So I began the weekend by picking up the material for my block-off plate from the local steel fab company. I have used them for several projects, always got top-notch service. I had sent them a drawing with measurements. I didn't measure the material since they always had been spot-on. That was my first mistake.
My second mistake was accepting the material when they told me they used 18 gauge steel instead of the 20 gauge they usually provide.
So I went home and proceeded to make the block-off plate presuming the material was cut to the correct dimensions - it wasn't. It was ~3 inches too long on the long side and correct on the short side. I found this out when I tried to dry fit the plate. I also found that the plate was about 1/2 inch wider that I specified.
So after a whole bunch of cussin' and such. I proceeded to trim the 18 gauge plate to the correct size. 18 gauge is a good bit thicker than 22 gauge (what I requested). It is much harder to bend, unbend, cut to size with tin snips, and re-bend. I also had to break out some of the smoke shelf in order to get the 6 inch stainless flue to come down the chimney in an acceptable location. I rented a small demo hammer from HD to do the breaking.
Long story short, I got the block-off plate installed with the 6" flue through it Saturday night at about 11:30 and called it a night.
Sunday mid-day we started the install for Clyde #2. That part went ahead fairly smoothly. We were able to lift up the flue, slide the Clydesdale into place and drop the flue into the top with little difficulty. I then finished out the surround and went up on the roof to add rauxal bats around the top of the chimney and finish out the top plate installation.
I let the furnace cement dry on the appliance connector and had a fire break-in fire going by about 8:00 last night.
I understand why many installers are unwilling to install a block-off plate. I spent more than a day getting mine installed on Clyde #2.
My second mistake was accepting the material when they told me they used 18 gauge steel instead of the 20 gauge they usually provide.
So I went home and proceeded to make the block-off plate presuming the material was cut to the correct dimensions - it wasn't. It was ~3 inches too long on the long side and correct on the short side. I found this out when I tried to dry fit the plate. I also found that the plate was about 1/2 inch wider that I specified.
So after a whole bunch of cussin' and such. I proceeded to trim the 18 gauge plate to the correct size. 18 gauge is a good bit thicker than 22 gauge (what I requested). It is much harder to bend, unbend, cut to size with tin snips, and re-bend. I also had to break out some of the smoke shelf in order to get the 6 inch stainless flue to come down the chimney in an acceptable location. I rented a small demo hammer from HD to do the breaking.
Long story short, I got the block-off plate installed with the 6" flue through it Saturday night at about 11:30 and called it a night.
Sunday mid-day we started the install for Clyde #2. That part went ahead fairly smoothly. We were able to lift up the flue, slide the Clydesdale into place and drop the flue into the top with little difficulty. I then finished out the surround and went up on the roof to add rauxal bats around the top of the chimney and finish out the top plate installation.
I let the furnace cement dry on the appliance connector and had a fire break-in fire going by about 8:00 last night.
I understand why many installers are unwilling to install a block-off plate. I spent more than a day getting mine installed on Clyde #2.
