Cook box bow fix attempt

[Samuel]

Looks good enough to me.

 

[Steve Hoch]

I kept alternating their positions every hour and eventually got it good enough. I think if I took the grates out, I could make it even better, but to be honest, it’s effectively fixed and when I try to overdo things, I usually end up breaking something.

View attachment 115523

It looks much better obviously and should stay that way. As nerve-wracking as it is, I would have taken the grates out and gone further to try and get it perfect to the eye.

 

[LMichaels]

It looks much better obviously and should stay that way. As nerve-wracking as it is, I would have taken the grates out and gone further to try and get it perfect to the eye.

Me too. If you put a "square" in there, measure and come just a little "tighter" than square I would think it would be fantastic! But what about my idea of heat?

 

[Steve Hoch]

Me too. If you put a "square" in there, measure and come just a little "tighter" than square I would think it would be fantastic! But what about my idea of heat?

Every time I do this I think about breaking out the torch to heat up that area, but then it isn't necessary. I'm thinking as long as the ambient temperature is high enough to begin with, that it's probably just not needed.

 

[LMichaels]

Well I don't think ambient can ever bring it to a temp that will make it "malleable"

 

[Steve Hoch]

Well I don't think ambient can ever bring it to a temp that will make it "malleable"

No that's for sure. These cook boxes are surprisingly easy to bend without the added heat, I guess that's my point.

 

[LMichaels]

OK, I've never tried so I was not sure.

 

[John-NY]

Well, I can never leave well enough alone.

I have another pair of Silver B grates in my stash that are like a quarter inch shorter than normal.

I put those in and gave it one last squeeze

Now it’s near perfect.

First pic are those shorter grates.
2nd pic is the normal grates back in the cookbox.

Thanks again Steve and Bruce!

 

[Bruce]

I think you are golden now

 

[Steve Hoch]

I would be super happy with that result, great job!

 

[LMichaels]

Me too. I am surprised being cast aluminum they're so malleable

 

[Steve Hoch]

Me too. I am surprised being cast aluminum they're so malleable

You half expect the box to explode while you're cranking down on the pipe clamp, but it doesn't.

 

[LMichaels]

Right? Considering I've shattered more than one.

 

[Cody Bratton]

I don’t know if castings share the same reflective properties as sheet metal. But simply put, with sheet metal you tap the adjacent areas to relieve the stresses in the metal and it helps it to retain its current (while under load) shape. Either way, looks good!

What type of tools were you using? If you don’t mind my asking.