To answer your question, yes the rebar is flush with the sides. It keeps the charcoal within the 1/2'' fire box just above the ash pan. A lot of guys have changed from the solid mounted fire grate to a removable grate, that in my opinion has several benefits over a permanent grate. They weld a piece of angle iron or flat bar to the walls of the ash pan and build a grate that slides in just below the fire box. Here's a link that might help to explain it a little better, if not just look through the GF builds and there are several more with pictures in there. https://smokerbuilder.com/forums/viewto ... 149&t=7332