Crane Coal Cooker Question

I just got one of these little jewels - I know some of you have burned them for 30 years, so I have one dumb question: How are you supposed to shake the grate? Inside the ash door, the center pull-out of the grate has an arm with a tiny little hole in it. Is there supposed to be a tool that engages that little hole? Are you just supposed to grab it with a gloved hand? I've set welding gloves on fire that way before. There's clearly no shaker mechanism that's supposed to be connected to it permanently. While writing that, it occured to me that a tool with a socket to fit over that arm might be the answer.

I'm prone to re-inventing the wheel, but I'm sure there's a simple answer. I'd appreciate it if any of you could help me. Thanks!

I never have even see a Crane but I have a tool for my Warm Morning that fits in a hole in the handle on the dump part in the middle of the grate. It acts like and extension handle that is cool and it allows you to pull the dump grate toward the front of the stove as needed and/or shake the grates a few inches back and forth. Before I aquired the handle I used a very large screw driver but the handle is much better.

Exactly - most circular coal grates with a center dump since time began have had a slot (just like a Warm Morning) that the lid lifter fits into. Now, imagine that that arm has just a 3/16" hole in it instead of a big slot that you can do something with. It must have come with a doohickey - either a tool with a >3/16" pin (which really seems too tiny - it would have to be about 1/8"), or else a tool with a socket that fits around the whole arm. I'm hoping that someone can tell me what the doohickey is, and maybe even post a picture of it - or maybe just send me their old spare one!

Post a picture so we can see what tool is needed to shake this type of grate.

Its hard to guess without an image,maybe with the grate out of the stove

and then in the stove for all views.


BigBarney

A bit off topic, but I just noticed that everyone except BigBarney has a Warm Morning coal stove. Cool beans, or should I say HOT beans!!!

piginabag

Here is pic of the shaker handles that came with the Crane Coal Cooker, the smaller one is used to pull out the slide and can be reversed to use as the shaker but the larger one is easier to use once you have the slide pulled out. You could also just use a pair of vise grips if you don't have anything else.


Rich