Detroit Stove Works Coal Furnace

I have a 100 year old house with a detroit stove works coal furnace that was converted to gas. 3 years ago I installed a wood burning insert in my fireplace to help with heating. After using that for a year, I decided to try and convert the old beast in the basement back to wood, was tired of paying $400 a month for gas. After some trials and tribulations, got the thing working great, heats the whole house. I made a makeshift grate for it, and put a plate on the bottom door section that was missing. My question is, does anyone know where I could find the orginal pieces for this, or can anyone tell me what the grate would have looked like? My only real problem with it is if I go away for all day, I come home to a cold house, but I still have coals left to get a fire going again. As long as I cut my own wood, it doesn't cost me anything but my time, and my gas bills are only $25 a month.

Boy, that's going to be a tough one. I did some searches and came up empty. You may be able to have something custom fabricated from readily available grates out there. You're going to have to look and see what may possibly fit and work. shows they have something for the Detroit Stove Works but, it says call for information on what's available. It's going to take some searching the web and a lot of phone calls. You never know, there maybe another one out there, just with your name on it.

Something can be done, a guy with talent and tools can do it. If the beast works, it's worth fixing.

How about setting up a coal stoker in it. That way it would be automatic and you wouldn't have to find a grate, ash door, etc. The stoker would go right in where you have the "plate on the bottom door section". You would have to rig up some sort of ash pan that could be easily removed for emptying ashes also.
With a stoker you could leave home for several days before it would need tending.
Just a thought.

Never thought about burning coal in it until I joined this forum. When I bought the house there was still coal in the basement. I know nothing about stokers or how they work. I have been burning wood just because of the cost factor.