Stainless Steel Fireplace Tool

[Paul Jones]

I used stainless steel 303 0.375 inch diameter and 1 inch diameter rods to make a 24 inch long fireplace tool for our wood burning fireplace. We live about one block from the ocean and it seems that everything rusts or corrodes if it is not made from stainless steel. The fireplace handle has a knurled finished with a 21 a cross diamond pitch and is slightly larger than 5 inches long by 0.7 inches in diameter (actually machined down to 0.693 inch diameter for a perfect fit for this type of 21 pitch knurl – see Smartphone Android app “Knurling Calculator” for calculating the diameters) .

The fireplace handle details



The finished tool (shown against a dirty workbench mat)



Construction steps for making the handle







Thank you for looking,

Regards,

Paul Jones

[suther51]

Bit of a coincidence, I was just thinking of building a swarf rake of very similar construction to clean out under my lathe. A blade in place of the short end of the L of your fireplace tool. Not an immediate project but soon I hope. Thanks for the nice handle idea.
Eric

[Paul Jones]

Thank you suther51.

I wanted to make this type of stainless steel fireplace tool for a long time but never a priority. If I made this tool again, I would single point thread the male thread on the poker rod rather than do it by hand with a thread die. The stainless steel 303 is very tough on thread dies.

Regards, Paul

[mklotz]

My walking stick has what is called a "derby" handle.



I often use the handle to pull things to me and also to push them away, e.g., pushing a bowl across a table to someone. I've often thought of making a fire poker with a head of that shape. It seems like it would be very versatile for arranging logs on a fire.

[Paul Jones]

Marv,

Very nice walking stick. My wife has a similar walking stick with a sterling silver dog-head handle and a straight ebony wood stick. I shortened and threaded the end of the ebony wood stick. I replaced the bottom slippery metal tip-end with a stainless steel ferrule internally threaded on both ends to fit into the ebony stick and the other bottom-end accommodates a small scientific black rubber cork that fits perfectly in the smaller end. The rubber tip does not slip on hard surfaces and is just right height for walking. I should publish the cane rebuild project because it turned out better than I expected.

Regards,
Paul

[Jon]

Very nice to see a fireplace tool in stainless steel; I had not thought about that. I vote for a hollow tube, with a two pronged bent fork on the end. Like this: https://www.amazon.com/Firedragon-Bl.../dp/B000BYRP9Y . You pivot logs up with the fork end, and then you blow through the tool, and then the air is directed underneath the logs. This is not a gimmick like fire bellows; it works extremely well, by allowing you to direct strong airflow into the fire from a safe distance - like leaving the woodburner door open to flame up the fire quickly, but this allows much better control and volume.

When logs are lifted with a standard poker, they can sometimes roll down the poker shaft, but the double prongs in this design give you better control at the tip. You can also adjust the hot woodburner door and handle and controls with the prongs. Finally, if you open the door and some coals escape, you can press the two angled fork tines down onto a coal to pinch it, and then just smack the tip of the tool inside the firebox to release the coal.

[rossbotics]

Nice job Paul, I also like the 6 jaw chuck on your lathe

Doug

[jjr2001]

Great knurl on a useful tool Paul. I really like that picture with the super long knurl.

Cheers, JR

[Paul Jones]

Thanks to all.

Jon, I like the hollow tube design for re-igniting the wood.

Doug, the chuck is a 6" Gator 6 Jaw Tru-Adjustable Semi Steel Lathe Chuck that can be trued to within a few 0.0001" using a gage pin. In the full range of the chuck capacity it will be held within 0.0005" TIR. The Gator chucks are made by Fuerda. The chuck designs are clones of the better built Bison chucks but are far less expensive. Also, in one of the photos I am using a Techniks CNC ER32 collet chuck being held within the 6-jaw chuck. This is how I chuck parts that are less than 0.5" in diameter because the 6-jaw chuck can't hold smaller diameters.

JR, the 303 stainless steel 6" long 21 pitch knurl turned out well by pre-machining the diameter according the SmartPhone app "Knurling Calculator". I usually add another 0.002" to the calculated diameter. There are different knurling techniques but in my experience the pre-machining to the correct knurling diameter based on the knurl pitch guarantees the best sharp-pointed knurl surface every time.

Regards,
Paul

[DIYer]

Thanks Paul Jones! We've added your Poker to our Miscellaneous category,
as well as to your builder page: Paul Jones's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Poker by Paul Jones

tags: knurling