On 01/03/2016 10:56 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
I have decided to give up and admit those wood stove grates have defeated
me . I have done a lot of research in addition to the excellent advice y'all
have given me and this just ain't happening .
These grates have been repeatedly overheated in a high-carbon environment
, and have apparently absorbed so much carbon as to render them unrepairable

I have run into that. Years ago, a friend asked for some help on a job
he was asked to do that was for a company that did primate research. The
welding was some 1/4" 6000 series aluminum. Nothing that either of us
could do would make the aluminum do anything except sparkle and
disappear. 20 years of soaking in monkey **** and chlorine bleach
rendered that job impossible.

BobH