Lighting nut coal

Surely there has to be someone near you who sells fire wood by the cord? I'm really sorry sorry your grates are warped and seized. That stinks.

I'm On Fire wrote:Surely there has to be someone near you who sells fire wood by the cord? I'm really sorry sorry your grates are warped and seized. That stinks.

I thought he indicated much earlier in this thread he had a good supplier of firewood and it was very cheap also ~$175 a cord if I remember correctly. There was a couple comments on how it is cheaper than coal for him. That would solve the problem until the grates can be replaced since firewood doesn't need active grates.

Yes surely there is I'm On Fire, there's also places that sell $5 fire starters and $5 packs of hard wood to start coal too, neither can be gotten until Friday though. I didn't think about the wood at the creek being under snow and unattainable. Not that I could have saved last night's fire, but I might have done something differently.

titleist1 wrote:

I'm On Fire wrote:Surely there has to be someone near you who sells fire wood by the cord? I'm really sorry sorry your grates are warped and seized. That stinks.

I thought he indicated much earlier in this thread he had a good supplier of firewood and it was very cheap also ~$175 a cord if I remember correctly. There was a couple comments on how it is cheaper than coal for him. That would solve the problem until the grates can be replaced since firewood doesn't need active grates.

Correct, 175, even some guys at 160 now.

http://nepacrossroads.com/about18737.html#p217230
http://nepacrossroads.com/about2290.html#p16519
Check the above links to search for parts...

I'm sorry I didn't see where he posted that. Surfing the net through an Android smart phone. Small screen.

Page one...
http://nepacrossroads.com/about18671.html#p216034

CapeCoaler wrote:Page one...
http://nepacrossroads.com/about18671.html#p216034

Well since ya brought it up...Exactly. So that's where I was, basically examining slight movements on grates and figuring a new 'rattle method" to keep back grate as closed as it can be. Surely there must be SOME wood to find out there under the frozen crunch of 6 inches?! So off I went to the creek, sideways walking down the embankment to where I know the downed lays. Through the snow I saw something sticking up! I pulled it out and it was huge! Bringing it back to the house I snapped this shot before I got to busting it up.


Then I started busting, and...it's green! I tried burning what I could break, and twirl, off anyway. It won't even light.

Sometimes ya just can't start a fire folks, no matter how ya try by pulling things out of the snow. So page 1 works great only when there's ground to be seen, and 3 fireboxes full of small dry wood to gather. (As with the small softer wood that you find down it takes 3 continuous loads to get coals going, or about as much as that 14 foot section of tree above)

On a happier note I hear it's gonna snow the next 2 days, cool!

CapeCoaler wrote:http://nepacrossroads.com/about18737.html#p217230
http://nepacrossroads.com/about2290.html#p16519
Check the above links to search for parts...

Cool, thanks, none that I saw there have the grates though. I didn't open the pdf one. I found a place $103 a piece and 135 and hour to put em in, that's probably the cheapest so far. If I could get 'em out I'd see about renting a drill with a metal sanding wheel and grind the back one down so it fits again. They don't seem to come out easily though, and I can't get the drill now either, but that's my next repairing idea.

Very easy to get them out. You need to take out the firebrick and they simply lift out.

coldcoal wrote:renting a drill with a metal sanding wheel

Grinder?

RTFM...

The Grates are made of heavy-duty cast iron. The function of the grate system is to support the coal while allowing air flow through the fire. The grate system
also allows removal of the ashes by shaking them through the grates.
The grates are removable without the use of tools, once the fire bricks are removed, the grates simply lift out. Lift the right end higher to disengage from the shaking link. To re-install the grates, lower them, one at a time, left end first, be sure the grate hooks into the grate link as you drop it into place.

http://hearthnhome.com/downloads/installManuals/Mark_I_II_III.pdf
Page 7 of the PDF...
Even has a diagram...
Pick up the grates at $103 each and save the labor...

i really hope you can make this work . think warm thoughts .

I'm thinking warm thoughts too, and thanks, but after 3 tries lighting it with no real wood no such warmth. Getting warmer tonight, gives the radiators 1/2 a chance to keep it over 58 in here. Here's to hoping for that.

Yes a grinder, whatever it's called.

Cool info on the grates, yeah I'm going to ask around and see if someone has a grinder. I see how the sides come out sliding through the brace once front is removed. Raises a question of what holds up the back at all since only side braces. But yeah, why replace em if I can make them fit again? The coal doesn't care if it's on a warped grate, it just cares if it falls through cuz you can't shake it down properly. So if grinder can shave off the 1/8th of an inch on the part hitting the back problem solved. I'm on it by Friday when I get to trying to light this again.

Depends on how it warped...
They tend to sag...
So the swing will hit the other grate...
Grind it if you want but check the swing and clearence before you fill it with coal...
Or you may be banging your grates and head...