Shaker grates for Harmon

Post Reply
 
AllanD
Member
Posts: 62
Joined: Sun. Feb. 10, 2019 5:16 pm
Hand Fed Coal Stove: HAND FIRED HARMON
Coal Size/Type: STOVE
Other Heating: Oil fired hotwater baseboard

Post by AllanD » Wed. Feb. 13, 2019 4:28 pm

Hi,

I've got the large Hand-fired Harmon stove
and I've got a problem with it... my shaker grates are warped, to the point where I can't shake it.

I lucked into another hand-fired stove at a scrap yard that had better grates, and they have kept me going for 5-6 years, but the way the stove is now I have to let the fire go out every other or every third day so I can clean it out and relight it for another 2-3 days...

I know I really should replace them again, but since there are three of them
and last I checked they were $135 EACH... I'm wondering if there was another way, Can they be Straightened? Can I get another less warped used set?

Frankly If I were a millionaire, I'd have them cast in some more durable alloy, Like Inconel or Hastelloy, and just smile when someone accused me of "Turd Polishing", but I'm on a fixed income.

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

 
User avatar
keegs
Member
Posts: 678
Joined: Sat. Dec. 24, 2016 7:38 pm
Location: Bridgewater, ME
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby (main floor)
Coal Size/Type: nut

Post by keegs » Wed. Feb. 13, 2019 4:44 pm

Poking and slicing? There's a whole lot of used Chubbies out there. Ebay or CL?

 
User avatar
McGiever
Member
Posts: 10130
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Wed. Feb. 13, 2019 6:24 pm

A Chubby is on par with a Large 3 grate Harman???

But warped grates cannot be fixed unless equal heat and equal force were applied in the opposite direction...short of that, forget it.

Warped grates are preventable in the first place, ya know...

 
User avatar
warminmn
Member
Posts: 8111
Joined: Tue. Feb. 08, 2011 5:59 pm
Location: Land of 11,842 lakes
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Junior, Efel Nestor Martin, Riteway 37
Coal Size/Type: nut and stove anthracite, lignite
Other Heating: Wood and wear a wool shirt

Post by warminmn » Wed. Feb. 13, 2019 6:53 pm

3 new grates are still likely cheaper than another used similar stove.

Maybe you have 1 grate thats a lot worse than the others and only need to replace one, then replace another next year, and the last one the following year, to help spread out the cost pain. Make sure the other parts, the grate holder, etc, are still good before doing that or you might have a money pit.

If they are warped because you had to run the stove super hot all the time, or some of the time, you probably need a larger stove.


 
User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Wed. Feb. 13, 2019 7:03 pm

Allen,

You need to empty your ashes more often, or turn your stove down or someth'in. It's not normal to warp Haman grates. I have owned and looked at quite a few Harman stoves and the only time I have ever seen wrapped grates is when the stove was used to burn wood. They are very stout castings so, no you can't straiten them.

-Don

 
AllanD
Member
Posts: 62
Joined: Sun. Feb. 10, 2019 5:16 pm
Hand Fed Coal Stove: HAND FIRED HARMON
Coal Size/Type: STOVE
Other Heating: Oil fired hotwater baseboard

Post by AllanD » Wed. Feb. 13, 2019 7:38 pm

If I were super patient, I suppose I could grind them a bit so they wouldn't hit each other, just putting a samall radius on the horizontal tips of their triangular corners, but I think I'd want to use a belt sander and a coarse belt...


Bigger stove? I'm pretty sure I already have the largest Harmon, but I've got a stove built as a fireplace insert sitting under a tarp on my patio next to the Harmon stoker I don't use (Long story)

 
User avatar
coalkirk
Member
Posts: 5185
Joined: Wed. May. 17, 2006 8:12 pm
Location: Forest Hill MD
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1981 EFM DF520 retired
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Jotul 507 on standby
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite/rice coal

Post by coalkirk » Wed. Feb. 13, 2019 7:51 pm

McGiever wrote:
Wed. Feb. 13, 2019 6:24 pm
A Chubby is on par with a Large 3 grate Harman???

But warped grates cannot be fixed unless equal heat and equal force were applied in the opposite direction...short of that, forget it.

Warped grates are preventable in the first place, ya know...
If you plan to burn coal for the foreseeable future, buy new grates. The problem is you are overfiring the stove. Are you asking the stove to do the job of a furnace or boiler?

Post Reply

Return to “Hand Fired Coal Stoves & Furnaces Using Anthracite”