I needed to clean ("sweep") my chimney, and when I saw the retail brushes, I knew I could design one too easily myself! (See last picture for sample product I found on Amazon.)
This brush head requires a few “post production” modifications to become usable:
- You need to insert your own cutting/slapping/sweeping/brushing strings/blades/wires/bristles.
- I used some weed eater wire I had lying around. I used 4 strings per hole, of approximately 1 mm weed eater line. (For no really good reason, I used 3 white/clear and 1 blue, see pics.) This worked perfectly.
- I cut my strings to about 17 inches total length, and pull them about halfway through each hole in the “body” print. (Why 17"? I don't know, but it's what was used in the sample product I saw.)
- With all the strings threaded through the “body,” I pushed the “plug” into the “body” piece. You'll need to tap/hammer/mallet this piece to seat it all the way. Once mine was seated, it was DEFINITELY not going ANYWHERE.
- You'll need your own extension rod kit.
- I already had these (nylon?) rods from my dryer vent cleaning kit, so I reused these. (Notice that it looks like the same ones shown in the sample Amazon kit above.) My rods have a 5/16" - 20 thread.
- Use these with a power drill/screwdriver.
- You'll have to cut your own threads into the brush “plug" piece. I have my own tap and die kit, which happened to have the 5/16" - 20 thread tap.
- I've found that tapping your own threads can be easier and stronger than 3D printing them.
- The “plug” piece already has a hole, but it's intentionally a little smaller than 5/16" so that you'll have to tap in the threads.
- This means that you should use more than 1-2 perimeters in order to have enough 3D printed wall thickness to cut!
- Great opportunity for a remix: make new “plug” pieces with pre-threaded holes of different sizes.
P.s. I just used my print shown in the pictures to sweep my own chimney, and it worked great. I didn't have much creosote buildup to begin with, but my flue was still much cleaner after than before, and with no notable damage to the print or weed eater wires. SUCCESS!
