Keeping clean

I bought a big metal feed / water tub that i put all my indoor splits in, this keeps the crumbs in one spot, I also have a small hand held vacuum that gets used every few days to get any crumbs, dust or ash that are in the stove area, this seems to work well for me.

We went out to one of those repurposed wood places...and bought an old whiskey barrel...had them cut it in half...one for next to our hearth to hold our wood for the day and the other is outside on our deck holding our kindling.

Moranaj said:

So Im finally getting pretty good at this wood stove thing and heating the house the way I want to BUT has anyone mastered how to not make an absolute mess??!?! Granted im storing the wood next to the side door on the tile right now but im curious how you guys do it

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Do you have an old large plastic storage bin? Put it on a dolly and load it up outside then wheel it in the house. I have a wood box to which I transfer the wood.
Then empty the trash in the storage bin outside.

Moranaj said:

Do you guys have any pictures of those set ups? Trying to get some ideas because the stove is rhe first thing you see when you walk in the house so i need function and form

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I'll post a picture tonight when i get home

This Oak, with its crumbly sapwood, is a bloody mess! Oh well, at least I'm warm..
This is an old hearth brush and pan I got from my MIL, who got it from the Fuller Brush Man. Open on one end for a sliding dump of the trash..

Heres a picture of the cat, but it has a shot of the wood cart here too.
I can wheel it to the back door. Broom to clean up. Just 2x6s and plywood, with some lathe turnings.

This is what I use. Not the prettiest looking thing but it works. Alot easier to pick this up and take it outside to empty than a wooden box. I keep a rack outside on the deck full then just put it through the window. I burn one side before the other that way it has time to dry any surface moisture. The blue tote is for anything longer than 16 inches. Not seen in the pic is the vacuum that sits beside the stove all winter. If I load the stove i vacuum. There's noting clean about burning wood

Snowjoe ash vacuum

I don't store wood inside and use this tote to bring each load straight in to the stove.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019XFH7XA/?tag=hearthamazon-20

Our home has a tiny wood storage next to our insert so I use a steel bushel bin and a half bushel bin (one is definitely > 60yo, other is at least 50yo) for additional splits and kindling nearby. Same ones my parents used when I was little. The main level has a large amazon box for splits so glad to get ideas from people here!

I built a wooden "tray" and put that under a small wood rack to keep the dirt in one place. I use a firewood bag to carry the wood inside.

I have a somewhat decorative metal washtub. I put the splits in in the end so they face up and down and then lay 3-4 horizontally across the top. Usually about two reloads worth. Every time i load, I fill it back up with wood from the basement.

Sawset said:

Heres a picture of the cat, but it has a shot of the wood cart here too.
I can wheel it to the back door. Broom to clean up. Just 2x6s and plywood, with some lathe turnings.
View attachment 239559

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man, that is good looking! i think you might have inspired my future wood box design. thanks!

Woodstoves tend to be messy . . . there is always a bit of ash that falls on to the hearth and my wife says it is a bit dustier.

That said I try to minimize the mess by using a canvas wood tote (LL Bean) to haul in the wood which pretty much confines everything to the tote.

Wood beside the stove is stored in a woodbox I cobbled together with my limited carpentry skills using left over pine boards and a few scrap 2 x 4s. I have a large plastic tote inside so I can dump all the dirt and bark in the Spring. The nice thing about the woodbox is I can also store my matches, gloves, super cedars, etc. inside in a side compartment I made . . . and I put a few hooks on the outside for a flashlight, IR thermometer, whisk broom, etc.

Big, black Rubbermaid tote and a cordless vacuum.

This thread is timely as I just bought and cut wood to build a wood cart yesterday. I will post up pictures of it when it is finished. I am planning to apply stain and clear polyurethane once it is assembled. It will have one pair of fixed wheels and one pair of rotating wheels along with some hardware that the wife will pick out to give it a little sense of style (yeah I know.. . .. . I know).

I like the handheld vacuum approach and may see about picking up a handheld rechargeable vacuum today.

Moranaj said:

So Im finally getting pretty good at this wood stove thing and heating the house the way I want to BUT has anyone mastered how to not make an absolute mess??!?! Granted im storing the wood next to the side door on the tile right now but im curious how you guys do it

Click to expand...

I tidy up in spring.

Das Jugghead said:

This thread is timely as I just bought and cut wood to build a wood cart yesterday. I will post up pictures of it when it is finished. I am planning to apply stain and clear polyurethane once it is assembled. It will have one pair of fixed wheels and one pair of rotating wheels along with some hardware that the wife will pick out to give it a little sense of style (yeah I know.. . .. . I know).

I like the handheld vacuum approach and may see about picking up a handheld rechargeable vacuum today.

Click to expand...

Just keep sparks or embers out of the vac. It will wreck the filter and allow ash to blow through.

I tote in/out only what I need. I'm a neat freak and gentle handling of the wood also helps so you don't knock all the junk loose. Here's a pic of the mess I have after 1+ week of burning, haha that I haven't cleaned yet, and the brush/pan I use to sweep it up and toss back in when I reload. Maybe I'll tidy up later today!

I have a wood box next to the stove, so it's a short trip to load the stove. I clean any mess with a dyson cordless stick vacuum. Seems to work pretty well.

Nope, still new at this, so i'm still trashing half the living room with ash and wood fiber.
I'm real good with the vacuum, though.

Trying not to trash the 6 month old bamboo flooring with the piles on either side of the stove.........