Stainless grate

[waggy]

Our departed friend, Norman Spink, used to sell welded stainless steel grate which was supplied cut to order.
I'm aware Blackgates took over the casting side of Normans business but they don't appear to sell the grating. Does anybody know who does?

Waggy.

[chris vine]

Hi Waggy,

I was told that this was just a standard industrial product called V-Mesh. I did a google and found several firms, and another term for the same thing, Wedge Wire.

I am sure a couple of emails and "Contact Us's" would provide a sample of suitable size. If you said you were making a grate for a steam locomotive, they might provide several square feet as a sample!!

Chris.

[greasemonkey]

Hi Waggy
My Blackgates catalouge list the stuff so have theystopped supplying it? Might be worth a phone call. It was available cut to the size you wanted for either 5 inch gauge or 3.5 inch gauge
Andy

Andy

[chris vine]

Hi again,

Have done some more digging, wedge wire screen brings up lots of google results.
One firm, www.optima-international.co.uk seems to be uk based....
Let us know what you find.

Cheers
Chris.

[albertsell]

Hello Waggy,
Norman got his grating from a firm in the Doncaster area.Many years ago I called at the firm and aquired some grating which was scrap to them as it was a lead in or out in production. Sorry I cannot recal exactly where the firm was.
Albert.

[Lurkio]

Waggy,

I'm relatively new to loco building, but I soon learned that the Spink grates were considered superior bits of kit.
This doesn't answer your question, but rather than buying, have you thought of making up your own wedge shaped grate bars from stainless strip, and building your stainless grate that way? I built my own grate by rivetting such bars together (there's no loco finished to try it out on yet, though!).
The advantage is, once you've made one, you can easily use the setup to knock out another at any time.

Lurkio.

[waggy]

Many thanks to Chris, Andy, Albert and Lurkio for the "grate" responses! I'll ring Blackgates again in the morning, might not get the office cat this time! Meeow!

The wedge wire sites look interesting, sent a couple of mails off, you never know.

Thanks again,

Waggy.

[SteveW]

Guys,

A while back I bought one of the Spink SS grates for the club Sweet Pea in anticipation of burning a hole through the CI one.

During a particularly duff batch coal a clinker build up saw off the CI grate and in went the SS version. It lasted just over an hour.

So the moral has to be watch what goes into that fire hole. Not everything that's black is coal. I hasten to add that the old idea that it doesn't happen with experienced drivers is bollocks. They did the driving that day and like the rest of us get used to good coal and forget what the other stuff does.

I'm back using the CI grates now, easier to get and cheaper than the SS versions (or they were!).

[chameleonrob]

While on the subject, what grade of stainless is best for making grates out of?

rob

[Shawki Shlemon]

Stevew is correct the best grate is CI then comes black steel then stainless steel. I must admit s.s looks better .I have used all these materials and at the end of the day whatever makes one happy is the best. As Lurkio says make it ,it cost less ,gives you satisfaction and after all one can't see it.

[PH]

The food processing industry uses a lot of stainless "grate" material to drain food. I know someone who works for a company making frozen potato products which uses "grates" to drain the oil after the cooking oil bath. These are perfect for our use. V-shaped bars, different spacings available according to what's being drained and it's all free. The Health Inspectorate doesn't like discoloured grates and it's cheaper to change than sandblast them clean. I've got more than I know what to do with!

[stevep]

When I built by 5" Stanier 2-6-4 tank, I made the grate from some 1/6" stainless plates I had. In true model engineer fashion, I "saved" these when they were being thrown out at work. (They had originally been covers over channels cut into the floor to carry computer cables).

I cut the bars about 1/2" wide, and then rivetted them together with (IIRC) 1/4" or 5/16"spacers. My theory is that we restrict our grates too much, and we need to use bigger gaps between the bars.

The engine steamed like the proverbial witch, and when I sold the engine (after several years use) there was no damage to the grate other than some slight distortion.

Hope that helps....Steve

[Chris Kelland]

Hi All,

Blackgates do sell grate material I bought a piece for the Simplex at the start of the season. Guess what? its rubbish! I have a grate with a large hole in the middle that looks brand new around the edges.


Chris.

[chris vine]

Hi again,

I have a Norman Spink stainless wedge wire grate and it has stood up to some good use with steam coal and anthracite. No problems at all so far.....

It would be handy to find out what grade of stainless it is. Does anyone here work for a firm which could analyse an off cut which I have on the shelf??

Chris.

[steamjohn248]

We've replaced all the MS grates that have failed with SS ones and had no problems. Just 5 by 10 SS bar (0n 7 1/4" locos). They are not wedge shaped its true but, although the air gaps are quite big, we dont waste much coal, they don't burn and they don't distort.

If the ash pan is kept clear and you are getting sufficient primary air coming up between the bars and also run the dart bar through the fire regularly to lift any possible clinker, you wont get any trouble.

John

[waggy]

Hello you peeps,

I've taken delivery of four 2m lengthe of 12 x 3mm stainless from RS components.
I have a living flame gas fire which is burning most of the day, I cut a couple of inches off the stock and left it in the redhot fire. I cooled the metal under the tap at least three times, no ill effects. Thrown back on the fire, red hot and then quenched in cold water again, still as good as new. Still soft enough to file.
I will make the firebars from this stuff, don't see any problems looming. Not sure of the grade, doesn't distort though.

Waggy.

[Donald G]

I had a Spinks SS grate for my Rob Roy, I found poor steaming, till I put a milling cutter down the length of each gap to widen it by about 3/32" and that changed the steaming of the loco entirely. A further point, the grate is 'burning away' now so I think it will be a SS strip and spacers for me in future.

Donald

[waggy]

I used the Spinks grate in my 5" B1, steams so well I have trouble stopping the valves lifting! The engine runs with the fire door partly open most of the time.
I used the same grate mesh in my 5" Jubilee, very similar grate area, until the engine warms up, keeping the fire a nice red is a pig of a job! Once hot though, steams like a good'n!
Similar tube arrangement, similar smokebox arrangement. On both loco's I've done away with the dampers so air access not a problem. Is it me?

Waggy.

[chris vine]

Hi Waggy,

It is just what make steam engines more interesting than electric motors!

Are the Spinks grates you use burning at all? I will have a closer look at mine......

Chris.

[albertsell]

Hi Waggy
I think you will find that most grates that burn out suddenly are fire man instigated ie- due to not keeping an eye on the fire it burns down and a hole develops in the fire, excess air passes through the hole causing a very hot spot in the grate resulting in a burnt out grate, does any one remember how a blacksmiths fire burns when air is blown into it?
Albert.