RF firebox rebuild

[uga fan]

I'm in the planning stages of reworking my firebox, 1 bc the morons that built it made it too small and 2 I wanna play with my new plasma/TIG/stick machine. I've considered turning the top flat part of my firebox into a flat top grill. Has anyone ever tried or thought about doing that? Feedback, questions and thoughts are more than welcome!!

 

[shoneyboy]

uga fan , I'd like to know more about the plasma/tig/stick machine.......

 

[uga fan]

Sure, I heard alot of good things about this company on a welding forum. Based out of Oregon I believe. Its a 40/160 machine and is rated to cut 5/8" material cleanly and severcut 3/4", not that I will ever be using anything that thick. I will post the link to their site for u.

 

[uga fan]

http://www.parkermetalworking.com/index.html is the link to their site

 

[uga fan]

Just wondering if I should use stainless as the flat top surface or cast iron. Should I drill some holes in the top of the firebox with "dampers" to improve/decrease heat transfer? Surely somebody has some experience or input..

 

[jweller]

That is certainly an impressive machine for the money. I'm interested in how it works for you.

I made the top of my firebox with the thought that I could just throw a cast iron skillet on it and cook that way, but there isn't anyway to control heat that way.  I had been thinking of a way to raise/lower a second plate on top of the FB to try and control heat, not sure how that would work though. I would not vent the top of the box, since air is lazy and it will just go out the box that way, instead of the much more difficult path through the CC. For the surface, I would probably go with whichever one you could get a good deal on. Cast will require some upkeep if it sits outside uncovered.

 

[uga fan]

Thanks, I will be sure to give a review when it arrives and I start playing with it!! Hopefully it will come in today!!

As far as the cook top, here was my idea.. Take some 1/4" angle iron and construct a frame, with the flange facing inward toward the center of the firebox. Cut my cook top to sit inside the frame and have a 1/4" gap between it and the firebox. Cut a 2-3" hole in the center of the firebox top and use some 1/4" flat stock as a "damper" coming out thru the angle iron. With the cook top tacked down over the damper, it should keep it sealing to the firebox nice and tight. On one corner of the cook top, cut and weld in a 1" threaded nipple to serve as an exhaust for when the damper is open. It would really allow me to pull heat under the cooking surface and I could screw on a test cap when I wasn't using the cook top. Between the seal n the firebox top and the screw cap, I would think heat loss would be very minimal. How does that sound to u guys?