OWB Tools

[sw18x]

I haven’t seen any discussion about this so I thought I’d bring it up…

What kind of tools do you OWB owners use to play around with in the firebox? I inherited an old hoe and steel rake (both with wood handles) when we moved into the house. The former owner was using them in the OWB, so I did the same. It wasn’t too long before the hoe end fell right off, leaving a curved metal “hook” at the end of the pole. That simple metal hook turned out to be the best tool I could ask for to move wood around with in the firebox. Too bad the hook finally dropped off a couple weeks ago. I’m finding a lot of stuff for sale has fiberglass handles, but I found a few tools on this website that look like they might do the trick.

FIRE HOOKS UNLIMITED - Fire Hooks

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

I bought a rake at Walmart and cut the outside tines off of it so I had a rake that is about 6" wide. I rounded off the points a little so they were not so sharp in the event I accidentally bambed it off the inside of the boiler while yanking chucks around. If I remember correctly I believe I cut the handle length down a little as well as it was longer than I needed. Works great for me and I use the back flat side of the rake for scraping creosote off the side walls and shelf of the boiler. Also have an small aluminum coal shovel and broom for keeping the area around the OWB tidy. Thats about all the tools I have hanging nearby. I do have a steel poker with a small hook on the end but never use it. The rake seems to do everything I need to do and worked better for me.

 

[greendohn]

I use a steel garden rake some. I find the rake handy for moving the coals around. I've gotta long wooden poker I use to push a piece of wood into place way in the back if my tossing skills don't get it where I want it. I also have a long hoe looking tool which came with the stove. The one side is curved to fit the contour of the drum/firebox and the back side is flat which can be handy for scraping the door frame clean.

 

[chiefs584ever]

I have been thinking of making a tool with a old steel scoop shovel by cutting the center out of the scoop shovel and riviting in 1/4" wire mesh. I wonder if this would work to help separate the ash from the coals. Could be a handy tool to have prior to cleaning out the Central Boiler. Might be a good project someday while in the shop sipping on a cold one. Always trying to think of more ways to extract more heat out of those coals.

 

[OH_Varmntr]

Once I got my welder wired up and running I'll be making a different kind of shovel. A lot of my coals burn down to ash and when the firebox gets full of ashes I have a hard time of separating the coals from the ash when shoveling it all out. I end up shoveling out a lot of hot coals still and I don't want to do that.

So I'm going to make a screening shovel that sifts the ashes out from the coals and lets me shovel the coals out into a bucket for later. Kind of like a scooped pitchfork but with the tines closer together. Once all the hot coals are into a bucket, I'll shovel the ashes out into a 55gal drum I have set aside for that purpose, then throw the hot coals back in and fill it up with wood.

Other than that, I just use a rake to scrape the buildup off the walls.

 

[OH_Varmntr]

I have been thinking of making a tool with a old steel scoop shovel by cutting the center out of the scoop shovel and riviting in 1/4" wire mesh. I wonder if this would work to help separate the ash from the coals. Could be a handy tool to have prior to cleaning out the Central Boiler. Might be a good project someday while in the shop sipping on a cold one. Always trying to think of more ways to extract more heat out of those coals.

Google "sifting shovels" and you'll find what you're thinking about. Should work, but seems like the mesh isn't open enough for my likings.

 

[HEAVY FUEL]

I use a steel garden rake some. I find the rake handy for moving the coals around. I've gotta long wooden poker I use to push a piece of wood into place way in the back if my tossing skills don't get it where I want it. I also have a long hoe looking tool which came with the stove. The one side is curved to fit the contour of the drum/firebox and the back side is flat which can be handy for scraping the door frame clean.

Yep. You can weld a piece of pipe on them for a strong handle as well.

 

[Fuzly]

The dealer I got mine from actually threw in a new garden rake. I've got an old hook that my Dad's friend made for him when they had an indoor wood furnace. And I bought a flat shovel to get ashes out and scrape the box.

 

[Canton]

Ditto. I have the end of rake welded on a piece of 3/4" round stock for the fire, and a custom hoe that fits the radius of my round shaver's firebox for removing the ashes. I like the fire tools web site - interesting stuff.

 

[sw18x]

A sifting shovel might be something I'd like to try out. Sounds like most people use a rake and that's what I'm using right now but that metal hook just seemed to be perfect for moving wood around. Looking around at prices for those firehooks I might have to build my own though - I guess those supply companies figure if it's tax payer dollars they can charge whatever they want for fire fighting equipment. I saw some "firehooks" retailing for $250!

 

[vinced]

I made one from a piece of 5/8" rod I had laying around. It is 50" long with a 6" 90 degree bend on one end. The other end I welded a triangle out of 5/8" rod for a handle. Works great for the last 6 years.