Just curious what everybody thinks is the minimum acceptable thickness in a steel stove, specifically the top plate, since it gets the most abuse.
Minimum acceptable thickness for steel stoves?
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My cheapo century hearth is 3/16", seems to work fine, as was my old fire view..
1/4" or 5/16" would probably stay hot longer after the fire was out, but the real protection is in your fire brick...
1/4" or 5/16" would probably stay hot longer after the fire was out, but the real protection is in your fire brick...
This question about top plate thickness has to do with longevity, I was hoping some of the stove makers would comment...
Well, I made stoves at one time!
The thickness of the top plate has very little to do with longevity - at least not for the first 20-30 years. There are many stoves with 1.8" and thinner construction which were made in the late 1970's and are fine today. One model the Efel Kamina, was made of very thin steel - something closer to 1/16 - if even that. It had cast liners in the firebox. The life of that stove was about 20-30 years.
Many pellets stoves are made of light sheet metal. Well less than 1/16
Oil and gas furnaces, some which last many decades, are made from relatively thin steel.
It is engineering, design and upkeep which makes stove last longer, not steel thickness.
The thickness of the top plate has very little to do with longevity - at least not for the first 20-30 years. There are many stoves with 1.8" and thinner construction which were made in the late 1970's and are fine today. One model the Efel Kamina, was made of very thin steel - something closer to 1/16 - if even that. It had cast liners in the firebox. The life of that stove was about 20-30 years.
Many pellets stoves are made of light sheet metal. Well less than 1/16
Oil and gas furnaces, some which last many decades, are made from relatively thin steel.
It is engineering, design and upkeep which makes stove last longer, not steel thickness.
[quote author="Webmaster" date="1222231262"]Well, I made stoves at one time!
The thickness of the top plate has very little to do with longevity - at least not for the first 20-30 years. There are many stoves with 1.8" and thinner construction which were made in the late 1970's and are fine today. One model the Efel Kamina, was made of very thin steel - something closer to 1/16 - if even that. It had cast liners in the firebox. The life of that stove was about 20-30 years.
Guess that means that my "bear" with 5/16 on top and 1/4 on the sides is gonna outlive me huh?? 8-/
The thickness of the top plate has very little to do with longevity - at least not for the first 20-30 years. There are many stoves with 1.8" and thinner construction which were made in the late 1970's and are fine today. One model the Efel Kamina, was made of very thin steel - something closer to 1/16 - if even that. It had cast liners in the firebox. The life of that stove was about 20-30 years.
Guess that means that my "bear" with 5/16 on top and 1/4 on the sides is gonna outlive me huh?? 8-/
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