$4 Custom Ash Rake w/picts.

Sadly, Santa didn't bring me an ash rake so I had to take care of myself. While at Lowes for something else, I saw an all metal child's hoe for just under $4 that had the looks of a great ash rake with a few modifications.

With a jigsaw I cut the handle to 18" long and trimmed about half of the blade off to give it better balance. I filed the cut edge of the blade to remove any sharp edges. This should help reduce wear and tear on the firebricks. The total assembled length is 22.5" which allows me to use the rake without getting my hand into the firebox.

It works like a charm. My wife has asks me to paint it black, but I kind of like the tan and purple scheme. It makes for a good conversation starter. Though, I am sure that eventually I will have to paint it. I wonder if she would appreciate a nice flame motif?

I've seen other members do something similar . . . only some have cut slots in the hoe so they can pull larger coals to one side and leave behind the ash.

Yeah, you cannot call that a rake...it is a hoe.

Who you callin' a hoe?





















Sorry, had to. I'll be over here in the corner....

Thanks for the tip. A hoe works fine for me but I haven't found a cheap one with a metal handle. I think I might even consider welding a chunk of broken garden rake onto it.

I use a cut down childs rake.

Have the same one, it's on it's second year, works great. Long handle is a plus when there's a load of coals.

I also use a children's garden rake. Best $5 on stove tools I ever spent.... going strong after 3 seasons so far

I have been thinking about getting the companion child's rake as well. I was concerned about how much damage I would be doing to my firebricks, but so far no issues. I am very gentle and do my best to not bang around with the rake. Though, I am not as concerend as I was at the beginning since I discovered that Tractor Supply sells the same bricks for $3 each.

Bought a couple of bricks for an experiment in getting the snap disk to perform better. It take a long time to get it to come on. I vaguely remember reading a post where someone here drilled a hole through the brick above the snap disk location and inserted the section of a big bolt in it. They claimed that the disk came on much more quickly.

The next time I clean the fireplace out I will conduct my test.