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This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEP curriculum.  Completing this BB is part of getting the sand badge in Metal Working.

If you have a rocket mass heater you may eventually need to clean it out.  A scoop would be a wonderful tool to have.  Let's make one!

Here's a video of making one with some forging and metal shaping. This is much fancier than needed for this BB!


Here's making the scoop part from sheet metal and bending:


Here's a guy making a scoop by welding:


To complete this BB, the minimum requirements is to make an ash scoop for a RMH or other fire application:
  - steel, iron, aluminum or copper
  - must be designed to clean ash from the burn tunnel and lift it out the wood feed (may take multiple scoopings)
  - needs small edges on three of the sides to help lift ash out

To document your completion of the BB, provide the following:
 - A picture of your scoop partially assembled
 - A picture of the finished scoop
COMMENTS:
 
gardener
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For what it's worth I'll share a photo of a scoop I made for my RMH that might help some regarding a scoop form that would work better for a J-tube than a traditional ash scoop.  If I did it again, which I probably should do sometime to document it for the PEP badge, I would probably make it a little bit longer.  This one is still a bit of a stretch to get all the way to the back of the tube.  I didn't want to make it too long though or it would be challenging to feed down into the tube.  That was my thought anyway.
RMH-scoop.JPG
[Thumbnail for RMH-scoop.JPG]
soldered copper RHM scoop
 
steward
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That's a beautiful scoop David!  I edited the BB to allow for copper as a material since we aren't dealing with much heat with this particular fireplace tool.  Have you formed/bent copper sheet into a curve?  If you're going to make another one, that could be a fun way to make it differently.  Copper gets really soft if you heat it up and quench it in ice water.  It also changes to some neat colors.
 
David Huang
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Thanks Mike.  Brass and bronze should also work fine in this instance too.

It's kinda fun being in a community who doesn't know what I normally do.  Basically the bulk of my days are spent as a copper smith, mostly forming sheet metal into bowls that can get pretty complex.  So, yeah, I've formed/bent it into curves.  ;)  I made this scoop really quick and sloppy compared to my normal work.  I didn't know just what form it needed to be to get down into, and then deep back in my 6" RMH.  So I did something quick I could bend around a bit to find the needed curves that would work.  If I do another it will probably be fancier, and I'll be sure to share.  In fact I'd probably make a tutorial documenting it.
 
Mike Haasl
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Yes, community like this is fun.  You never know when another member turns out to be an expert at charcoal gasification or propagating mangos or making windmills.  It's a fun time to be alive
 
steward
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Approved submission
Wee little rocket mass heater rake. Next time I may make some design mods, but here it is.
7FE7166E-3A50-4105-8153-A8D5760AD58A.jpeg
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Staff note :

Certified.  The requirements have been adjusted, thanks for unintentionally finding a gap in our requirements!

 
pollinator
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Here's my RMH ash scoop
20201023_130955.jpg
Materials
Materials
20201023_183222.jpg
Completed scoop
Completed scoop
Staff note :

Certified.  The requirements have been adjusted, thanks for unintentionally finding a gap in our requirements!

 
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Approved submission
Made a rocket mass heater ash scoop from bits of scrap steel and rebar. Works quite well!
BD39E0BE-D779-44A9-BC14-59C3F6CBCEF8.jpeg
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Staff note (gir bot) :

David Huang approved this submission.
Note: Nice use of scrap material on this!

 
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Approved submission
Made this at PTJ. For what it's worth, Josiah gave it an unofficial award for the best RMH scoop ever!

It's cut from 3 inch wide square tube that was cut in two and the back edge was bent in to create a dustpan like shape. The handle is made from bent steel with a little curl at the end for hanging.
finished-scoop-2.JPG
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finished-scoop-1.JPG
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Staff note (gir bot) :

Nicole Alderman approved this submission.
Note: I hereby certify that this badge bit is complete!

 
gardener
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Approved submission
I initially made the handle bend at a 90deg which I later found was wrong. To fix this, I drilled out the rivets, straightened the handle, then reattached the handle to the scoop. It's now finished!

To complete this BB, the minimum requirements is to make an ash scoop for a RMH or other fire application:
  - steel, iron, aluminum or copper
  - must be designed to clean ash from the burn tunnel and lift it out the wood feed (may take multiple scoopings)
  - needs small edges on three of the sides to help lift ash out

To document your completion of the BB, provide the following:
 - A picture of your scoop partially assembled
 - A picture of the finished scoop
RMH-scoop_concept.JPG
[Thumbnail for RMH-scoop_concept.JPG]
RMH-scoop_concept-2.JPG
[Thumbnail for RMH-scoop_concept-2.JPG]
RMH-scoop_partially-assembled.JPG
[Thumbnail for RMH-scoop_partially-assembled.JPG]
RMH-scoop-finished.jpg
[Thumbnail for RMH-scoop-finished.jpg]
Staff note (gir bot) :

David Huang approved this submission.
Note: I hearby certify this complete.

 
pollinator
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Approved submission
I think I might win the ugliest scoop award. If not, maybe ugliest rivets??
But, it works! As in, the metal stays together and I can scoop ash.
Only mildly embarrassed by my first metal working project
IMG_2585.jpeg
Starting materials (a solar tube I found in the dumpster, a curtain rod which came with my house, and a 1/8” brass round rod from Lowe’s)
Starting materials (a solar tube I found in the dumpster, a curtain rod which came with my house, and a 1/8” brass round rod from Lowe’s)
IMG_2595.jpeg
Partway through (drilling holes for rivets)
Partway through (drilling holes for rivets)
IMG_2601.jpeg
Flattening curtain rod
Flattening curtain rod
IMG_2602.jpeg
Folding curtain rod for strength
Folding curtain rod for strength
IMG_2603.jpeg
Assembled
Assembled
IMG_2605.jpeg
Those rivets make me want to cry
Those rivets make me want to cry
IMG_2612.jpeg
Scooping ash (from my rocket oven)
Scooping ash (from my rocket oven)
Staff note (gir bot) :

David Huang approved this submission.
Note: I hearby certify this complete. Welcome to the world of metalworking!  Clean rivets take some practice to achieve.  A snug fit of the rivet in the hole, keeping the rivet just barely long enough, and many light taps to form it are some tips that might help with future riveting. 

 
I found a beautiful pie. And a tiny ad:
rocket mass heater risers: materials and design eBook
https://permies.com/w/risers-ebook
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