Hearth Tools

[Pine Knot]

What hand-tools do you have for managing your fire? Which one is used the most?
In my case it!s a shovel from a forty year old fire place set, along with a seldom used poker. The shovel does double duty as a shovel and a rake. Those, along with a pair of welders gloves and a broom make up my hearth equipment.

 

[nshif]

All I use is an old coal rake, a small shovel on ocassion, and a pair of welders gloves. but I have a good ash collection system so I dont need much else

 

[n1st]

I use the coal rake and poker every day. The shovel about once a week. The coal rake was $15 which hurt a bit, but it's so much nicer than raking with the poker!

 

[elmoleaf]

1. Homemade wood-handled tool with flat L-shaped piece of metal on the end. Used for lifting stove top for fuel-reloading and hooking & pulling out the ash pan.
2. Oven mitt.
3. Homemade log carrier--nylon type fabric from old sleeper sofa, scrap spring-steel rods and two lengths of old garden hose for handles.
4. Shovel from a fireplace set to push ash through grate into ash pan.
5. Small piece of cardboard to push spilled ash off the stove lip into ash pan. I've found that a brush or dustbuster causes too much dust.
6. Old wood crate for stove side woodbox.
7. Dustbuster for vacuuming up loose bark, twigs etc. from reloading woodbox.

Other items include old pyrex pot with handle for keeping water on top of the stove, stove-top thermometer for knowing correct operating temps, a lighter, old newspapers and of course, wood.

 

[Beanscoot]

The common store bought brass coloured tools are crap. They typically have screwed on handles, which naturally unscrew during use, and the shovel is way too long. I use an old one piece black steel shovel which is 16" overall, half of which is handle. It's about 5" wide and an inch deep. Being short is important for control. I don't know where to get these new, mine is rather old, but I've seen them at flea markets. I also have a thin Tampico (natural fiber) brush about the same length, and a one piece poker about two feet long with a 45 degree dogleg at the working end and the other end bent into a loop for a handle.

I also use an old wooden box (surplus ammunition box from Greece) for kindling and a rectangular milk crate lined with a cardboard box for firewood. I use a short plastic(!) pail for ashes (no live coals).

I lay the tools part way under or alongside the stove for storage.

 

[jtp10181]

Well I saw the comment about the store bought tools, and I assume this is directed at tools from big box stores.

If anyone wants some seriously nice and durable tools find a dealer for Pilgrim (broken link removed to http://www.pilgrimhearth.com/Hearth/ToolsMenu.asp)
We sell those at our store and they are solid and come in some really sharp colors.

 

[Beanscoot]

JTP:
Those tools do look good, yes I was talking about the cheap junky tools in the last post. I still prefer the short handled shovel as I described. It has a tubular handle placed like that of a mortar trowel. Imagine a shovel with the compactness of a trowel, it makes it easy to carefully place ash in the pail with less spilling and dust production.

 

[jtp10181]

Pilgrim makes some stubby tool sets as well: (broken link removed to http://www.pilgrimhearth.com/hearth/Tools-Raised.asp)
(broken link removed to http://www.pilgrimhearth.com/retail/ProductDetail.asp?pCategory=Tools&pStockCode=18000&pBrandImage;=/images/GradientPilgrimLogo.jpg)

It says they are made for raised hearths and inserts.

 

[budman]

Pilgrim makes some stubby tool sets as well: (broken link removed to http://www.pilgrimhearth.com/hearth/Tools-Raised.asp)
(broken link removed to http://www.pilgrimhearth.com/retail/ProductDetail.asp?pCategory=Tools&pStockCode=18000&pBrandImage;=/images/GradientPilgrimLogo.jpg)

It says they are made for raised hearths and inserts.

JTP ,I have a set of these and are very well made.