For years I thought a stiff brush was the only way to get a clean flue.

I was working on a 1920s brick chimney in Charleston and the owner, an older guy who'd lived there his whole life, asked if I wanted to see his granddad's old gear. He pulled out this super flexible horsehair brush, way softer than my steel one. Using it on that old, crumbly liner was like night and day, no more worrying about scratching things up. Anyone still use the old-school soft brushes, or is everyone on the poly bristles now?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_faith17d ago

That horsehair brush story reminds me of the time I took on a big job cleaning out an old cast iron stove. The owner had been using a wire wheel on a drill and just wrecking the inside of the door. I swapped in a soft nylon cup brush and it took more passes but the finish came out smooth and not scratched up at all. The guy actually thanked me later because he thought he'd have to replace the whole door. So yeah, I'm totally with you on going soft when the material is old or fragile. What's the worst damage you've seen from someone using the wrong brush on a chimney liner?

drew_jenkins541mo ago

My grandpa's old leather shop taught me that gentle tools often work best on delicate things.

rosebennett1mo ago

That's a solid lesson from your grandpa's shop, @drew_jenkins54. I've seen it hold true in my own life, like when I'm fixing an old book binding or even dealing with people. Force just makes things tear. What's a time you saw that idea fail because someone used the wrong, harsh tool for a soft job?