SNAPPED!!!!!!Broke my shaker grate right at the handle

HELP....again!!!!!!!!!

New heating season, new problems. Once I learn one thing I encounter another.

went to shake and the stud on the end of the shaker grate broke right off....clean?

anyone with this type of stove Vogelzang, Noresman 2500 who burns anthicite have this problem?

These castings are from China. Maybe its heat, weight, or both.

Should I get this repaired? Buy replacement grates? Both.

Build a shallow coal fire? Don't mind a shorter burn time, or more tending. I just want predictability.

Thanks for everything NEPA..... I am grateful and will not give up. Will keep trying this and personalizing my coal burning performance. Got to.

Ludlow Lou

P.S. This stove is exact to HotBlast 1500, FYI
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 10:42 am
Location: Ludlow, Massachusetts
Stove/Furnace Make: Vogelzang
Stove/Furnace Model: Norseman 2500
Private messageE-mail

Do you have any pictures?

If you have enough room to file a new square on the end of the grate, then you can use an 8 point socket to fit it and shake.

I saw the owners manual for your stove on northern tool's website. Looking at the exploded diagram, I would imagine that trying to replace that grate without shutting the stove down would be quite difficult.

Did the grate break off flush with the outside of the stove? Is there anything sticking out at all?

uf u go to us stove web site u can buy new grate...mine broke in the middle,my fault i forced it trying crush a rock i guess...u can even call them and with a credit card no they will ship u one same day...mine came ups in bout 3 days think it was around 50 bucks...i have the hot blast 1500 i only use it for wood when it gets to cold to keep warm with my hitzer...1500hooked up to plenum forced hot air
man that gives heat...only use it when its 0 or single didgets and windy...my miller gun hasn't run for 11 years screw them arabs...

P.S. This stove is exact to HotBlast 1500, FYI
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 10:42 am
Location: Ludlow, Massachusetts
Stove/Furnace Make: Vogelzang
Stove/Furnace Model: Norseman 2500
Private messageE-mail[/quote]
Hey lou Tractor supply sells that stove. The manager at tractor supply in my town would give me a grate from the stove on his floor if I was in a jam, I would have to pay for his replacement of course. Worth a shot if without heat

Modify the shaker handle like this. I got a piece of 5/8 inch steel stock and heated it and bent it so my handle has a more symmetrical force on the grate. Search my posts for more info, I'm on my cell so its hard to navigate. I'll try to link you to it later

This is the post Lightning is refering to.
Broken Shaker Grate Post

Short Bus wrote:This is the post Lightning is refering to.

The modified shaker is working fantastic, Short Bus

michaelanthony wrote:Hey lou Tractor supply sells that stove.

The last grate I bought was at Tractor Supply.. When I called they only had ONE

LDPosse wrote:I saw the owners manual for your stove on northern tool's website. Looking at the exploded diagram, I would imagine that trying to replace that grate without shutting the stove down would be quite difficult.

Total clean out and start over..

franco b wrote:If you have enough room to file a new square on the end of the grate, then you can use an 8 point socket to fit it and shake.

Excellent idea Franco, but on both occasions when mine broke, not enough left sticking out to file..

LudlowLou wrote:Should I get this repaired? Buy replacement grates? Both.

I didn't attempt a repair.. ALTHOUGH I did read where a member of the forum turned the grates around and bought a 2 inch piece of 5/8 inch steel stock to connect the female end of the handle to the female end of the grate..
(Omg that sounds naughty )

LudlowLou wrote:Build a shallow coal fire? Don't mind a shorter burn time, or more tending. I just want predictability.

Your logic with a more shallow fire is for less stress on the square stud right? I think modifying the handle like pictured above HUGELY reduces the awkward forces going on with that grate post. What I do is connect the modified handle to the grate stud in a horizontal fashion, instead of the vertical fashion that your probably used to.

ALSO VERY IMPORTANT - these grates do have a top and a bottom, you might already know this but I didn't for nearly the whole heating season last year and mine where upside down, it does make a difference.. Now with them the right way, its very hard to have a coal jam.. Before, with them upside down I was constantly fighting coal jams. This of course causes undue stress on that shaker stud. Heres more information on that..

Grates Upside Down