Ash Pot/Container

While it's convenient to keep a pail in the house the dust and ash seem to make a mess as it accumulates from dumping. I use a similar pail but keep it outside. Either way be fire safe. Outside the ash melted through heavy built up ice, hot.

I use a 5 gallon metal bucket and a large wok lid on top in the house and a large metal trash can outside.
I want something that looks nice and will probably buy something from plow and hearths web site
before next season.

I can't imagine there being much worthwhile heat retention to ash.
Same with the mud on the bottom of my shoe.
Out.

I use the same type 10 gal can. If you want it pretty, paint it with stove paint. It will get hot when you are removing ash/coals. I keep my in the basement on the concrete and empty it once a week. I clean the ashes out a little every day as more ash equals less fire box space.

I found a very cool looking pail about 3 gal that looks to be painted white like an old bathtub. Originally I thought it was a milking pail with a lid but a friend who deals antique told me it is actually an old chamber pot! It has a wire metal handle with a turned wooden grip that spins. Looks really nice sitting on my stone hearth. Lid just sits on top without really sealing and I've never had any ash leak out with it on.

ash holder

This is a good one as the lid keeps dust inside. We like it especially for the Fireview because we find it sits at the right height so you can just rake the ashes from the stove into the ash holder instead of having to scoop them out. Just open the lid, rake ashes in and let the lid close as soon as you get the ashes in. It also carries nicely (by either male or female) and no mess in the house. If you put hot coals in and want to leave it on the hearth (providing the hearth is large enough) it will work great for this.

OH YEAH,, A chamber pot to put your ash in......................

I put a 4 qt sauce pan inside the fire box door. Then use a small shovel to get the ashes into the pan. That way when I tip the ashes off the shovel, ash/dust seems to go up the chimney and not in the house. Then take the pan ouside and empty the ash into a galvanised trash can. Sometimes it's a two tripper, depending.

Flame said:

Thanks for some great tips guys,
I got'ta scratch my noggin on this one for a while
That Chamber Pot could come in handy when you just can't pry yourself away from the stove ! :bug:

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Re. Chamber Pot, if you were poor or careless with your money the elders would say "that you didn't even have a pot to p** in"

I bought one of these sets:

http://www.fireplaceessentials.com/c96/Black-Ash-Container-and-Shovel-Set-p783.html

Kinda spendy, but it's pretty well made, with a double steel bottom with air space between the bottoms, which makes it safer no matter where I decide to leave it while the coals & ashes cool. The shovel that came with it was too long to fit into the bucket and put the lid on, and was also too long to be real useful for cleaning out a woodstove firebox. I have a couple of really old short little ash shovels, so I took the one that came with this set and snipped and bent and drilled and pop-riveted...and voila!, an ash rake that fits in the bucket.

I use a galvenizes 3-4 gallon wash bucket that I bought from Home Depot and put a metal trash can lid on it. something interesting: I was dumping the ashes a few weeks ago and the bucket with the week old ashes outside Still had Hot Coals in it....so I would be careful of CO getting into my home with a bucket sitting there cooling off.....Mike

mtarbert said:

I use a galvenizes 3-4 gallon wash bucket that I bought from Home Depot and put a metal trash can lid on it. something interesting: I was dumping the ashes a few weeks ago and the bucket with the week old ashes outside Still had Hot Coals in it....so I would be careful of CO getting into my home with a bucket sitting there cooling off.....Mike

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Excellent point Mike. We're finding that many Co and fire detectors do not detect low levels of air contamination. With all the homes closed to winter weather many people think they have a mild case of the flue. Even more critical for younger children with less tolerance. Drs. at ERs don't always think of Co poisoning when they spend all day with flue patients. Be safe.

Crab steamer, Hon! Adds that "Nautical" flair to your hearth. They are made of porcelainized steel and have a tight lid to keep in the steam and fumes. I have two that I rotate until they have cooled off. Mine fits just under the ash lip of my Quad, and most of the dust gets sucked back in the stove, if it's still hot and drawing well. I accumulate 2-4 weeks of ash at a time and have never seen the Nighthawk move off of zero. Just make sure you leave it on the non flammable hearth until it cools off. Works great!!

Chris

$79.95 +shipping & handling for a cast iron ash box.
I guess some people just don't have to pay $24,000.oo a year for property tax.

I have to save all the money I get each year ,just to give it all to the city, with only 2000 left for me to try to live on, so that they don't take my all paid for house away. Property tax when my dad owned the same house was only $4000 a year.
I was doing ok until this year, when they raised taxes, for the fourth time, from 16,ooo to 24,000 a yr. I could live on 10k a yr. but 2 k ,no way.

Too greedy tax raising & spend like water, democrats, burn in hell! Now I'll have to go back to work at age 60 as a independent after warrantee pellet stove repairman.

I use an empty 5 gal roofing tar bucket with a tight fitting lid that came with it. it has a wire handle with a plastic hand holder. $20.oo & tax at tru value hardware store, but you have to use the roofing tar that comes in the free bucket. You can put the roofing tar in 5 empty 1 gal paint cans that you can buy for 1.oo each at hd & save it for when you need it.
It keeps just about forever.

One day , after I empied out the stove into the bucket & put the bucket outside,the coals burned some of the paint off the outside of the bucket. There is an ugly black stop there now. Need some hi temp stove paint for it now.

Sure you have, Hon! You seen this before:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21qrG3bOdkL._AA160_.jpg

(Shamelessly stolen from Amazon)

My wife found a couple in VG shape as part of a lot at an auction in Hunt Valley. Didn't even cost a dollar. They are very heat tolerant and should have a tight lid. I tend to wait 'till the fire has died out a bit before shoveling, but never felt the need to take it outside. YMMV. The lid tends to snuff out the coals anyway.

Got some "Maryland style" crabs in FLA once. They had never heard of Old Bay! Oh, well...

Us Baltimorons have to stick together!

I have a large 30 gallon galvinized trash barrel out side my back door. I take my ash pan and just dump it in there so the mess stays outside.

WoodButcher

MMMMmmmmmm. Old Bay on fries. Douse 'em in vinegar first and your good to go!

Now, I'm really going to bring on the homesickness: Pit beef at Chaps on Pulaski Hwy! How about a Bergers' cookie? Angelina's (or anyone's) crab cake?

Better quit before I get canned...

Apologies to the rest of the forum for the sidetrack.

Chris