Okay, so one of the most difficult things for me to source throughout my whole smoker build were the grates. I wasn't able to find a good "off the shelf" grate that would fit properly without it costing an arm and a leg...$80+ each.
Stainless expanded metal was was to rich for my blood as well...so I settled for mild steel expanded metal. Based on the minimal amount of material needed and my lack of experience working metal I thought it easier to bid the job out, seems small and simple for a metal fab shop, just shear off some pieces to size and make a quick bend and be done with it. I bid the project out to several local companies sending them each the same set of plans/diagram for what I wanted. Prices ranged from $150-$450...for the same thing!
I was then able to find a company over the internet willing to do this same project for $80 plus $30 shipping or $110 to my door. They too were a local metal fab shop, just not local to me. $40 doesn't seem like all that much money however it is when you think about the percent cost difference, about 36%. After numerous emails to this company who was very nice and easy to work with I decided to give it a go and placed an order for 3/4 x #9 mild steel expanded metal.
Below are some photos of what arrived. Everything was as described except for the pattern is running the wrong way. I specifically explained how these were going to be used and asked that they run the pattern so that the grates were strongest across the middle where they are unsupported. I went as far as to send them a photo of the smoker so they could also see where they would be placed. The way they are made up, the bends do nothing for support and if I lay the grates out supported on the other short edges they are actually way more rigid despite there being no bend and the unsupported distance much longer.
It seems pretty obvious that the pattern should have went the other way which is what I was expecting and that brings me to a problem. Do I kindly ask that they re-do the project running the pattern of the grates the other way? If so, am i expected to pay for this or do they re-do for no charge? Who pays for shipping? $30 to send these back, $30 to ship the new ones here again. Or am I nuts thinking I will get them to do anything? Is it my fault for not ordering local where I could have seen/shown them exactly how i wanted them made up?
Or do I try to modify these grates to work somehow? Bring them to a local fab shop and have something welded to them trying to add support that way? Maybe ask for a partial refund and put that money towards part of the "repair" bill instead? I do not own a welder but at this point an almost thinking about buying a cheapy from Harbor Freight and learning to fix the darn things.
I went the route of frameless based on the existing shelf supports on the sides, the grates fit well and there is no room for a frame around the grate unless I were to make them smaller. Maybe weld a flat piece of metal on the bent sides? Still wont add any support on the other side. One grate has 2 bends, was going to be my heavy duty Turkey/Ham, etc grate.
Please help!
Stainless expanded metal was was to rich for my blood as well...so I settled for mild steel expanded metal. Based on the minimal amount of material needed and my lack of experience working metal I thought it easier to bid the job out, seems small and simple for a metal fab shop, just shear off some pieces to size and make a quick bend and be done with it. I bid the project out to several local companies sending them each the same set of plans/diagram for what I wanted. Prices ranged from $150-$450...for the same thing!
I was then able to find a company over the internet willing to do this same project for $80 plus $30 shipping or $110 to my door. They too were a local metal fab shop, just not local to me. $40 doesn't seem like all that much money however it is when you think about the percent cost difference, about 36%. After numerous emails to this company who was very nice and easy to work with I decided to give it a go and placed an order for 3/4 x #9 mild steel expanded metal.
Below are some photos of what arrived. Everything was as described except for the pattern is running the wrong way. I specifically explained how these were going to be used and asked that they run the pattern so that the grates were strongest across the middle where they are unsupported. I went as far as to send them a photo of the smoker so they could also see where they would be placed. The way they are made up, the bends do nothing for support and if I lay the grates out supported on the other short edges they are actually way more rigid despite there being no bend and the unsupported distance much longer.
It seems pretty obvious that the pattern should have went the other way which is what I was expecting and that brings me to a problem. Do I kindly ask that they re-do the project running the pattern of the grates the other way? If so, am i expected to pay for this or do they re-do for no charge? Who pays for shipping? $30 to send these back, $30 to ship the new ones here again. Or am I nuts thinking I will get them to do anything? Is it my fault for not ordering local where I could have seen/shown them exactly how i wanted them made up?
Or do I try to modify these grates to work somehow? Bring them to a local fab shop and have something welded to them trying to add support that way? Maybe ask for a partial refund and put that money towards part of the "repair" bill instead? I do not own a welder but at this point an almost thinking about buying a cheapy from Harbor Freight and learning to fix the darn things.
I went the route of frameless based on the existing shelf supports on the sides, the grates fit well and there is no room for a frame around the grate unless I were to make them smaller. Maybe weld a flat piece of metal on the bent sides? Still wont add any support on the other side. One grate has 2 bends, was going to be my heavy duty Turkey/Ham, etc grate.
Please help!
