If you can lay fire bricks on the metal base, it will help to prevent burn-through.

Burning through is not the problem as I have a 1/8â steel bottom on top of the original mortar bottom (due to cracks in the mortar in the metal fireboxâÂÂs floor). Getting air under the fire since IâÂÂm not using a grate is my concern due to the build-up of unburned coals in ash.

I experimented today with some concrete wire mesh to sift âÂÂdownâ the ash and the coal appeared to glow from more air.

The Bottom Line! How do you continue to burn 24/7 if you do not have a clean-out trap to separate coals from ash? Is there a stainless mesh that will lay on top of my pipe that will separate ash from coal (since I feel cast will break)? Otherwise, do you feel 1/8â stainless plate drilled üâ to a mesh/plate will work? Plus, I should have some gas oven broiler shelves that should do this task.

On my boiler are two cast iron grates which are about the size of 2" pipe and fire brick is laid over top to keep the heat off the steel.

You could weld something up out of pipe and lay fire bricks over top with small openings between the bricks to allow air up from beneath. That will protect your pipes.

I use a brick on edge and I lay the wood on it. Once there is a bed of coals you're fine.Keep feeding the fire . I have burnt a week straight with the Defiant. When it was new and very tight , I could fill it with oak and it would last 12 hours. I clean the ash out about every 2 weeks.

My Hearthstone stove's grate has some breaks. The replacement grate is outrageously expensive. When I worked for the boiler company, we got castings all the time and a grate might cost $30, but they want several hundred for it.

1.The Temp Expended Metal Grate on top of the Stainless Pipe Worked Great sifting Ask From Coal.

2. Differences in Boilers, Wood Heaters, Etc make a world of difference in efficiency and work vs an Open Fireplace.

3. For our Mild North TX Needs and Exercise, the Fireplace is serving the purpose and a Challenge toward Efficiency.

4. Over a gallon of ash taken out daily (5 gals weekly) is a job vs removing ash about every 2 wks mentioned. A good friend reported he cleans a gal of ash twice a day in his smaller fireplace.

5. The once fun exercise is turning into work, LOL.

6. If I knew in the Mid 70s what I know now, A Wood Heater Would Be Sitting In The Middle Of Our House.

7. Attached is a Pic of the Temp Grate that will slip off one pipe or the other but the sifting works separating coal from ask.

Your grate will last a long time if you keep firebrick on top of it or at least 1" of ash.

Thanks for the idea Baymee! The pipe is not my concern vs air under the fire and ash down from the coals. While I take my time looking for the stainless 1/8th plate, IâÂÂll bend 1â on one edge of the of the exp metal to fit beside the pipe vs on since it comes off but still works âÂÂlessâÂÂ. I doubt the exp metal last the season but IâÂÂll burn Oven Broiler Pans Etc to get the breathing/sifting.

The pipe is my âÂÂOld School Dog-Irons, And-Ironsâ on the floor of the fireplace, tapering from touching the floor up approx 2âÂÂ. The two 2â stainless are open to the 6â steel Back-Log opened to the steel back that was the opposite side of the once See Through Fireplace. ItâÂÂs now A Heater/Fireplace Combo with glass doors on both sides, which stay open on the steel sealed side.

The Expanded Grate Is Working Great! ItâÂÂs allowing the fire to breathe/burn better sifting ash from coals. I did add the 1â lift to one side to eliminate the grate shifting off one pipe to the floor. My body told me to bolt on 1â angle (with existing bolt) vs trying to bend 3 layers of heavy expanded metal.

With the improvement it burned a nice Live Oak 8" dia log All Night with coal above ash to start the next fire. The challenge is to see if it will burn the well seasoned 6-8â dia Red Oak over night (with support wood w/o needing extra).

Green Red Oak is waiting to be split and stacked, with Red Oak turned down while the issue is studied (as splitting down to 4X4â if needed). Plus, I add a stick of Pecan or Mesquite if needed, if the smell is not good. Challenging/Experimenting keeps the Brain/Body Functioning!

Why I ask, is there not a picture here of a double pipe smoking, fire breathing dragon here as the title implies? :)

IâÂÂm sorry for my text! I have 2 pipes elevating my wood off the floor w/o any breathing once that area is filled with ash/coals. The added expanded metal on the pipe has added breathing and separating of ash and coal.

I also have 1 yr old Red Oak I feel this breathing will allow to burn with this cold front coming into North TX tomorrow.

Wish Us Well On These Small Old Lots and large trees that are barely clean from the last front approx a week ago. The freezing moisture before leaves have fallen or thinning is a major issue. The wood is becoming plentiful but the hazards are the major issue. Our Live Oak needs more thinning since our 2010 Ice Storm.

The Silver Leaf Maple 2 door away is not worth burning but it had to come down for the neighborâÂÂs safety. I did get some Pecan with more and Red Oak coming in a similar situation.

There is no end to Fun Experimenting! The Expanded Metal Grate Was Working Great. So Great, it allowed all my Red Oak and support wood to burn w/o leaving coal vs all ash overnight. That is good for cleaning ash from under the grate but bad for starting the next fire w/o live coals.

The new grate/expanded metal was 5â above the floor, reducing overnight wood space. Today, I cut the expanded grate to fit between the floorâÂÂs pipes to allow wood 3â off the floor vs 5â for more overnight wood capacity.

Lazy Me! I refuse to add wood âÂÂOnceâ overnight since retirement to have coals the next morning. Enjoy The Earned Retirement And Some Fun Challenges!!