Coal Basket Advice

It will get less oxygen with solid side plates

I think you would want expanded metal on all sides for better airflow.

Porchpup said:

I'm going to have a coal basket made for my Bandera by a guy at work that can do all the welding.
So here's my plan. I'd like it to hang from the top adjustable shelf tabs so it can be lifted out from the top.
Dimensions will be around 13"x15" and around 6" deep and hang to allow 2 or 3 inches from the bottom of the fire box.
(The black outline is the fire box, blue is the basket.) The bottom and sides A and B will be expanded steel.
So here's the question....I was thinking of doing sides C and D with solid plate steel. Is this a good idea or not?
Would it be better for side B to be plate steel since it will be nearest to the smoke chamber and be level or above the chamber opening.
What do you folks think. TIA

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1. Use steel plate on both C&D.
2. Use 1/2 inch rebar spaced on 1 inch centers in the bottom expanded will burn out too soon.
3. Use 3/4 #9 expanded Standard (not flattened) metal in A & B.
4. The right hand D shelf tab will have to be shorter on it's right side to get passed the fire box door latch when inserting/removing or adjusting height.

The measurements will have to be precise or it won't fit and sit on the factory tabs.

And if you use removable dividers you will have a long lasting kick butt basket.

Like this, I built about 30 of these for the Brethren and had ZERO complaints except for when I stopped making them :shock: and then it was :icon_pissed.

There you have it. Good luck.

P.S. The fire box will last longer with steel plates in C&D.

Porchpup said:

Thanks Al you're the man. :icon_cool I have seen and admired your design.
The only concern I have is the bottom. Small pieces of the lump coal would fall thru.
I'm sure that can be easily be solved by a drop-in sheet of expanded metal.
When it burns out just drop a new one in.

It looks like yours sets on the bottom tabs and slides in from the FB door?
Can you share the overall dimensions. Thanks so much.

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The gap in expanded is wider, got more burn time with the rebar.

No it loads from the top, it won't fit thru FB door and I just found that I never had to move it up or down.

There were several designs and testing here and in NY (Phil) before the final and I do not have all the exact dimensions any more (they were on my work bench top, Duh). Rough but here is what I could find, all are outside dimensions: about 14" wide x 16.5" long X 6" high.

Once the design was final, I built multiple jigs to built 'em and did not measure any thing any more (lazy mod). I might still be building them if steel prices had not tripled and shipping gone out of sight, it weighs about 40 lbs:icon_pissed.

All your measurements will have to incorporate what ever the thickness materials you use.

Porchpup said:

Also what thickness plate steel did you use?

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3/16" x 6"

Make sure you leave enough room for the lock on the side fire door.

Speaking from experience. :icon_smil