On Sun, 3 Jan 2016 16:26:58 -0400, Leon Fisk
wrote:

On Sun, 3 Jan 2016 11:56:25 -0600
"Terry Coombs" wrote:

huge snip
I'm figuring that with nothing
else working it's pretty much futile to try with stick .

No experience... but you might yet try Forney Nomacast rods and
your stick welder. I've got some but never got around to trying to fix
the neighbors broke cast iron piece. They are an odd-ball cast iron rod
and not all that expensive. Wouldn't cost you much to give them a
whirl...

http://www.amazon.com/Forney-43400-N...dp/B000GAS21I/

And one last thought, it wouldn't be pretty any more but you could try
scabbing some regular steel to the cast with nickle rods. Maybe shape
the scabs as a U or channel shape and then place over the broken area.
It wouldn't hold up to the heat like cast but might be good enough
(shrug).
Hard to do if he cannet get anything to stick to the existing metal -
and can't get it to fuse - - -
I'd say making a new grate would be simpler. (not saying even that
would be easy)