Fireplace fiddling and fettling.

[Manks]

To cure a smokey fireplace I am considering having a hood or partial hood installed. However as the surround is a nice stone one, I don't want to use bog standard sheet steel.

I basically want the visible part of the hood to have some detailing and I wondered if anyone had any good ideas please?

The surround is a gothicy looking one a bit like this and the hood will be visible below the arched lintel of the surround:

http://www.ukhomeideas.co.uk/ideas/heating-fireplaces/fire-surrounds/scottish-gothic-fire-surround-by-templestone

Manks

 

[Penners]

I should have thought that, with a surround as ornate as that, you need a hood that's as simple as possible. If you start adding twiddly bits to the hood as well you risk ending up with a right old canine repast.

I would have a simple steel hood made and polish it with grate polish. Then it won't visually "fight" with the surround.

 

[Nemesis]

I think I'd also mock it up first with something to ensure it would work.

Then spray it matt black. Totally agree Penners - the pud can have too many eggs.

 

[Flyfisher]

I agree with something simple so as not to detract or compete with the surround, but sheet steel doesn't feel right for the gothic theme. Something made from wrought iron, perhaps? Still simple but with signs of 'working' instead of machining. A job for the local forge perhaps?

This is assuming money is no object of course!

 

[Nemesis]

Not sure you can actually get wrought iron any more - the genuine stuff - stopped being manufactured in about 1972. Something I read this week in the course of research.

 

[Nemesis]

Hope - as with all things, there's one place still makes it:

http://www.realwroughtiron.com/

( I am the World's Greatest Living Bore on Phoenix Columns (and some real expertise also, as used at the Smithfield Inquiry):

http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FMAM%2FMAM13_S02%2FS1431927607077434a.pdf&code=faafc5269961fe1aa22b52fd9ff5084a

 

[Flyfisher]

I confess I didn't realise wrought iron was such a rarity these days. I assumed it was fairly standard stuff that blacksmiths bash about (apologies to any blacksmiths out there!).

My real point was that something made that way might look more 'gothic' than a piece of rolled/folded/welded steel. Not that a steel piece would necessarily look like a piece of car bodywork, of course.

 

[Penners]

I agree with something simple so as not to detract or compete with the surround, but sheet steel doesn't feel right for the gothic theme. Something made from wrought iron, perhaps? Still simple but with signs of 'working' instead of machining. A job for the local forge perhaps?

I'm not sure what you have in mind, FF. A hood/cowl will necessarily be made of some sort of sheet material, and once it's painted or Zebo'd I don't think you'll be able to tell the difference between steel and wrought iron.

Except that wrought iron would be very difficult to get hold of - particularly in sheet form.

If the OP wanted it to look bashed about a bit, steel will accept bashing just as well as wrought iron

 

[Nemesis]

In my view, it needs to not at all compete with the surround - it's a functional thing and trying to make it look Olde Worlde will look - well, naff really.

Thick sheet steel will look fine once painted.

 

[Penners]

it needs to not at all compete with the surround

Yup

 

[Manks]

I really should have added that whilst the same shape, our surround lacks the twiddly bits of the one shown.

I was wondering about a very minor design along the edge of a folded sheet steel effort. But I am not sure who could do it cost-effectively. I wonder if the blacksmith would be a good starting point.

Manks

 

[Nemesis]

Yes, something to edge it, but I would keep it very simple. And it all adds to the cost.

(Wot - nothing as fancy? How disappointing! I thought you had developed delusions of grandeur, burning the odd peasant and ravishing the serving wenches in front of it, now my vision is shattered.)

 

[Flyfisher]

I'm not sure what you have in mind, FF.

Nor am I really, in terms of the design anyway. I just thought something 'blacksmithed' might suit it better than a bit of panelwork. We've all said it shouldn't compete with the surround though. A folded edge with rivets perhaps?

I once had a fireplace hood made from steel by a local metal fabrication firm - a simple cut/fold/weld job. The sort of thing someone might do in their lunch hour for some folding stuff - depending on the type of establishment.

Yell.com would be a good place to start looking, followed by a visit..

 

[chuckey]

Your problem as I understand is that the fire smokes into the room. The reason for this is that there is insufficient draw on the fire. This means that the gas velocity at the entrance to the flue is too low. Could be due to a short a flue, too big a flue or a poorly shaped flue or even a too large a fire place. I would experiment by fitting a throat to your flue. Make it out of wood* as a start then get one manufactured when its size has been established. What I would start of with is a board right across the width of the fire place, fixed to back of the chimney breast and angled upwards at 45 degrees, reducing the depth of the flue by 25%. Proper fire places have this fitted as part of the masonary. The theory is as the hot gases flow through the reduced gap, their velocity increases, so the static pressure goes negative and cold air from the room will be drawn into the flue.
My father-in-laws chimney smoked and he had a very nice copper hood made. It basicaly "caught " some of the smoke that came into the room. i.e. it was not the hoped for cure. From memory, the fire opening was about 16" wide X 20" high, some of this was the grate, his hood stuck out about 6" and was nicely angled at about 45 degrees. Oh yes, his problem was that the house was a bungalow!
Frank.
* warning wood can catch fire

 

[Penners]

* warning wood can catch fire

A timely Health & Safety warning to us all there, Frank. I shall keep it in mind the next time I throw a log on the fire. :wink:

 

[Cloudscape]

I wonder if the blacksmith would be a good starting point.

Or even someone who makes replica armour?

 

[Penners]

someone who makes replica armour?

Good idea. The Yellow Pages are full of them. :wink:

 

[Nemesis]

Before doing anything I'd certainly mock things up to see if it has any effect at all.


Actually makers of replica armour are not as hard to come by as you might think.

http://www.histrenact.co.uk/societies/ecws/traders.php

 

[Penners]

Thanks for the list.

My greaves could do with a bit of servicing.

 

[Nemesis]

I'm not offering.