stove coaling poor mans coal rake sifter

[struggle]

After last year and the learning curve with my new stove and the recent coaling thread I came up with this idea that works pretty good for sifting coals.

Coaling picture

After some thought and wandering down the isles of Lowe's I found that a metal five gallon paint bucket roller deal might make a simple coal rake sifter. It works very good for sifting the coals. I scope everything to one side of the stove and shovel them up and shake of and tip the coals on the other side of the stove and then shovel the ash out and fires take right off this way.

All I did with the paint roller thing was straighten the end and bend it with a 2x4 for the sides. I have not tried building a handle on it yet as I use the foundry type gloves so I can reach right in my stove to shake the coals. If using a regular glove then a handle would be a must.

The paint roller thing cost a $1.99

 

[Cearbhaill]

Is that a normal amount of coals?
I've only been burning a couple of weeks and have never ever gotten that many coals.... heck, I hardly ever have any!
I feel deprived!

 

[Jfigliuolo]

Geinous... I'm picking one up today!


But dude that's a ton of coals.

 

[struggle]

No that really is a bit much for the way I burn now. Mid season last year the stove was new to me and me though I needed to always be adding wood to it and that would happen. I let it burn down much further now. The coal picture was from last year.

The stove is teaching me the right way to burn now. Now it is going 24-7 so we will not use a match the rest of season now with the coals it leaves in the morning.

 

[velvetfoot]

That looks like a good idea to me.
When I first looked at the pictures, I thought the grate hung onto the shovel.