Better Coal Sifter

[cptoneleg]

Okay, so I wanted to sift the cold coals from the ashes without making a big mess, and the KoalKeeper shovel was a little clumsy and slow. So I took a piece of 1/4" hardware cloth, cut a 15"+ square piece and folded the edges to about 13" square. I slide it under the ashes from the front to the back, and lift the coals out of the powdery ash. A gentle shake and the stuff separates without a dusty cloud.
file:///C:/Users/SFine/Downloads/file:///C:/Users/SFine/Downloads/334_DSCN0079.JPG334_DSCN0077.JPG
I take the mat out and place it over the ash can while I scoop or vacuum out the ashes.
Then I slide the coals back in and reload the stove. Alternately, you can place the sifter over the whole mess and use the ash vac, avoiding all those clogs you get when trying to vacuum around the coals.
I know I ain't getting any prizes for my invention, but it sure works for me.

I would have shown more pictures, but I haven;t figured out how to post them without downloading software to this computer.(not mine)

I can not in my wildest dreams think of a better waste of time than seperating ash from those coals.

 

[LLigetfa]

Some folks use a deep fryer basket that I think is probably made of stainless steel. Me, I just use a coal rake and rake them to the front, leaving them in the stove.

 

[firebroad]

Some folks use a deep fryer basket that I think is probably made of stainless steel. Me, I just use a coal rake and rake them to the front, leaving them in the stove.

But how do you clean the ashes out without taking the coals with it?

 

[begreen]

I do the same. I move the big coals over to one side, then shovel out the ash. Some coals come out with the ashes, but not the big chunks. It's no big deal to get some small coals as long as the ash can is metal and kept on a safe non combustible surface. This method is certainly faster and easier.

 

[LLigetfa]

Some folks use a deep fryer basket that I think is probably made of stainless steel. Me, I just use a coal rake and rake them to the front, leaving them in the stove.

But how do you clean the ashes out without taking the coals with it?

I first shove everything to the back and then rake the coals forward, leaving the ashes in the back. I reach over the coals with the shovel to get at the ashes in the back. BTW, I do this with hot coals. If I let the stove go cold, the coals burn down to ashes so I don't ever have cold coals.

 

[MarkinNC]

Not trying to be be disrespectful with my post, but, I try and minimize the exposure of those fine particular particles in my home. I believe learned burners would avoid exposure to smoke and fine particulate matter in the home and this is more easily accomplished with a EPA stove. I believe the science is on my side.

 

[Huntindog1]

after reading this post I went home looked around and took a piece of that expanded metal aluminum gutter guard. I have the heavier type some of that stuff is made lighter.

First thing I did was remove the gutter clips
Then I folded it in half too make it half as long and double thick.
Then put the edges in a vise and bent the sides up to form a square channel with 1" sides.
Works great as I just use it like a scoop in the stove and shake it a little and it shifts the ash very well.

 

[Locust Post]

I can not in my wildest dreams think of a better waste of time than seperating ash from those coals.[/quote]
I gotta go with this......I cannot think of a good reason to sift out coals. Push them to the back or side and shovel out some ash. The coals are usually on the top of the ash. Why would it matter if you scooped a few up with the ashes hot or cold. As long as you have some in there to help get another load going good you will have plenty again after that burns down.

 

[Woody Stover]

zinc is an extremely poisonous heavy metal with a very low melting temperature.
The effects of zinc poisoning, known as metal fume fever are well documented, cumulative, progressive and eventualy fatal, with no known cure or treatment.

Wow. I recently found a small "Bud Light" metal bucket and started using it to remove ashes. A couple of times when I got more hot coals in there, I noticed a peculiar metallic odor when I carried the bucket outside. :sick: That bucket is hereby retired from ash duty. Thanks for the heads-up!

 

[savageactor7]

Our stove rarely gets cool enough to do that so we just plug on; raking coals forward, throwing in a split or 2 and removing a shovel or 2 of ash when the opportunity presents itself. It's just too hot to stand in front of that open door for long...

...and even then with minimum exposure, the ash dust demands regular :grrr: dusting. But the money saved is worth it.

 

[ScotO]

do they make stainless steel mesh? For some reason I recall seeing that before. I never leave my fire go out, it's burning from October till April, unless we get a really really mild spell. So I will be needing something like a stainless mesh, and I will have to make a forked handle to accomidate it in those hot coals. That would work great in an application like mine where I never let the stove go completely cold. I would only use it to seperate ash from coal in an instance where I have a wood like cherry or ash burning, they both seem to 'coal' a lot more than other woods.....

 

[Dune]

Since I only empty my ashes a few times a year (once so far this year) I don't worry about losing a few coals.

 

[MofoG23]

Hmmmm....add me to the list of scratching their head about this.

I'm not questioning what the OP did, but I'm wondering about the entire practice in general. When I clean my stove/insert out, I scoop out the extra ash/coals together, then leave enough to start it backup. The thought never crossed my mind to "sift" out coals.

Can someone explain what I'm missing here?

:coolsmile:

 

[LLigetfa]

do they make stainless steel mesh?

I'm positive they do but it doesn't have to be SS, just not zinc coated. There are lots of things that could be used... old BBQ grille, oven rack, cookie cooling rack, etc. but I would never remove coals from the stove to sift them but rather sift them in the stove and set them off to one side.

I'm only concerned with saving hot coals the size of walnuts or bigger. Anything smaller just goes out with the ashes. Some folk will save their ashes in a large metal garbage can outside and then sift through it later when they are emptying it. If I wanted to save cold charcoal for other uses, that is how and when I would do it, certainly not inside the house on the hearth.

 

[daleeper]

In years past, I would have agreed with the naysayers about worrying about sorting the coals from the ashes.

This year the locust I am burning leaves coals, and I am sending more coals out with the ash than I would like to. I would not however want to sift it outside the stove, because of the extra dust and risk of letting hot embers loose in the house. I use a scoop, and like the idea of a screen on the bottom of one. I have also seen pictures of a home-made small "rake" to pull the coals to one side, then scoop out ashes. I will be making one of each when I get time, and see which one gets used the most.

 

[madison]

First off, you are using this bucket and sifter with hot coals on top of hardwood floors????

How much of the fine ash ends up in te bucket? VS In the room? And how many char spots are on the hardwood floor?

It takes me ~ 5 mins to use the kolkeeper, and 99% of the ash ends up in the bucket and not the room.

Nonetheless, thanks for idea and -- "thinking outside stove"

 

[LLigetfa]

First off, you are using this bucket and sifter with hot coals on top of hardwood floors????

In the OP's defense, the coals were cold.

Okay, so I wanted to sift the cold coals from the ashes without making a big mess, and the KoalKeeper shovel was a little clumsy and slow.

 

[ScotO]

OK you guys got me intrigued. Now I have seen the KoalKeeper shovel, and it's too dang small. So I was at a local surplus store the other day for some other items I needed and I went to the metal department (all kinds of goodies over there for fabrication) and found some materials to create, what I would consider, the right tool for my application. I want something big enough to get the coals sifted out of the ashes quicker than the koalkeeper, and I want it done INSIDE the stove, while the stove is still HOT. I got a material list and a design, but I have to buy much more than I need to make only one (probably enough material to make 10 of these sifters, because the material is in bulk). If there is enough interest, and if someone else out there wants something that will do the job and do it well, let me know and I will make 5 or 10 of them if some others split the costs with me. It will probably average out to around 15 bucks each sifter, and it will definately work. I'll try to make up a sketch of my idea later on.

 

[madison]

First off, you are using this bucket and sifter with hot coals on top of hardwood floors????

In the OP's defense, the coals were cold.

Okay, so I wanted to sift the cold coals from the ashes without making a big mess, and the KoalKeeper shovel was a little clumsy and slow.

Opps, thanks LL.

I would still catch he** if the wife saw me doing that over the hard wood floors.

 

[firebroad]

First off, you are using this bucket and sifter with hot coals on top of hardwood floors????

In the OP's defense, the coals were cold.

Okay, so I wanted to sift the cold coals from the ashes without making a big mess, and the KoalKeeper shovel was a little clumsy and slow.

Opps, thanks LL.

I would still catch he** if the wife saw me doing that over the hard wood floors.

The COLD coals are NOT sifted outside of the stove. The sifting is done INSIDE the COLD firebox, then moved CAREFULLY to the top of the bucket while the ashes are scooped out. I lift the screen to deposit the ashes, then replace coals into stove. There is minimum mess, and less dust than using the shovel. No, it does not flop around, it is sturdy enough to hold the coals securely, yet flexible enough to get the stuff in the front of the box, unlike the Koal Keeper. I still use that tool, but for different applications, such as when ashes are hot.

I like ScottyOoverkill's and Huntingdog1's modifications. Scott, can't wait to see what you come up with.

 

[ironworker]

Is saving a couple BTU's actually worth all that effort, I save what I can to relite and dump the rest, it takes a couple of minutes and no mess.

 

[cptoneleg]

First off, you are using this bucket and sifter with hot coals on top of hardwood floors????

In the OP's defense, the coals were cold.

Okay, so I wanted to sift the cold coals from the ashes without making a big mess, and the KoalKeeper shovel was a little clumsy and slow.

Opps, thanks LL.

I would still catch he** if the wife saw me doing that over the hard wood floors.

The COLD coals are NOT sifted outside of the stove. The sifting is done INSIDE the COLD firebox, then moved CAREFULLY to the top of the bucket while the ashes are scooped out. I lift the screen to deposit the ashes, then replace coals into stove. There is minimum mess, and less dust than using the shovel. No, it does not flop around, it is sturdy enough to hold the coals securely, yet flexible enough to get the stuff in the front of the box, unlike the Koal Keeper. I still use that tool, but for different applications, such as when ashes are hot.

I like ScottyOoverkill's and Huntingdog1's modifications. Scott, can't wait to see what you come up with.

When I let my fire burn out and get cold there are "O" coals left it is all ash - looks like the same old problem the "wood" ain't right if your wood was dry there would be no coals left to sift.

 

[firebroad]

First off, you are using this bucket and sifter with hot coals on top of hardwood floors????

In the OP's defense, the coals were cold.

Okay, so I wanted to sift the cold coals from the ashes without making a big mess, and the KoalKeeper shovel was a little clumsy and slow.

Opps, thanks LL.

I would still catch he** if the wife saw me doing that over the hard wood floors.

The COLD coals are NOT sifted outside of the stove. The sifting is done INSIDE the COLD firebox, then moved CAREFULLY to the top of the bucket while the ashes are scooped out. I lift the screen to deposit the ashes, then replace coals into stove. There is minimum mess, and less dust than using the shovel. No, it does not flop around, it is sturdy enough to hold the coals securely, yet flexible enough to get the stuff in the front of the box, unlike the Koal Keeper. I still use that tool, but for different applications, such as when ashes are hot.

I like ScottyOoverkill's and Huntingdog1's modifications. Scott, can't wait to see what you come up with.

When I let my fire burn out and get cold there are "O" coals left it is all ash - looks like the same old problem the "wood" ain't right if your wood was dry there would be no coals left to sift.

You are exactly right. However, I refuse to burn heating oil at $4 per gallon while I wait another year or two. I had the stove put in to use it, and I am doing the best I can with what I have to work with.

 

[cptoneleg]

Thats right the heck with the oil, first yr with my new stove I burned mostly 6 month css Oak 7 24s kept my house warm, I just didn't tell anyone on here that I was sinning. :zip:

 

[firebroad]

Thats right the heck with the oil, first yr with my new stove I burned mostly 6 month css Oak 7 24s kept my house warm, I just didn't tell anyone on here that I was sinning. :zip:

:lol: