Lubricant for Grate Hardware

 
Tom in PA
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Post by Tom in PA » Sun. Dec. 27, 2015 10:34 am

Are you folks aware of any sort of lubricant to lessen the screeching of the grates and related hardware when shaking? I recognize that firebox temps preclude the use of oils. Just wondering if there's anything or should I tell my family to enjoy the heat and quit complaining about the noise?


 
franco b
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Post by franco b » Sun. Dec. 27, 2015 10:36 am

Tom in PA wrote:Are you folks aware of any sort of lubricant to lessen the screeching of the grates and related hardware when shaking? I recognize that firebox temps preclude the use of oils. Just wondering if there's anything or should I tell my family to enjoy the heat and quit complaining about the noise?
The only high heat lubricant I am aware of is powdered graphite.

 
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Post by D.lapan » Sun. Dec. 27, 2015 10:51 am

My wife complains every time I shake," that's gotta be the most annoying sound in the world" which I reply "next to listening to you every time I do it..." lol she's not a fan of that aspect of coal

 
ddahlgren
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Post by ddahlgren » Sun. Dec. 27, 2015 11:25 am

Polishing all the pivot points goes a long way to quiet but no way for metal to metal be silent. The noise is part of the romance of a coal stove just like the potato potato sound of a Harley lets you know one is coming. I tried lubri-plate and worked for a while and now makes some noise that I ignore. 1 minute in 12 hours should not be all that painful to hear. If the coal saves a ton of money give the wife the financial reality of the 1 minute and ask if she is willing to work the hours to cover it.

 
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Sunny Boy
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Post by Sunny Boy » Sun. Dec. 27, 2015 12:23 pm

As Dave said polishing helps. Squeaks are caused by high frequency vibration. In low surface speed moving parts, smooth the contacting surfaces helps reduce, if not eliminate the vibration caused noise.

Otherwise, as Franco said graphite, but it has it's limits, too. However, it sometimes takes a few applications for it to fill in the grain pores of cast iron, so don't judge it by just one application.

For the damper linkage of my range, which is only inches from the firebox, I've had very good results using Bostic Nuclear grade anti-seize.http://www.neverseezproducts.com/nuclear.htm

Never used it on grate pivots though.

Paul

 
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Freespirit
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Post by Freespirit » Sun. Dec. 27, 2015 12:51 pm

Just buy her a pair of ear muffles she can wear those for the 1 minute. My son complains also I told him he can freeze or put up with it that is life.

 
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Post by ddahlgren » Sun. Dec. 27, 2015 1:08 pm

At the end of the day I remind myself it is an 1874 house and these are normal house sounds. Does not bother me one bit!


 
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deepwoods
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Post by deepwoods » Sun. Dec. 27, 2015 1:45 pm

Seems to me any oil based lube would attract dust & grit from shaking and more or less form a grinding/lapping paste which would accelerate wear to moving parts.

 
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davidmcbeth3
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Post by davidmcbeth3 » Sun. Dec. 27, 2015 8:40 pm

Nobody understands an artist !

Squeak squeak squeak as you shake ? Sound of music.

 
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Post by rberq » Sun. Dec. 27, 2015 9:00 pm

Sunny Boy wrote:I've had very good results using Bostic Nuclear grade anti-seize. http://www.neverseezproducts.com/nuclear.htm
Also try copper-based anti-seize compounds -- I think another thread recommended them in the past -- I don't know if they will stand up to the heat as well as nickel-based.

 
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Post by 2001Sierra » Sun. Dec. 27, 2015 9:11 pm

A stoker fixes that :!:
You ask my kids and the bride about the old Buderus hopper fed with a shaker grate, and they will endlessly tell you stories of the God forsaken shaker noise :shock:
You can't fix that!

 
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Post by dcrane » Sun. Dec. 27, 2015 9:46 pm

ddahlgren wrote:Polishing all the pivot points goes a long way to quiet but no way for metal to metal be silent. The noise is part of the romance of a coal stove just like the potato potato sound of a Harley lets you know one is coming. I tried lubri-plate and worked for a while and now makes some noise that I ignore. 1 minute in 12 hours should not be all that painful to hear. If the coal saves a ton of money give the wife the financial reality of the 1 minute and ask if she is willing to work the hours to cover it.
great advise... grates are castings and as such there never perfectly smooth, if you can sand, grind, etc. all contact points of moving parts it should help, you can certainly use the best high temp grease you can find on the parts that go through the stove wall (sometimes through a secondary shroud also)... you will need to clean and re-apply at this point each season. as far as lubing the internal pieces of a coal grate system... its a lost cause as ive found nothing which can endure that kind of harshness, heat and dust.

 
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Post by ddahlgren » Sun. Dec. 27, 2015 10:41 pm

The grates in my 404 make a little noise. I have no idea if I made it any better by smoothing the castings but pretty sure I made it no worse and took the advise of DCrane before I used it the first time so nothing to compare it to. I look at it as a noise it is supposed to make and quieter than my Corvette any of the machine tools or a turbo Ferrari at 28 lbs. of boost. Those all familiar noises to me too.

 
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Sunny Boy
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Post by Sunny Boy » Mon. Dec. 28, 2015 6:53 am

rberq wrote:
Sunny Boy wrote:I've had very good results using Bostic Nuclear grade anti-seize. http://www.neverseezproducts.com/nuclear.htm
Also try copper-based anti-seize compounds -- I think another thread recommended them in the past -- I don't know if they will stand up to the heat as well as nickel-based.
FWIW, I can tell you from experience using auto parts store brand copper anti-seize, and the better quality Bostic copper, which has proved to be better than competing brands in 30 years engine rebuilding/restoration work, neither of them held up in my coal range anywhere near as well as the Bostic nickel has.

Yes, the nickel is more expensive, but a couple of applications to let it work into the cast iron for a thorough coating, in the beginning of the season, has worked for the rest of the season. Whereas the copper only lasts a couple of weeks then it needs to be reapplied. So, there's more copper used up during the season making it a false economical choice. If either is going to last on grate pivots, the nickel has shown me it is much better at holding up to heat and ash.

 
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Post by scalabro » Mon. Dec. 28, 2015 10:05 am

+1 on the "nickel special" Sonny posted. We use it at work on jet engine hot section fasteners. Joeq probably has some top secret anti-seeze as I think he works st P&W's jet engine test cell outside Hartford. I used the nickel never ever seeze on my Harman MKII grates and it would quiet them down for a month or so.....


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