On stove vacuums....different angle

[JPapiPE]

I tried to find imformation on what stove vac's were capbable of picking up and was not successful. The only thing i came up with was a description on one the sellers sites that claimed their vac was good for cool to warm ashes. As i shall be heating with only wood I expect when my stove needs to cleaned of ashes, maybe at least once a week Of coarse when it's time for a cleaning (usually over due ) I let the stove runhot to burn down as many coals as I can. But there are still some hot coals in there. Perhaps this vac thing is not for me as i don't have the time to wait until everything is warm.

My method which took several years to figure out is to have a covered metal can ready. I then take a shovel full of coals and ashes and dump them into the can and immediately put the cover back on. I let the coals and ashes settle in the can for about 5 minutes and repeat the process, and do this until all the extra coals are gone. I then leave the covered ash can on the hearth or take it outside and let it sit for at least a day and then the ashes are ready for disposal. I find this method keeps the ash dust down to a minimum.

I guess with a vac i'd be a little suspicious of what i couldn't see. Where as with the can method i know exactly what i have and I know there are no flammable substances that can catch fire in side my metal ash can. Perhaps I'm too old fashioned , but we are dealing with fire and I think it pays to err on the side of caution. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
thanks joe

 

[begreen]

That's the way I do it. I like the keep it simple approach. For ashes I have a $12 galvanized mini garbage can that I collect them in. I use a small shop-vac with a drywall filter on it to clean up ash on the hearth, ash lip etc. But not for anything with coals. There are a couple of other options, but it'll cost ya.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Yup- metal bucket. I do it in the morning when it's died down a fair bit. I pick out bigger charcoal pieces and throw them back in- good dry fuel when starting a fire. I have yet to use a vacuum in a stove. If I was a pro chimney sweep- I'd be all over that.

 

[Highbeam]

I took my 12$ galvanized bucket and painted it flat black to make it look nice when it is stored beside the stove. The empty black bucket is filled with my welder gloves, lighter, an ash shovel, a poker stick and a small hand broom. All my little hearth junk that I need to have close by. When the ashes need to be emptied from the stove I empty the bucket of tools, load the bucket with ashes, and then dispose of them outside immediately in either a dirt pile or a wet mushy lawn. Put the bucket back and replace tools. The buckets are decently attractive once painted black.

 

[derecskey]

Highbeam (are you the one blinding me on the roads?), How'd you paint your bucket? Did you buy a special primer for the galvanized steel? I have the same bucket, all nice and shiny and new.

In fact, before my Buck Stove 21 insert was installed (gratuitous model insertion for the poor souls like me who search the board in vain for Buck Stove users) I was mixing up some mortar and wanted to use the 6 gal bucket to guestimate a gallon of water. I kept rinsing and rinsing the bucket and the water kept fizzing and foaming. It seemed like it wouldn't quit... so I gave up on using it. I'm guessing it was a coating of some kind from manufacturing.

I got mine at Loweballers Home Improvement store.

 

[Carl]

I use the same method you do with the covered double sided ash bucket. I don't wait 5 minutes between shovels since my patience would fail me.

We did purchase a vacumn this spring as we are planning to burn everyday this winter. It worked well for the couple of months we used it. It is good for picking up any spilled dust or ashes on or around the stove. The filter in it will contain the fine ash and this is a big improvement for us over trying to sweep them up and off things. For us the 200 buck purchase was well worth it. I don't think it would do well with taking out the hot ashes from the stove and we plan on still using the tried method of shovel and covered ash bucket.

 

[Highbeam]

I'll try not to blind you! Ha! No, truth is I am a fairly avid off-road motorcycle rider and sometimes a guy has got to ride at night. Well one of my earlier bikes didn't have a headlight so we had the bright idea of attaching two full sized flashlights to my helmet with velcro. It worked superbly and earned me the name of highbeam. Nothing to do with religion or drugs as neither are a part of my life. I raced a night enduro on Saturday night where you ride 57 miles through the pitch black and I have now upgraded to cool LED headlamps to read my gauges in addition to a good headlight.

To paint the bucket I took the raw and very galvanized bucket out to the chopping block. Removed the sticker on the side and then painted it directly with plain ol' flat black paint from walmart. The cheap stuff. I do a lot of metal work and paint a lot of it flat black with rustoleum and I believe that that would have worked as well. The paint did not bubble, run, or act strangely at all. It has been quite durable and the wife even likes it.

Mortar is going to be quite alkaline from the cement. So the alkaline water might have caused the zinc galvanized coating to spazz out. Even the chlorine in your water supply might not play nice with the zinc. Paint seems to like it.

 

[derecskey]

Nope, no mortar in that can (just water)... and no chlorine. That be for city folk. Ok, so I don't live far from the city... but still... I'm in a township. On well water. And septic tank. A good ol' fashioned in-ground hidden septic tank. Not one of those ugly "look at my raised, square, expensive septic tank in my front yard!" septic tanks. Stupid Ohio.

 

[JPapiPE]

Great Idea, painting the ash bucket. I just bought the smallest galvanized bucket with cover and locking carry handle yesterday at my local Trustworthy and was a little disappointed that the lid didn't fit as tightly as some of the other's I have had. I tryed them all and they were all loose. My ex wives have all my good old stove stuff. Actually, they have all my good stuff period.

Probably a high temp stove spray, flat black might be the way to go

 

[Poult]

Nice tip about painting a galvanized can black, Highbeam. Thanks. We used an old galvanized mop pail for years when i was a kid, to haul the ashes out with, but I think it's time for an upgrade when the new stove goes in next month.

Poult

 

[savageactor7]

We got out black bucket with cover at a stove store for $12...damn now a days 12 isn't jack. We shovel out the ashes in the fount of the stove and rake the rest forward. Even hot coals go in the covered bucket where they can still generate heat...the whole process can be done in less time than it takes to hold your breath. btw...wood ashes are excellent in your garden.

 

[Girl]

When did Martha Stewart join the forum?

I use an old style coal bucket I picked up from Wally World for 10 bucks.
I didn't think it would last me long.
I am constantly sweeping dusting and vacuuming around the hearth.

 

[begreen]

Hey, these are practical people, paint it black. Martha would paint the bucket in provincial French blue with a stenciled top and bottom contrasting pattern to match the drapes and provincial tablecloth. And she'd probably have it double as a potpourri container.

 

[Highbeam]

The paint is a means to an end. Without the paint the wife wouldn't like me storing a bright zinc bucket on the hearth for my tools. It's not unlike camouflaging a small beer fridge into an end table.