QuadraFire Mt Vernon Firepot Tips

i'm burnin softwood pellets and don't get the deposits you speak of just light ash that cleans easily
i have a stiff bristled brush duct taped to my shop vac attachment that i clean the heat ex with

ditto here, just light ash which comes off easily. what are you burning that requires a chisel?

try softwood pellets
more btu
less ash

what 2 brands?

I'm almost through my first ton of NEWP Premium hardwood (tan bag, maroon lettering). I'm not having much difficulty with deposits either, though I agree it can be hard to see to the bottom of the pot. I need to find a mirror.

On the floor I use a special scraper I made, teeth on one end and blade on the other. For the sides I use a course sand paper, like 60 grit.

remove ash pan and hold floor up with other hand???

Your cutoff plate at the bottom of the pot may also be part of the problem as to why you are getting buildup in so many places. I had my firepot out while doing pre-season inspection and I altered that area. I first used files and stanley square to get the bottom perfectly (+/-) flat and parallel to the pivot stub. I also used the plate with chalk rubbed on it, (red lipstick works too) to place on it to kiss off the high spots. Then I altered the pivot pin shoulder length with some very thin shims I made to bring the cutoff plate solidly and evenly up against the bottom of the pot. I also had to tweak on the pivot stub a bit.

The reason for this madness is to stop air bypass at the bottom of the pot. This allows the air to create the right swirl pattern to reduce clinkers. I only get slight (about 1/32") buildup at top left corner and bottom right corner of the angle cut of the pot and the right 1/3 of the cutoff plate. I use a vacuum to first suck out the loose stuff, then a 5/8" flat chisel to scrape those clinker areas. Pressure dragging vertically along the cutoff plate to remove buildup, vacuum again and then operate the plate. It should move firmly but smoothly. This way it is not doing the work of removing the buildup, which would ruin the pivot area anyway.

QuadraFire 1200CB pellet
Hot Shots softwood 100% Oregon

If it is a Mt. Vernon AE i would double check your wall control settings to make sure that you are burning it on a hardwood pellet setting. That your flame hight is adjusted properly so that you have a 6''-8'' active flame. also you could try to set it on utility setting this will allow the auto clean to cycle more often and also blow more air through the fire pot to get that unburnable material out of the fire pot.