kinds of people on TBN, the A B C group. The A group says, there's all kinds of threads on subject why not go there. The B group says why did you revive a 6 + year old thread bla bla. The group C says, I have some ideas that you can try and or what could possibly work and or not work..... they don't care about the A&B group. I'm in group C and don't want input from the A&B group. :thumbsup:

Last summer I bought some 1/4"x 3/4" flat bar Stainless Steel to make a Great wood stove Grate. The grate I made is 10" round-ish, flat bar is upright with 3/4"-ish spacing. Here I am on the down side of this so called winter and this S.S. Great Grate melted a 5"-ish circle in the middle of it and some of the outer pieces are melting also, bummer. I don't get it Big Dan, I thought S.S. was impervious to wood heated fire, guess not. Think I'll get some 1"x 1" steel to make the next one. The grate that came with the stove was a 10" round cast iron, that lasted quite awhile, don't know if I can find and or afford another one like that.
Lesson learned, Stain Steel flat bar doesn't work for a Great stove Grate...:thumbdown:

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

You must run a hot fire.

Did your grate rust out too? Many 300 series of stainless can lose their anti corrosive properties when heated up to a high temp.

Make the next one out of titanium 6Al4V.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Not an expert, but like most everyone else I do have a comment. It seems to me that your stainless may not be what it's supposed to be. If I'm not mistaken, SS should have a MP somewhere between 2000 degrees F and 2700 degrees F. A typical wood fire probably won't reach any where near 2000 degrees, unless maybe it's a charcoal fire or with forced air. Even cast iron has a MP in the 2000 degree range. If it were me (and it's not) and I had the equipment and knew how to weld (which I don't) I would buy some 3/4" square stock and make 2 or 3 grates and go from there!

 

[fxdb96]

I just buy a piece of expanded metal and cut to size

 

[ovrszd]

I need more information.

I would have not doubted the ability of the SS to stand the stresses you put it under.

What type of wood are you burning?? Have you measured the temp of your fires??

I can get 600F temps on the outside of my homemade stuff pretty easy. I've not measured the internal temps. If we get a cold snap in a few days I'll fire up and see how much heat I can create. My fire lays on 1/4 thick steel plate with 1/5" holes burned in it. I also have a small fan that forces air up thru the ash box. I can build a very hot fire. I'll report my results.

 

[5030]

No9t sure if I'm A, B or C but anystainless is no good for a grate (other than it's expensive. You need fire plate steel, not stainless.

 

[murphy1244]

I had a grate made from 1/2 inch cold roll. It lasted 2 years.

 

[Wild Bill the 2nd]

I have heard that stainless expands and contracts too much with heat, breaking the welds, not making a good grate. Not sure about it melting right away though. Heard that cast iron sewer grates are the best, lasting years and years, if you can find one.

 

[murphy1244]

I have heard that stainless expands and contracts too much with heat, breaking the welds, not making a good grate. Not sure about it melting right away though. Heard that cast iron sewer grates are the best, lasting years and years, if you can find one.

I tried the TSC grate and can't even get 2 months from them.

 

[Oldpath05]

You must run a hot fire.

Did your grate rust out too? Many 300 series of stainless can lose their anti corrosive properties when heated up to a high temp.

Make the next one out of titanium 6Al4V.

Only ran it at full tilt a couple times this winter because it was only in or near the 0 degree range, and then every other week or so I burn the coals down so they fall in the ash pan below so the grate get the hottest when I do that.
Don't know but doesn't titanium burn?