Finally made the coal rake. Critiques welcome........before the cold.

[mywaynow]

Been tossing around the remains of a broken garden rake for a year or so. Finally had the initiative and time to maker up. Tell the good bad and the ugly perspectives. First pic is the old rake made from a steel wall stud with a hand shear. Worked but for only half a season, then broke off. New one is 40 inches long and rake is about 7 inches wide.

 

[Dairyman]

Looks like it'll work, I need to make one.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Should work well. I've never seen a need for one though.

 

[MarkinNC]

I use mostly a rake and don't use a poker much though I guess there is cross-functionality between the two tools. As an example of what I use my rake for, when emptying the ashes I rake the coals to the back and the ash to the front.

I find the poker is good at manipulating wood in the firebox but not so good at efficiently manipulating coals and ash. I think your rake looks nice but it's weakness is that it does not look like it will rake ashes well.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

I do find a rake most handy for raking the coals forward before putting in the next load. It helps keep the glass clean and the wood starts slower in the back, which is handy at night for the overnight burn. You want the wood to start slower in the back. Also I use it to push the old ashes back in the stove to make room for the coals up front. The poker would take alot longer and not easily seperate the coals from the ash. Your new one should work well, mine is not as wide, which I could see benefits both ways.

 

[mywaynow]

For my burning the entire coal/ash remains are pushed to the rear of the box and the coals are drawn to the front. Therefore by design this will not rake ash. The only time ash is worked on when it is shoveled out.

 

[bogydave]

I like it. Nice job.
Gives me an idea for an old rake I couldn't throw away years ago.
I rake coals to the front also before reloads or for a burn down & empty . A rake like that would make it easier.

 

[weatherguy]

What did you use to make the handle? I have an old rake that Id like to put to use, seems like a good idea.

 

[mywaynow]

3/4 pipe. It is galvanized but the welds took fine. Not much strength need to push coal and ash.