Ultimate Harman Burn Pot Scraper! How was it made?

[Don2222]

Hello

I came across this home made scraper the other day! How does it look? The end is beveled so it has a cutting edge.

Does anyone know what it was made from and how it was made?

Click pic to enlarge

 

[shtrdave]

Looks simple enough a piece of 3/8" rod a large washer and a piece of scrap steel, a welder and grinder done. I can tell you the person is far better welder than I am.

If I were making it I may use a piece of square stock as I think it would be stronger and flex less than round stock

 

[rich2500]

Looks like it may have been a tire iron at one time

 

[Tim_M]

It wouldn't work on either of my stoves as I need the blade to be angled down in order to get at the sloped surface of the burn pot.

 

[Don2222]

It wouldn't work on either of my stoves as I need the blade to be angled down in order to get at the sloped surface of the burn pot.

I have plenty of room on my P68 and P61 stoves. What models do you have?

 

[Bioburner]

I have plenty of room on my P68 and P61 stoves. What models do you have?

They are in his signature

 

[bags]

X2 with shtrdave. It's definitely a homemade specialty use tool and he nailed it with how and what it's made of. The best thing I have found is a pry bar (mechanics type) on the cheap at HF.

It looks like a regular big long screw driver with a slight bend at the very end. The fairly sharp edge on the tip takes the hard crusty deposits right off of the burn pot with ease. Plus it's long enough to do easily while the stove is running full tilt. The contoured end is just right turned down to ride the pots surface. I do use cheap HF welding gloves if I scrape the tuff stuff while the burn pot is hot or burning.

There has been a discussion on good pot scrapping implements on prior threads here last season I remember. That's about my only complaint I can think of with a Harman is the cheap and cheesy joke of a scraping tool. Easily resolved for a few bucks though. I still use that stupid thing to pull out some ash build up with the mini hoe type end.

The tip on what I'm speaking of at HF or any hardware / tool place is about 5/8" to 3/4" wide and it works sweet. Gets at it all.

 

[Papelletman]

To me it looks like a 12" nail that you can buy at HD or Lowes, with a groove cut in the end and a flat piece of steel welded in.http://www.lowes.com/pd_65507-1278-12HGSPK125___?productId=3610436&pl=1&Ntt=12+inch+spike

 

[Papelletman]

How about something like this? http://t.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-scraper-set-4-pc-69601.html

 

[shtrdave]

I think the prybar he is talking about would be more along this line, they have different lengths.
http://www.harborfreight.com/24-inch-heavy-duty-pry-bar-39700.html

The scrapers I think would be to short especially if you do like I do and scrape the pot while it is burning.

 

[Pellet-King]

Downside of a "pusher" stove, no scraping here, I dont know what prevents the fire from going into the hopper, bizzare design

 

[Funnydirt14]

Here's what I made for my P68.

 

[Bioburner]

Downside of a "pusher" stove, no scraping here, I dont know what prevents the fire from going into the hopper, bizzare design

Top feed, bottom feed, side feed. All a balancing act of fuel, air and heat.

 

[bags]

I think the prybar he is talking about would be more along this line, they have different lengths.
http://www.harborfreight.com/24-inch-heavy-duty-pry-bar-39700.html

That is exactly what I'm referring to Dave. The gasket scrappers like papelletman cites I also have and tried out but IMO the pry bar works much better and has better chipping and cleaning leverage for the tough baked on stuff and crud. Plus the extra length. It is my go to tool for serious scrapping. I also use some picking tools had at HF for the nooks and crannies. Much like dental tools. They work well cleaning any holes on the pots bottom etc;

For a good cleaning I use both hands. I use one arm for the back and forth and the other mid pry bar for extra downward pressure. This chips off the real stubborn junk caked on the pot. Then I vac it and repeat. Some residue is hard to see. This is what I have found to work the best so far.

 

[Don2222]

Downside of a "pusher" stove, no scraping here, I dont know what prevents the fire from going into the hopper, bizzare design

Yes it is an interesting design but the way it pushes the ash into the ash pan is brilliant! The Harmans have a slide plate at the bottom of the hopper and a good hopper gasket to prevent hopper fires. Also if the burn air is dry and warm by employing Selkirk Direct Temp venting, that greatly reduces the amount of burnpot scraping!