Fireplace Tools

Brent Dowell

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Reno NV
Wow, Feels funny posting an actual project over here in the vortex. Everything seems all 'spinny'....

Anywho, after I made the ember rake last week, Sharon and I decided that we didn't need to shell out the big bucks for pre-made fireplace tools so I decided to go ahead and make my own set.

The last ember rake I made with 1/2" steel bar, and it's just too heavy, so I'm making another one. I have no idea what to do with the old one.

I'll be making :
  • A Poker
  • An Ember Rake
  • An ash shovel

So Here are some pictures of the progress so far.

I've cut out the steel parts, bent up the shovel, welded things together where necessary. My welding isn't so good, but I'm getting a little better.

Next step is to grind the welds down, and get started turning the handles....

Laying out the parts on the steel
WEB_NIKONS1_20101022_144315_3953.jpg

Playing with my little Harbor Freight Bending Brake (or is it Break)
WEB_NIKONS1_20101022_145652_3954.jpg

Parts cut and bent
WEB_NIKONS1_20101022_150309_3956.jpg

Ember rake Welded up
WEB_NIKONS1_20101022_152958_3957.jpg

Shovel welded to the shaft
WEB_NIKONS1_20101022_154343_3958.jpg

Ground a little concave bit at an angle to weld up the poker
WEB_NIKONS1_20101022_155013_3961.jpg

All the Raw Materials
WEB_NIKONS1_20101022_160919_3963.jpg
 
Wow, Feels funny posting an actual project over here in the vortex. Everything seems all 'spinny'....

Just stare at this for a while and you'll feel all better. :D

hypnosis.gif


Looks like a good start on the tools. :thumb:

We'll be staying tuned...:lurk:

BTW, for the metal bending tool, it's brake.
 
Reminds me of those 3-D image books that you have to stare at to see the real picture. Actually, my eye doctor was impresses how my acuity improved after studying them (went to 20/10)...need to drag them out :threadjacked:

OK, back to fireplace tools...I much prefer them to be homemade...he's doing a good job :thumb::thumb::thumb:
 
Cant wait to see. I'm a pretty bad welder, which means I have to do a lot of grinding... :thumb:

I really messed up one of the corners on the shovel, but learned my lesson, and the other corner went great.

Welding and Turning are truly the dark arts....
 
I've never done welding but it's always fascinated me. I really want to try it. HF is always having a sale on their MIG welders. Gotta save up my pennies and invest in one sometime soon.

Looking real good Brent :thumb:
 
:threadjacked:

I love my mig, which is a Hobart 135. Migs are so easy to use that even a monkey can do it, just aim and pull the trigger. Getting the settings just right is as easy as listening for the sound of sizzling bacon.

Haven't used the HF version, but the cable covers alone are pretty cheaply made. Almost thin vinyl and didn't look like they would hold up of a piece of metal fell over on them (which has happened to mine several times).

I'd suggest trying one out by either renting or checking with the local welding supply. Also see if they've got any good sales, I picked mine up for just under $500 ($200 less than anywhere else), but I'm happy with the quality of it.

I hadn't welded for probably 10 years or more. I bought mine and of course any new welder's first project is their cart...I went all out...

http://picasaweb.google.com/libertystainedglass/WeldingCart#

I'll have to find some better pics of the build, but the front wheels turn with the handle. The cart is great for pulling around the yard on projects and such.
 
Mine was Free! My BIL gave it too me. It's a little generic welder, but once I got the settings dialed in, it seems to work fine.

My problem is that I'm always trying to weld sheet metal and I burn right through it. I think I learned the solution to that yesterday, well, halfway through the shovel.
 
I was the only girl in my college welding class. Had to get over being self-conscious and knowing that all the guys already took it in HS, because girls weren't allowed back then to take any kind of shop class (I have another story for you later on that).

Actually got relatively good at gas welding (nothing like sweating in front of the whole class as to whether your metal or weld would break first). We only did one lab in mig and it was hard to not have the tip get sucked down onto the metal (I'm sure technology must have gotten better by now, 35 years later, but maybe not).

Also took lathe, sheet metal and foundry (and that is another story for another time). Darn engineering degrees make you actually have to know how to do some of that stuff :laugh2::laugh2:
 
Whaddya know, I finished something...

Whaddya know, I finished something...

So got out there bright and early and started doing stuff. Did some grinding on the metal parts and some turning.

The handles didn't turn out 'perfectly' matched, oh well.

I've cut brass with wood working tools before, but it felt really weird to stick a spindle gouge into a brass compression nut to turn off the flats.

Next step will be to make a rack to hold them, but that will belong in the flatwork section where I won't be getting so dizzy... :rofl:

Here's a few pics.

Blanks Turned and tips ready for ferrules to be attached
WEB_NIKONS1_20101023_104034_3964.jpg

WEB_NIKONS1_20101023_104042_3965.jpg

Ferrules On the blanks
WEB_NIKONS1_20101023_104112_3966.jpg

Metal Parts ground and cleaned up ready for paint. Had to get rid of quite a bit of extraneous welds on the shovel.
WEB_NIKONS1_20101023_125127_3967.jpg

On the lathe
WEB_NIKONS1_20101023_133052_3969.jpg

Turning down to the brass
WEB_NIKONS1_20101023_133820_3970.jpg

Parts ready to be assembled.
WEB_NIKONS1_20101023_155318_3972.jpg

Assembled with a final coat of paint tossed on. Hi temp BBQ paint, but I reckon it'll burn off the poker and ember rake pretty quick on the first go round.
WEB_NIKONS1_20101023_161508_3974.jpg
 
Brent those sure came out great.:thumb: Well done. Only question I have is how come the Iphone did not take the pics:rofl:.

Darren that wagon is ver very nice for a home made welding cart.


I too would love to get a welder, trouble i have is that then i might end up with moving to the metal side. Would like a Milling machine too. Not being greedy just like tools and machines and making my own.


BTW have a good friend that does the odd welding job for me, well he works on cars always having to weld thin plate etc. Anyhow for a while now he said he could not understand why his Mig welder (Lincoln) was playing up. He thought he had damaged the cable housing that feeds the wire.

Well he did some research and it turned out that the wire had oxidized or "rusted" and was the cause of his issue. He does not do that much welding that he went through reels in no time and his shop is unheated so theres quiet a bit of moisture in there when rain and winter comes (old building too). Well he changed the wire reel and voila he said he was welding like he expected again. So if any of you casual welders suddenly start having issues making you wonder whats up with your welder check out the wire.
 
Brent those sure came out great.:thumb: Well done. Only question I have is how come the Iphone did not take the pics:rofl:.

Too much dust in the shop for a change! I keep an old Nikon compact for shop photos... :camera:

Darren that wagon is ver very nice for a home made welding cart.

I'd be embarassed to show mine, it's made out of wood :rofl:


Well he did some research and it turned out that the wire had oxidized or "rusted" and was the cause of his issue. He does not do that much welding that he went through reels in no time and his shop is unheated so theres quiet a bit of moisture in there when rain and winter comes (old building too). Well he changed the wire reel and voila he said he was welding like he expected again. So if any of you casual welders suddenly start having issues making you wonder whats up with your welder check out the wire.

I'll have to keep that in mind. My problem with welding thin sheet is that I was trying to do 'too much' in one pass. I really needed to slow down and do small, short beads and then go back and fill in. First corner of the shovel I filled it in like crazy cause I was burning through the sheet metal. Second corner went like a dream. Had to get out the dremel and grind like crazy.


Got a little chilly last night so we actually had a fire. The paint was dry on the new tools so I used my previously made ember rake. That ends up being one darn handy tool. It does a great job of pushing the embers around and even works pretty well as a poker...

Just have to make the stand and a little rack for storing wood today...
 
Thanks! Tested them out last night.

I was a little worried about the poker, as the design is a little rudimentary, but it works just fine. The ember rake really helps to chop up and move the coals around to make sure they burn down to mostly ashes.
 
There's an old saying that the only difference between a good welder and a bad welder is a good grinder and in many cases that is very true when it comes to us hobby welders.
 
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