Weber Kettle Club Forums
Grill Talk => Weber Grill Forum (Grills, Accessories) => Topic started by: Troy on July 11, 2016, 01:50:48 PM
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anyone have any recommendations for a charcoal rake?
I've been using an old pair of tongs to move charcoal around. They've held up fine for several years.
However they're not long enough or efficient enough for use with the ranch kettle.
The Steven Raichlen charcoal rake (http://amzn.to/29wrE0u) doesn't look that great, especially for the price.
I was thinking of just buying a garden hoe and cutting the handle down.
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I use an old hoe with the handle cut off about 15" from the blade.
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I use an old hoe with the handle cut off about 15" from the blade.
thanks!
I remember someone here doing that, but i couldn't remember who
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Probably wouldn't work in a ranch, but I use an old long handled spatula
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Anything long and flat will work. What about an avalanche shovel or a trench shovel from a military surplus store?
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A few weeks ago I saw a shitty katana at a resale shop. Think I could bend the tip into a rake shape?
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I'll second the short handle old hoe!
The only thing I ever use it on is the La Caja China.
Don't have a pic of mine, never really thought of taking one, but the coals do get HOT and it is a must! If I had a Ranch Kettle, it would also be a do without tool!
(http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/swamprb/La%20Caja%20China/IMG_3889.jpg)
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I was cooking on a rented 6-foot grill earlier this month, and I used a shovel. It might have been too big for the job, but I could imagine I was Aaron Franklin, leaning on it while tending the smoker.
Srsly though I would try visiting a nursery or gardening specialty store. I'll bet you could find a narrow rake or tined digging tool with a long handle.
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Hands & welding gloves work ok.
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Hard to beat eight bucks and Amazon Prime.
https://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-500-586-Ash-Rake/dp/B004CPFBQ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1468291032&sr=1-1&keywords=bayou+classic+ash+rake&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011 (https://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-500-586-Ash-Rake/dp/B004CPFBQ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1468291032&sr=1-1&keywords=bayou+classic+ash+rake&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011)
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What about a crappy pair of Replacement tongs from the dollar store? Not as cool, though.
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What about a crappy pair of Replacement tongs from the dollar store? Not as cool, though.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That's what I've been using. Not long enough or wide enough
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Hard to beat eight bucks and Amazon Prime.
https://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-500-586-Ash-Rake/dp/B004CPFBQ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1468291032&sr=1-1&keywords=bayou+classic+ash+rake&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011 (https://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-500-586-Ash-Rake/dp/B004CPFBQ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1468291032&sr=1-1&keywords=bayou+classic+ash+rake&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011)
Good stuff, similar to the one I grabbed @ walmart except 24" & it has "teeth" on bottom.
cost me >2$ more tho
Funny, when I bought it the cashier girl said "damn, you could kill someone with that!"
I nodded, winked & told her it was for my grill...
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I used an old hoe that I ground to almost match the profile of the kettle, it'll spread coals and it'll scrape the greasy ashy muck out of the kettle in between cleanings.
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w129/americanwest/unknown541.jpg) (http://s175.photobucket.com/user/americanwest/media/unknown541.jpg.html)
When I tend a fire in one of my pits or wood stove I use a bow rake (with the heavy solid tines), cut down to like 6 tines, to move coals around and keep air flowing proper.
You can find either at a second hand store and modify'em with without too much trouble or expense.
One advantage to using a coal spreader with a ranch is you can spread the coals out fast so your heat don't get away from you, as well as keeping the hair on your knuckles intact.
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@swamprb I was just thinking about this since we are using our La Caja China this weekend.
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I bought this about 5yrs ago at walmart for 5 bucks. All metal construction.
(http://pics.weberkettleclub.com/images/2016/07/12/IMAG0520.md.jpg)
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That's hot!
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Just the light.
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I just bought one like Darko has at Menards for $7 but it has a handle that extends to around 36". I actually bought it for use in the garden. I think there are some plastic parts in the extender so I don't think it would suitable for "hot" use. There were others there with solid handles for less money but I don't recall if the handles were made of wood or metal.
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I have my cut off hoe I made ten years ago, I was just thinking the other day it may be time to replace it......
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(http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w667/BobBQ13/17bi1g_zpssssbbcsi.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/BobBQ13/media/17bi1g_zpssssbbcsi.jpg.html)
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http://www.horizonbbqsmokers.com/accessories-1/firebox-clean-out-tool-standard
(http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54c123fae4b04b34af21fa89/54d11045e4b0da3b6167939b/54d8f7a2e4b0def8cdf19118/1423505314755/IMG_1840.JPG?format=500w)
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Hands & welding gloves work ok.
I do that too @Darko.
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(http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w667/BobBQ13/17bi1g_zpssssbbcsi.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/BobBQ13/media/17bi1g_zpssssbbcsi.jpg.html)
that's some funny $hit Bob!
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I use a length of 1.5 inch legged angle iron that I had lying around. It works ok and I am too lazy to do more.
My Dad had a length of thin aluminum extrusion. Kinda like 2 inch tall base board. He bent it into an L shape and used that. It worked like the thing a croupier uses to rake in the dice on a craps table.
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looks like i'm going shopping for a HOE!
great idea grinding the edge down to better match the kettle contour too @Hell Fire Grill - I will try to do the same (assuming my dremel has enough muscle to do it)
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I use the Weber ash rake, it's got a nice length to it and I just leave it hanging off my kettle.
(http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/jason_king12/image_zpsx88dztvy.png) (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/jason_king12/media/image_zpsx88dztvy.png.html)
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A few weeks ago I saw a shitty katana at a resale shop. Think I could bend the tip into a rake shape?
Sent from my SM-N910V using Weber Kettle Club mobile app (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=91018)
Make the effort. A katana. If the katana works out it could be the best thing ever. Don't just settle for a cut down hoe. Don't even bother using the katana for the real work of moving coals around - just whip it off your back like Toshiro Mifune and poke around under the grill. The Seven Samurai cookin' up something on the Ranch. Badass.
I use a cut down flat nose shovel. I didn't run across a katana.
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A few weeks ago I saw a shitty katana at a resale shop. Think I could bend the tip into a rake shape?
Sent from my SM-N910V using Weber Kettle Club mobile app (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=91018)
Make the effort. A katana. If the katana works out it could be the best thing ever. Don't just settle for a cut down hoe. Don't even bother using the katana for the real work of moving coals around - just whip it off your back like Toshiro Mifune and poke around under the grill. The Seven Samurai cookin' up something on the Ranch. Badass.
I use a cut down flat nose shovel. I didn't run across a katana.
shit. you're right.
I need to do this.