Greetings Makers:
I am primarily an abstract artist and I joined the community.
I am writing this post to inquire about who could i talk to for advice on fabricating a metal box.
I plan to use it for an insert for an indoor fireplace. I have no prior experience in metal working and would just like some guidance on the best way to go about completing my project.
I bought a couple of the inserts that I hope to deconstruct to reverse engineer.
These inserts will eventually be placed in wooden tables to create modern fireplaces.
I have attached a couple of images to this post to give a visual of what I am talking about.
Any help would be Greatly appreciated.
Unless I am missing something, or interpreting something incorrectly, I wish you the best of luck retaining any personal assets if a house containing one of your cloned fire boxes ever catches fire.
Seriously, find a version of the insert with suitable UL and whatever other certifications are relevant. Make sure the required install clearances and other install instructions are compatible with your install. Document how you have complied with them. You are not buying an overpriced box, you are buying a surprisingly cheap set of inspections, certifications, and team of attorneys and insurers to defend that product.
It is also a sales point. Any buyer with disposable income is likely aware that an uncertified fire box in the house voids their fire insurance if it is found to be the cause. Being able to point to the certified, listed manufacture and compliant install will ease that concern.
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Point well taken. I will inspect the the couple the bought for such certifications.
However, it is still a project that I want to attempt. They are more for my personal use than anything.
But I definatly appreciate your feedback.
You’ll need to research the various alloys for their heat resistant properties against burnout. While we used 310L Stainless for a methane gas reformer (it burned natural gas) because it is very durable (20 year working life on our product) it is very difficult to work with.
As stated above, I would definitely find a source for the gas insert part that has a UL approval and don’t just look for the symbol, check online to verify the product/model is in fact registered with UL or equivalent agency for Canada or Europe - most common is CE.
These look great - there is also the issue making sure they are combusting properly to avoid CO vs CO2 (which is okay and reflects better combustion).
Metal Shop at it’s last meeting was discussing getting some additional/better sheet metal working tools. These will be of great help. A Spot Welder & Seamer would be great for your project.
My advice: Don’t make it out of wood. 