Some jobs require down-and-dirty elbow grease. After scraping loose some of the creosote buildup inside a fireplace, I found wire-brushing the most-effective way to remove the caked-on patches. I could tell after 15 minutes that my arms weren’t going to last, so I cobbled together an attachment for my reciprocating saw.
As shown in the drawing, I used a die grinder to cut five little notches in a spent reciprocating-saw blade and drove screws in the notches to mount it to the back of a wire brush. Presto! I had an in-line wirebrush attachment that could aggressively attack the stubborn mess. Since then, I’ve used the attachment to clean up spots on a concrete slab, “distress” wood, brush off loose house paint, and clean up rusty steel angle.
Mike Guertin, East Greenwich, RI
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Mike,
Great idea!
As a "Former" Chimney Sweep, The WAY to get rid of that Creosote is With Scrapers followed by a Wire Brush.
I'm ONLY a Former Chimney Sweep because MY Son had Muscular Dystrophy so I "Stayed With" GMC where MY Medical Insurance ALREADY Covered Him.
That's WHY "I'm All For" Obamacare.
I Was a UAW/GMC Skilled Trades autoworker then.
I "Made" My Own Scrapers in My Toolroom (Out of MY Material!) but Special Scrapers aren't necessary. Any HD Scraper that's the right Size will work.
PS: Always "Wear" a Respirator since Creosote IS a Carcinogen! A "Paint Mask" isn't any good. Any Paint Mask with filters Works.
I actually Used a Rascal which Has a Facemask too and is a Forced Air unit with a Belt Mounted Battery Pack Filter Unit-Blower. ANY "Painter's Respirator" will work.
I "Think" the one I had was a DeVilbiss but I Got the Rascal instead. Using the DeVilbiss I Wore Clear Ski Goggles but They Steamed-Up.