My First Grate Break. Herald #6 What to Do Now?

So this is my second season with Mr Herald. Things were going swell. I hadn't had very many major issues with the Mr. Herald. In fact I was just about to send our illustrious forum member William a message asking what quantity and size of mica is needed to replace the windows. Well, how about that takes a back seat as I have just experienced my first grate break. Sounds like a title to a cheesy book. "My First Grate Break" I believe this was user error. I believe I know what caused this. I believe the last time I shook Mr Herald down which was last night. I remember a nice amount of fire dropping out into a semi full ash pan. I should've dumped it then. But, hey, you live you learn. I feel as though I have just crossed the threshold from novice to advanced.

Just as soon as one of you guys tell me what to do next. I mean I have contacted Doug at Barnstaple already he's looking for one now. But the stove is still lit. As I was refueling and shaking down when I noticed. But what is my next move from here? What are my options? Can the stove operate like this? Do I have to shut the stove down until replacement parts have come. And if so what can I expect from this last burn? Hot coals are easily pouring through the gap.

If it were me id get it welded asap while you have the stove shops hunt for new grates, to keep the stove limping along .

If that patch so happens to get you thru the winter a recast set are in order from a foundry.

Wilson has restored a number of Herald #6 in the past year, or so. He gets extra grates made when he does a restoration, so it's likely he has them.
508-763-8941

In the meantime I'd shut the stove down. Drop enough hot coals into the pan and you may crack the floor of the ash drawer. Better safe than sorry ! At the minimum the ash pan can warp out of shape from the bottom of the sheet metal pan getting too hot and expanding. Above a certain temp and sheet metal expands and won't shrink back to original size.

Paul

Welded! Why didn't I think of that? Yeah, I have to shut him down.

I broke a grate in my Herald as well. It was the short one on the left. User error for sure. I am running stove coal and it does jam the teeth. I will switch to nut for ext year. Anyway, I have several sets of grates for the #6 Herald in stock if you want some.

stovehospital wrote:I broke a grate in my Herald as well. It was the short one on the left. User error for sure. I am running stove coal and it does jam the teeth. I will switch to nut for ext year. Anyway, I have several sets of grates for the #6 Herald in stock if you want some.

if you're running a coal stove and not on this forum you are SERIOUSLY on your own.

BUT, if you are here, there is help from every corner and not just casual help, ( which should not be despised ) but from at least 9-10 professionals and manufacturers too.

i love this place.

steve

UncleDoDat wrote:Welded! Why didn't I think of that? Yeah, I have to shut him down.

Does welding actually work? Seems like a too-thick of a piece to weld it back to original strength.

Maybe just as quick to get a new grate.

Call Emery here at the Antique Stove Hospital and get a new one.
And to answer your other question: here is the place I get my mica from. It's the best quality for the best price. Get the smaller pieces instead of one big piece. Each opening in the door window takes its own piece of mica. Get enough for several years. It's affordable.
Click on link below.

http://www.ashevillemica.com/category/stove-mica

I recommended welding as a quick fix if the stove is your main source of heat, but with current oil/ gas prices you should be ok with a cold stove till a new one is shipped from Emery.

davidmcbeth3 wrote:

UncleDoDat wrote:Welded! Why didn't I think of that? Yeah, I have to shut him down.

Does welding actually work? Seems like a too-thick of a piece to weld it back to original strength.

Maybe just as quick to get a new grate.

Depends on who is doing the welding and if they are experienced and equipped for it. Cast iron is not an easy metal to weld.

Paul

Great info guys. Being as Dough hasn't gotten back with me as of yet, and he said he had to track down a replacement grate for me. I can only assume that the search is not going well.

I am on my way out the door now to meet up wit my sheet metal guy to see if it can be welded for the time being. I know that gas & oil prices are relatively low, but the way I look at it is that my heating bill is pre-paid as long as I have coal to burn. My gas bill hasn't been over $40.00 this far. I had to turn the gas heat on as Mr. Herald is down. This is going to hurt my 40 buck gas bill. So if welding will work as a temporary fix until I can get a replace I'm all for that. And the stove size coal.. I love it. It seems to burn so much hotter. And reacts quicker. But I don't want to start that argument again. Just my opinion. But I am forced to use nut size. If Benjamin's lumber delivered stove size I'd definitely get it instead of nut size. I have learnt that you mustn't shake to often with stove size. I'd switch to nut maybe at the end of the heating season. For instance I was forced to switch to rice coal last winter as my local Amish green house that sells coal doesn't order stove size coal towards the end of the heating season. And I needed at least half a ton to get through March and a bit of April.

P.S. Thanks William for the mica glass link. I guess I'll have time clean the stove and replace the mica.

Hummmm im wondering if I should get a back up set of grates...................

Can grates break from violent shaking or trying to bust or chew clinkers or half burnt coal. Iv been warned that they can warp if you let ash build up in the pan and touch the grate, choking the air insulation around them.

Canaan coal man wrote:Hummmm im wondering if I should get a back up set of grates...................

Can grates break from violent shaking or trying to bust or chew clinkers or half burnt coal. Iv been warned that they can warp if you let ash build up in the pan and touch the grate, choking the air insulation around them.

That's exactly what I thought was the main cause. My Ashpan was sorta kinda filled when I shook it down. And there was a nice amount of dust like fire that fell on top of the ash. I should have dumped the ash pan then.

However, upon my return from my sheet metal guy. He informs me that this grate has been welded once already. So along with my amateur screw up of not dumping the ash pan & the grate being previously welded it was a recipe for disaster and bound to happen. He says that there is not much he will be able to do as coal is mostly carbon based and that's going to make this already old metal hard to weld. But he's going to try.

Canaan Cole man I definitely intend to have the Tomahawk foundry recast my grates this summer. Right now it seems the Stove Hospital has what I need so I will be contacting them ASAP

UDD, how's all that goin????????????????????????????????

I would say that grate can not be successfully welded. drill through the center on each piece, and push a piece of threaded rod in to hold it together, and call the stove hospital. I have them in stock as well.( Emery runs one of those stoves he has them on the shelf