Straighten steel plate woodburner

[fizzy]

It used to have a slight v shape. Now it is bent like a banana. Sits on 4 pegs. Keeps falling off. A year or so ago I drilled some holes and put nails through to locate it better.
It was really difficult to drill. I assume it has become case hardened. Will it

shatter if I try to straighten it a bit either with a press or a sledgehammer?
Rather chilly without it.

 

[Kram]

Hotter the better. Wont be hardened and if it was, through hardened but the next best thing - its been in a hot carbon rich enviroment for so long it will now be a very high carbon steel, so likely to be brittle I would think.

 

[Erie Fred]

Drive over with a large truck ?

 

[Rrobson]

Do it while it’s hot, straight out of the fire. Should retain some malleability at those temps.
Depends what material it is but it’s unlikely to crack unless it’s something special or has a good bit of carbon in it. The fact you were able to drill it is promising

 

[fizzy]

I am guessing just mild steel. Will get it very hot first.
Better not drive over it tyre will melt

 

[Erie Fred]

I am guessing just mild steel. Will get it very hot first.
Better not drive over it tyre will melt

Put a chunk of wood on top first.....

 

[Chippie]

Put a chunk of wood on top first.....

Wood will catch fire….it’s from a wood burner…

Ill get me coat…

 

[Erie Fred]

Wood will catch fire….it’s from a wood burner…

Ill get me coat…

Chuck it in the stove immediately there after.....

 

[6ply]

It used to have a slight v shape. Now it is bent like a banana. Sits on 4 pegs. Keeps falling off. A year or so ago I drilled some holes and put nails through to locate it better.
It was really difficult to drill. I assume it has become case hardened. Will itView attachment 433173 shatter if I try to straighten it a bit either with a press or a sledgehammer?
Rather chilly without it.

Is that the baffle plate that sits above the fire? I once knocked ours down by accident and the fire burned like crazy. Thought I was gonna set light to the chimney!!

 

[Brad93]

you want a creep resistant steel for that!

 

[gaz1]

heat the edge up in hot coals then straighten it

then clean off the top with grinder weld another 5mm to it as this will stop it bowing

 

[fizzy]

Is that the baffle plate that sits above the fire? I once knocked ours down by accident and the fire burned like crazy. Thought I was gonna set light to the chimney!!

Yup that's the one.

 

[tom2207]

just turn it over ,,, use it that way ,,, what bent it up may just straighten it out ... next.

 

[Pond frog]

I had to straighten the top baffle plate from my wood stove a couple of weeks ago. I just did it with my fly press took a couple of minutes.
I’m pretty sure it was just mild steel plate about 5mm

 

[fizzy]

just turn it over ,,, use it that way ,,, what bent it up may just straighten it out ... next.

Won't fit the other way far too bent.

 

[nickk]

I made a replacement just like yours as the original shattered like glass when I tried to press it flat,I think the original was cast,iirc cast is preferable as it’s more durable in such a hot environment.

 

[JOEPRO]

My Hunter Hawk 4 used to be run full tilt and would bend the plate after a season. I found people on ebay selling replacement steel plates for cheap and ordered up a few. Aka they are just thick mild steel plate cut and bent to suit as far as I am aware.

 

[Pond frog]

I made a replacement just like yours as the original shattered like glass when I tried to press it flat,I think the original was cast,iirc cast is preferable as it’s more durable in such a hot environment.

I agree cast would be much more durable. The warp in mine was easy enough to fix but it has also lost quite a lot of thickness and will need replacement before next winter. In that harsh environment a mild steel plate will only last a few years

 

[carter13]

Easier to just make a new one. Mine was 4mm plate so replaced it with 6mm plate bent in vice after scoring with 1mm slitting disc. Welded the slits and good to go for another few years. The one below was the original and lasted 8 years, definitely had my money’s worth out of it.

 

[Turbo]

Our oil cooker has a baffle plate in it that burnt out. I replaced it with mild steel but that only lasted a year or so before it was burnt out too. This time I replaced it with thicker hardox & it is fairing a lot better.