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Anonymous
Guest
Does anyone know where I can get one from or have a link to a website. I'm after one around 32" x 16".
Thanks
Alan
Thanks
Alan
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Anonymous
Guest
A google 'fire baskets' brought up a whole load of sites.
Try 'fire grates' too.
Also - look in Yellow Pages for a local blacksmith, who may be able to make you something a little bit different?
Try 'fire grates' too.
Also - look in Yellow Pages for a local blacksmith, who may be able to make you something a little bit different?
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Anonymous
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Before you spend your hard earnt remember that wood burns best on the ground on a bed of ashes whilst coal needs to be 'up'. Treat a basket for wood as something to stop logs roling out of the fireplace rather than something in which to hold them up. Mike.
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Anonymous
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Absolutely right, Mike. In the library at Brodsworth Hall there was a huge log fire (tree-trunks from the estate, apparently) that burned away happily on a growing pile of ash.
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Anonymous
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I have to say that while I know this is the theory, we have never had any trouble burning logs on our Franklin stove or in our very raised Geo hobgrate.
I think narrow firebars help - so that some layer of hot ash is retained and doesn't just fall through.
Firedogs and a low swan neck type grate to sit on them seem to be popular.
My own problem with an 'uncontained' fire is that unless it's constantly burning or you have servants to clear the hearth once the fire goes out, it does look very messy until you light it again.
I came across an ad for this firm in the back of a mag. I have no idea of how good anything they purvey actually is, and have never purchased anything from them, but they may be worth a search of their website for starters.
http://www.kingsworthyfoundry.co.uk
I think narrow firebars help - so that some layer of hot ash is retained and doesn't just fall through.
Firedogs and a low swan neck type grate to sit on them seem to be popular.
My own problem with an 'uncontained' fire is that unless it's constantly burning or you have servants to clear the hearth once the fire goes out, it does look very messy until you light it again.
I came across an ad for this firm in the back of a mag. I have no idea of how good anything they purvey actually is, and have never purchased anything from them, but they may be worth a search of their website for starters.
http://www.kingsworthyfoundry.co.uk
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Anonymous
Guest
I bought a grate and cast iron fireback from Kingsworthy at my last house (in Hampshire). They seemed solidly made, the fireback in particular could definitely give you a hernia just trying to lift it. This (the weight not the hernia) is a problem if you don't live in the same area as the foundry, of course, as it is very expensive in postage/carrier charges. It is also best to see the articles before buying as they can vary in quality and design. A local blacksmith might be a good idea for a grate as they are not a particularly complex item. If you were in mid Wales I might sell you mine as I brought both grate and fireback with me and they've been in the shed for six years 'cos I put in a wood burner instead of an open fire.....
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Anonymous
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ahh.. so that explains the success of my completely unfinished fireplace.. I'd had the old gas fire ripped out (which turned out not to be connected to any gas anyway) and got impatient with finding something suitable to replace so just lit a fire in the hole as it was.. once it got going the wood burned away merrily on the brick plinth than had been the hearth for the gas firebasket thing but the smokelss coal was much less happy.. the question is, if the layer of ash is helping, should I be leaving the remnants of the last fire to light the next fire on top of? (anything to avoid extra cleaning.. <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/wink.gif" BORDER=0 ALT="
"> )
"> )
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Anonymous
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I'd just leave it to accumulate until it begins to spill out over the floor.
(Don't you just love the NT's advice in its housekeeping book - to avoid over-zealous cleaning of almost everything? When we bought our first old house we were given a copy of an earlier edition and it's been my cast-iron excuse for sloppy housekeeping ever since.)
(Don't you just love the NT's advice in its housekeeping book - to avoid over-zealous cleaning of almost everything? When we bought our first old house we were given a copy of an earlier edition and it's been my cast-iron excuse for sloppy housekeeping ever since.)
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Anonymous
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sounds good to me.. <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/smile.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=""> sounds like a book I need a copy of.. tho its fairly obvious from the state of my house that I've been unknowingly following that advice anyway.. <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/wink.gif" BORDER=0 ALT="">
"> sounds like a book I need a copy of.. tho its fairly obvious from the state of my house that I've been unknowingly following that advice anyway.. <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/wink.gif" BORDER=0 ALT="">
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Anonymous
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Absolutely Becca. I have no idea why a bed of cold ashes helps but it does! Perhaps some scientific type person can explain all of this? Mike.
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Anonymous
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I've done a google and an ask jeeves and I'm still none the wiser.. and technically I am a scientific person, but alas, the wrong science, you want any biology advice I'm yer girl tho.. <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/wink.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=""> best I can come up with is maybe it insulates the new fire from the cold stone below and possibly, being all fluffy, has air trapped in it which would help combustion.. or maybe if partially combusted it acts as extra fine kindling.. but this may all be (and probably is) complete twaddle.. <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/oh.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=":O">P off to buy firewood and test a few hypotheses.. <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/oh.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=":O">)
"> best I can come up with is maybe it insulates the new fire from the cold stone below and possibly, being all fluffy, has air trapped in it which would help combustion.. or maybe if partially combusted it acts as extra fine kindling.. but this may all be (and probably is) complete twaddle.. <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/oh.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=":O">P off to buy firewood and test a few hypotheses.. <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/oh.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=":O">)
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Anonymous
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Hmmm... consider charcoal, which is already burnt to a crisp, then re-lights to provide considerable heat...
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Anonymous
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yes, I think that must be at least part of the reason.. from vague memory of my school chemistry its actually very difficult to something totally, and with a fire simply built on a hearth, alot of the material that gets left over won't have got enough oxygen for complete combustion so there'll still be a few calories left in it to help the next fire get going, and being in small particles, rather than a dirty great log, I expect they'll be a more easily accesible fuel source as the fire initially heats up so it'll heat up a bit quicker and get going faster..
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Anonymous
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Why, oh why, didn't they tell us things like that? Two simultaneous threads that refer to what we learned at school - there must have been lots more useful stuff that we'd have remembered if only we'd known it had some use outside the classroom (though I have my doubts about algebra).
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Anonymous
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Moo - as one who failed my maths o level several times, I regret not paying more attention! Mind you, I agree about algebra - never found a use for that. But three dimensional geometry... now there's a subject! As soon as I had to cut roofs that subject became totally absorbing and very beautiful. Mike.
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Anonymous
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We didn't do the 3D sort, but I too really enjoyed that bit of maths. Passed O-level maths (just) but chickened out of all the sciences. What a waste of time so much of it was.