I’ve been using a set of rods and round brush for years to clean my own chimney.
I’ve just recently stumbled on some of your conversations about soot eaters. They seem reasonably priced, but I just couldn’t help myself from taking a stab at it.
I grabbed an old hole saw out of the coffee can and drilled (8) holes around the base and cross-threaded it onto the end of a rod to be sure it won’t come off. (Same size, different thread pitch)
![B2FDF1F1-B743-4055-9D07-109CB182A1DA.jpeg B2FDF1F1-B743-4055-9D07-109CB182A1DA.jpeg](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/303/303526-fef406ac34d9112b0a7342ce9a4dfa29.jpg)
Next I cut it off, knocked all the burrs with a file, dremel and sandpaper.
![8F34283B-9108-4BD5-913E-C270F5079B9A.jpeg 8F34283B-9108-4BD5-913E-C270F5079B9A.jpeg](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/303/303527-535175075a74bb707d97d570fa59c600.jpg)
![78671871-D3C0-448D-8E3E-9060515F66A0.jpeg 78671871-D3C0-448D-8E3E-9060515F66A0.jpeg](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/303/303528-4e0cbf7135ec0c7f8766f7be1cf98ec4.jpg)
I cut long lengths of string and tied a knot in the middle and started to insert them with the knot centered and the tag end going out opposing holes. I suppose you could go in one hole and out the next to reduce the bulk inside the head. I went with shorter pieces that I melted and mushroomed on the counter top.
![F391620E-BF49-4CFA-82B0-D9259FBEB946.jpeg F391620E-BF49-4CFA-82B0-D9259FBEB946.jpeg](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/303/303530-2b2ae717c6634a2adf2da49e72b0e161.jpg)
![5624DCD8-C37D-4F70-91C1-9163BB943682.jpeg 5624DCD8-C37D-4F70-91C1-9163BB943682.jpeg](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/303/303531-c0e9cfceeaa3f0877025fa28a7ef4d1f.jpg)
![3F340777-32E4-4D9F-9EC3-DC6CFEF80501.jpeg 3F340777-32E4-4D9F-9EC3-DC6CFEF80501.jpeg](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/303/303532-c21b70d49dd24526780a144efde25c96.jpg)
I’ll give this a go next time I clean and see if what I already had laying around works.
It couldn’t have been more than a half hour to make including planning and R&D.
I’ve just recently stumbled on some of your conversations about soot eaters. They seem reasonably priced, but I just couldn’t help myself from taking a stab at it.
I grabbed an old hole saw out of the coffee can and drilled (8) holes around the base and cross-threaded it onto the end of a rod to be sure it won’t come off. (Same size, different thread pitch)
![B2FDF1F1-B743-4055-9D07-109CB182A1DA.jpeg B2FDF1F1-B743-4055-9D07-109CB182A1DA.jpeg](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/303/303526-fef406ac34d9112b0a7342ce9a4dfa29.jpg)
Next I cut it off, knocked all the burrs with a file, dremel and sandpaper.
![8F34283B-9108-4BD5-913E-C270F5079B9A.jpeg 8F34283B-9108-4BD5-913E-C270F5079B9A.jpeg](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/303/303527-535175075a74bb707d97d570fa59c600.jpg)
![78671871-D3C0-448D-8E3E-9060515F66A0.jpeg 78671871-D3C0-448D-8E3E-9060515F66A0.jpeg](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/303/303528-4e0cbf7135ec0c7f8766f7be1cf98ec4.jpg)
I cut long lengths of string and tied a knot in the middle and started to insert them with the knot centered and the tag end going out opposing holes. I suppose you could go in one hole and out the next to reduce the bulk inside the head. I went with shorter pieces that I melted and mushroomed on the counter top.
![F391620E-BF49-4CFA-82B0-D9259FBEB946.jpeg F391620E-BF49-4CFA-82B0-D9259FBEB946.jpeg](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/303/303530-2b2ae717c6634a2adf2da49e72b0e161.jpg)
![5624DCD8-C37D-4F70-91C1-9163BB943682.jpeg 5624DCD8-C37D-4F70-91C1-9163BB943682.jpeg](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/303/303531-c0e9cfceeaa3f0877025fa28a7ef4d1f.jpg)
![3F340777-32E4-4D9F-9EC3-DC6CFEF80501.jpeg 3F340777-32E4-4D9F-9EC3-DC6CFEF80501.jpeg](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/303/303532-c21b70d49dd24526780a144efde25c96.jpg)
I’ll give this a go next time I clean and see if what I already had laying around works.
It couldn’t have been more than a half hour to make including planning and R&D.
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