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Grandpa's soot trick finally clicked after 3 chimney jobs
My grandpa always said to rub a little ash on the flue pipe threads before reassembling, and I thought he was nuts. Tried it last Tuesday on a stubborn 1920s liner in Denver, and the damn thing threaded together smooth as butter with zero squeaking. Anyone else use dry soot as a anti-seize, or is that just an old timer thing?
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hugo_moore1mo ago
That ash trick works because it's basically the same deal as graphite powder, just way cheaper and you always got it on hand. I've used it on boiler flange bolts and even on the lag screws for pipe hangers when they get that white rust corrosion. The carbon in the soot fills the gaps and stops the galling before it starts, especially on that old cast iron where the threads are already worn down. Key is to use the fine powdery stuff from the top of the flue, not the chunky baked-on creosote chunks, those just act like sand and make things worse. One thing I'll add, if you're in a humid spot like Denver can get in the summer, keep it in a dry coffee can with a lid, moisture kills the whole thing.
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