How to clean below the convection deck of a Chinook?

[stoveliker]

I did some work on the wall behind the stove, and the ceiling above it. So now I have quite a bit of dust on the firebox below the convection deck.

Is it possible to get the cast iron front off t use a wet cloth to clean it there?

A vacuum with a hose doesn't work well for me here.

 

[Tron]

I don't think you can get the front off, but on the rear there are two plates screwed on (if you don't have the fans) that you could take off and just blow it out with compressed air.
I remember (when I retrofitted the fans) that those have a rather strange "face", no screwdriver I had really fit. I don't remember what that was exactly, but @BKVP told me that they are common in stove applications.

 

[stoveliker]

Yes, I don't have the fan but did take those off to get better convection. It's tough cleaning thru those though, still narrower than the front would be without the front. I'd really like to be able to get my hands in there with a wet cloth but the holes in the back don't allow that...


Btw, I'm baffled there is a front that seems aimed at releasing hit air, but there is no entrance for colder air - and I had suggested to bkvp a while back to make holes from the top of the sides into the convection deck space - and holes at the bottom of the sides, creating an air flow from the floors at the sides to the top deck and out the front. ..

 

[gthomas785]

Wonder if something like these musical instrument cleaning kits would be of any help?

 

[stoveliker]

Yes, I may have to resort to finagling something like that if I don't find a better way.

 

[BKVP]

I don't think you can get the front off, but on the rear there are two plates screwed on (if you don't have the fans) that you could take off and just blow it out with compressed air.
I remember (when I retrofitted the fans) that those have a rather strange "face", no screwdriver I had really fit. I don't remember what that was exactly, but @BKVP told me that they are common in stove applications.

Robertson bit #2. Also called square drive.

BKVP

 

[Tron]

Robertson bit #2. Also called square drive.

Thanks. Like I said, nothing the average DIYer has in the toolbox.
Can't really relate why that was chosen, instead of time-and-industry-proven drives like hex or torx.

 

[gthomas785]

Thanks. Like I said, nothing the average DIYer has in the toolbox.
Can't really relate why that was chosen, instead of time-and-industry-proven drives like hex or torx.

Wait, is square drive that unfamiliar to people?
Used to see a ton of them in residential construction before torx took over.
My dewalt multi-kit of impact bits came with at least 3 sizes of square bits.

 

[Tron]

Wait, is square drive that unfamiliar to people?

Maybe I'm too young, but to me it is.
But yes, if I can, I use torx all the way. Best torque transfer and almost impossible to strip.

 

[gthomas785]

Maybe I'm too young, but to me it is.
But yes, if I can, I use torx all the way. Best torque transfer and almost impossible to strip.

Square drive was a major innovation over the older phillips drive which was itself an improvement over the "original" straight slot screw drive. All with the goal of reducing strip out and cam-out issues especially in construction or hand-assembly applications where you cannot guarantee perfect alignment of the screw and driver. Recently square drive screws have become less popular in favor of Torx which seems to have even better performance.
Seems like if a stove manufacturer got tooled up for assembly with square drive bolts there would not be much tangible benefit of switching over to a different type. And it's not like it's a proprietary bit or anything, you can buy them at home depot.

 

[stoveliker]

I have always had 3 sizes square drive. They also are still included in a recent (last 5 years) purchase of a DeWalt bit set.

@BKVP
What's the best way to clean between the convection deck of the Chinook?
Do I have to suck it up and just try to blow it all out?

 

[BKVP]

I have always had 3 sizes square drive. They also are still included in a recent (last 5 years) purchase of a DeWalt bit set.

@BKVP
What's the best way to clean between the convection deck of the Chinook?
Do I have to suck it up and just try to blow it all out?

Yes...that's probably best method.

BKVP

 

[gthomas785]

Do I have to suck it up and just try to blow it all out?

Well... which will it be???

 

[BKVP]

Blow from back of stove towards front.

BKVP

 

[stoveliker]

Well... which will it be???

Lol, I see that now.
I didn't want to blow as it'll spread. But I have to suck it (the situation) up. Meaning I have to blow it out.

It is what it is.

 

[Highbeam]

Square drive was a major innovation over the older phillips drive which was itself an improvement over the "original" straight slot screw drive. All with the goal of reducing strip out and cam-out issues especially in construction or hand-assembly applications where you cannot guarantee perfect alignment of the screw and driver. Recently square drive screws have become less popular in favor of Torx which seems to have even better performance.
Seems like if a stove manufacturer got tooled up for assembly with square drive bolts there would not be much tangible benefit of switching over to a different type. And it's not like it's a proprietary bit or anything, you can buy them at home depot.

My elcheapo comprehensive driver bit set has all of the square drive bits but another aspect of this issue is that the slot and phillips have a built in torque limiting feature. I can easily shear off bolts or strip threads with hex heads, torx screws, and other "positive" engagement drives but the phillips and slots usually prevent that much torque from going through.

 

[gthomas785]

My elcheapo comprehensive driver bit set has all of the square drive bits but another aspect of this issue is that the slot and phillips have a built in torque limiting feature. I can easily shear off bolts or strip threads with hex heads, torx screws, and other "positive" engagement drives but the phillips and slots usually prevent that much torque from going through.

Yeah "excessive torque" seems to be the thing these days now that everyone has an impact driver and likes to get trigger happy with it

 

[stoveliker]

We used a "plumeau" through the holes in the back, that did not work as well as we wished for.
So I reversed my shopvac, and blew it out while having a cordless vacuum with a wide suction head in the front trying to capture as much as possible. That worked well in cleaning out the dust in the convection deck, it did not work well to contain the mess as a significant dust storm blew into the basement.

Anyway, it's done. Case closed.