Cleaning out stove durning prolonged burns

[ryjen]

How do you handle the cleaning of ashes from your older stoves? Not having the fancy clean out “trap door” and tray like modern stoves, I’ve been trying to figure out what the best (safest) way to handle cleaning my Buck Stove during prolonged burns. Do you just shut down for 24 hours, or is there a better way?

 

[mopar440_6]

On the old stoves I would just run the stove a bit more open than usual through the day and let it burn out then clean out when I got home from work. Just make sure to get those ashes in a metal container outside asap in case there are any small coals still burning.

 

[ryjen]

I've heard of some people using a special metal "trash" can outside for their ashes. Is this a viable option or is it a bit too dangerous?

 

[docthree]

I tend to just scoop the finer ash in the front (near the air intake), then stir up the coals and load it up.

 

[mopar440_6]

I've heard of some people using a special metal "trash" can outside for their ashes. Is this a viable option or is it a bit too dangerous?

I've just got one of the standard metal trash cans with a tight fitting lid but I keep it well away from the house (about 5-10 feet) as the sides can get hot if there are any coals. Just don't store the ashes inside as you may still have some coals in the ash which can begin producing CO when sealed up in the can.

 

[7acres]

First time I needed to clean out the stove I tried shoveling the ashes into a bucket; but it amazed me how much of the fine lightweight ash (which was hot) rose up into the air with every shovel full. The entire room was blanketed in fine ash from one clean out. That's no solution.

I've been very happy using this 17" wide metal dust pan when I just want the coal bed gone so I can load a full load before bedtime. It takes 2-3 trips outside to be all cleaned out except a minimal amount of live coals so the new load can catch off them. I just hose off the smoldering pile of ash & coals outside so it's dead. If the hose is frozen I make a couple trips with a galvanized bucket full of water. This method is dust free and in a few minutes the stove is cleaned out.

My wife would use it if I modified it so there's no chance a coal could fall out of the pan. That's the only downside.

 

[Mad Trapper]

How do you handle the cleaning of ashes from your older stoves? Not having the fancy clean out “trap door” and tray like modern stoves, I’ve been trying to figure out what the best (safest) way to handle cleaning my Buck Stove during prolonged burns. Do you just shut down for 24 hours, or is there a better way?

Let things burn down to just coals and rake them to the rear. Hold a metal ash hopper in front of the door and slowly transfer the ashes in front with a shovel, draft will keep ash going inside/up the flue. Rake the coals back in front a add wood. Transfer the ashes from the hopper to a metal bucket outside.

 

[bholler]

I just shovel it out into a bucket with a tight fitting lid and then put it outside clear of anything that can catch fire

 

[coaly]

ryjen;
Leaving it go out is not an option when it's your only heat source. I've learned to rake the coal pile a bit in the back to kick up some heat in the morning, but not enough to move coals near the front. Near the air intakes is where it will be burned down to ash the most. Once the flue is heated, remove the finest ash only from the front. Keeping a metal bucket close, gently place ash in the bottom. Any fly ash kicked up is drawn into the stove and up chimney. Rake the coal pile ahead and reload on it. The deeper single door stoves are best for this method leaving you with much more charcoal in the rear to rake ahead.
If you don't have enough coals, or the stove is out and cold, wad up some paper and light it to get it drafting. Then remove ash so the draft pulls any fine dust in.

 

[begreen]

Let it burn down to a low volume of coals. Rake the coals over to one side, trying not to move the ash. Shovel out the ash on the cleared side into a metal container. Then move the coals over to the opposite side and clean out the ash that remains.

 

[bsruther]

In my old buck, I'd let the coals burn down to the point where I could scoop them out, fill up the ash can and dump it in a bigger can outside. I had to empty it out just about every other day it seemed. I use pretty much the same method now, but the task is a lot cleaner to do and the ashes don't need emptied nearly as often.

 

[kennyp2339]

I rake the coals to one side, then scoop out the ash into a bucket, rake coals to the other side and repeat, I then move the coals forward and load the stove up, it literally takes less then 5 min, and if your real careful (smaller scoops) the ash really doesn't spread around the house, also its good to leave a little ash in the firebox, it acts like an insulator.