Fireplace Tools

[Seanbear]

 

[Seanbear]

Anyone want to show their fireplace tools? Mine ae made good, old, but they look rusty, due to the color of the metal. I got them online for like 50 bucks. Lets see yours!

 

[bholler]

Anyone want to show their fireplace tools? Mine ae made good, old, but they look rusty, due to the color of the metal. I got them online for like 50 bucks. Lets see yours!

I don't really have any other than an ash shovel and a bucket. I don't really see any reason for anything else

 

[Seanbear]

I like having a log flipper, and the poker....the broom I can live without, but it came with the set. I guess a set of good gloves would be a tool too.

 

[bholler]

I like having a log flipper, and the poker....the broom I can live without, but it came with the set. I guess a set of good gloves would be a tool too.

Why do you need log tongs or a poker. I just put wood in and let it alone. I don't even have gloves

 

[Seanbear]

Here I always thought gloves were a must have. I wear mine cutting up kindling or turning a log. Call me dumb, but I dont want to get burned. Im prone to splinters too, bad luck, lol. The poker, I use just to mess with the fire. I must be too bored.

 

[bholler]

Here I always thought gloves were a must have. I wear mine cutting up kindling or turning a log. Call me dumb, but I dont want to get burned. Im prone to splinters too, bad luck, lol. The poker, I use just to mess with the fire. I must be too bored.

Stop messing with it. Stoves honestly work best when they are just left alone after setting the air where it's needed to maintain proper temps. I only load onto a bed of coals at most 3 times a day. Never saw a need for gloves I have yet to be burned by my stove.

 

[ericm979]

Welding gloves are useful when a split falls up against the doors and you need to put it back so it does not soot up the glass or possibly damage it. This is about the only time I open the doors between loading and down to coals for another load. It happens to me a few times per season. It's less likely to be a problem with N-S loading.

If there's ever a problem where you need to handle burning splits, welding gloves are much better than tongs.

 

[stoveliker]

I like to play stove Tetris. Welding gloves are indispensable if you have dry wood; the bottom layer of my 3 cu ft box starts burning with vigor while I'm putting in the top layer.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I keep gloves for the moments when you think a split will fit, but it gets caught and doesn't fit all the way. Sometimes its on fire when you pull it back out. Only I never have them on when this happens.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I also use a poker, just a piece of round bar with a 90 at the end. I use a steel dust pan to remove ash.

 

[Split]

I got a nice rake and a shovel for ashes. That's it.

 

[ericm979]

One less common tool I use is a coal/ash separator scoop. It's a regular ash scoop with the bottom of the pan made from metal mesh. It lets me move the coals to one side and then I use a regular shovel to remove the remaining ashes. Now I don't have to let the stove go cold or put a lot of hot coals that I could still burn into my ash pail. And the ashes I dump have a lot less charcoal in them.

 

[stoveliker]

Apart from the gloves, I have a metal cat poo scooper (for coal-ash separation), a coal rake (solid, i.e. no teeth), and a shovel and bucket for ashes.

Most important and most used: battery powered handheld vacuum...

 

[Retired Coal Miner]

I consider a moisture meter part of the fireplace tool set. As well as a Kindling Cracker.

 

[Vg3200p]

I just have my homemade shovel and homemade poker. But I like stovelikers idea of metal litter scoop to save the coals! Might have to get one of those

 

[stoveliker]

An idea i only stole from someone else. I forgot who.

Find one with a long handle (at least for my firebox, loading 17" splits n/s, I find a long handle nice).

 

[ajayabb]

Always good idea to keep some welding gloves close by in the event of an over fire or a random log rolling onto the hearth

 

[nola mike]

I like to play stove Tetris. Welding gloves are indispensable if you have dry wood; the bottom layer of my 3 cu ft box starts burning with vigor while I'm putting in the top layer.

This. @bholler , you gotta get every square inch filled when you have a .8 cuft firebox. Or when the "big" stove is 1.5.

 

[dafattkidd]

I use gloves, the cat bypass tool and occasionally the funny poker that came with my insert. Of course I have an ash shovel and bucket, too. And like @stoveliker a battery powered vacuum nearby

 

[dafattkidd]

Stop messing with it. Stoves honestly work best when they are just left alone after setting the air where it's needed to maintain proper temps. I only load onto a bed of coals at most 3 times a day. Never saw a need for gloves I have yet to be burned by my stove.

Man, that’s impressive. I burn myself all the time 🤣🤣. Long gloves are necessary for me.

As for messing with wood while in the firebox, some people enjoy playing with the fire. It’s part of the fun for them. Generally less efficient, but not everything is about performance and efficiency.

 

[Seanbear]

Thanks all for the posts....very good info. I also use cat litter boxes to store kindling, not really a tool, but I use it. Look on ebay sometime, tools are expensive for older ones....I paid like 50 bucks, which was a steal.

 

[clux]

My poker is made from a wagon box cross tie rod.
My ash shovel was originally the coal shovel for a railroad passenger car stove.
I have a pair of welding gloves that I forget to put on until after I burn myself.

 

[Seanbear]

Thats good you have tools with a past! Im sure mine do, but I dont know the history.

 

[vatmark]

We had a set made by a blacksmith. They are both decorative and functional. They are heavy duty and should last a long time, We use the poker, shovel and gloves.