Help making sheet steel look 100 yrs old

[CurlyDave]

I would nip the front corners off at a 45 degree angle, and maybe the back ones too, while I had it out from under the stove. If a corner go lifted up somehow it could cause a really nice cut on anything dragged by with 22 ga material.

Think hard about a heavier sheet. The purpose of this is to even out hot spots under the stove and prevent the wood floor there from charring. 22 ga is really to thin for that.

 

[sixdogs]

Good advice CurleyDave.. I didn't realize the steel was so thin.

We always used fairly thick steel under a stove. Not sure how thick but a 4' by 4' thick piece was difficult to handle and it had no wobble in it. Also, we often set the stove on top of four firebricks, especially cookstoves. We put one under each leg and this gave a greater air space of insulation, less bending to fill with wood and a bigger place for the cat or puppies to get warm. At times they got so hot it seemed they would burst into flames.

 

[Brad_Blazer]

I suppose you could add a thin layer of insulation under the sheet. McMaster-Carr

I did recommend polishing the edges and corners earlier but unless the edges are fastened down something in the range of 16-12 gauge would work quite a bit nicer. You're always sweeping up around a stove and as sweepings build up it could tend to lift the edges od a thin sheet.

 

[Sodo]

Trap dye.... Intersting.

I'm not in a big hurry, couple weeks is fine!

 

[Sodo]

I would nip the front corners off at a 45 degree angle, and maybe the back ones too, while I had it out from under the stove. If a corner go lifted up somehow it could cause a really nice cut on anything dragged by with 22 ga material.

Think hard about a heavier sheet. The purpose of this is to even out hot spots under the stove and prevent the wood floor there from charring. 22 ga is really to thin for that.

Yep plan to nip 1/4" off the corners. 22ga is plenty thick for a nail every 1 1/2". Plus it looks "correct". Not concerned about the heat at all, I burn a hot fire for hours (days) & it never gets warm in fact remains too cold for bare feet. For awhile I was thinking I had to put it over brick (and lots of people tell me that) but there is no fire danger at all from cold metal.

 

[Arc weld]

22 gauge is like what is used for car bodies. I'd use 12 or 10 gauge so it wouldn't warp if it did get a little hot. Insulation under it wouldn't be a bad idea on a wood floor.

 

[Maknwine]

You could bring it to the Virginia coast, I'll remove one of my Chevy emblems off my K5Blazer and put it on the sheet......and watch the rust begin. :laughing:

just kidding, I love my chebby.

 

[sixdogs]

I never nailed mine down...it isn't going anywhere. Space it up one brick as I mentioned earlier and it will barely get warm.

 

[Sodo]

one of my Chevy emblems off my K5Blazer and put it on the sheet......and watch the rust begin. :laughing:

:laughing::laughing: But I want it to look 100 years old (by next week) then last 'til 200 years.

My stove has an ash drawer inside. On the outside (below) is a heatshield, spaced off about 1/2" below the firebox. No heat gets to the floor. As I wrote above; the steel sheet on the floor remains cold after several days of hot fires. Floor is insulated R13. I have an identical stove at home with no bottom heatshield accessory, and the hearth gets lukewarm which might be exaggerating.

Anyway there is no heat to ward off, no safety increase adding bricks or anything below this stove, the steel does the job of catching embers, making it more sweepable. No code and no BS, just want it to look classical (before I look classical).

Yup understand about the sweepings that makes sense stuff would pile up, lift the edge. Also want the nailed down look, so it gets burnished around the nails etc.

 

[sixdogs]

The point of adding a brick under each leg in to make bending over easier. It also looks better, although that is somewhat subjective. Every person that saw our setup liked it. FYI.