Ran into an old sweep at a job in Portland last week, and he showed me how he still uses a hand brush instead of a vacuum

Was working on a 1920s house in the Irvington neighborhood. Old timer pulls up for the house next door, sees my gear, and starts talking shop. He's been at it since the 70s and told me he never bothered with a HEPA vac. Just uses a stiff bristle brush and a tarp on the floor. Said it's quieter and he gets a better feel for the flue condition by touch. I gotta admit, I was skeptical until I saw him finish a job in half the time I took on mine. Made me wonder if we've all gone overboard with the fancy equipment. Any other old school techniques you guys still swear by?

2 comments

2 Comments

palmer.ryan6h ago

Respectfully disagree with @matthewg63 here cause modern tools exist for a reason. Sure that old timer is fast with his brush but he's also spreading fine ash dust all over the neighborhood and probably his own lungs without a vac. People act like HEPA filters are a gimmick until they see the cloud of crap that a hand brush kicks up.

matthewg638h ago

My grandpa was a mechanic and he swore by using a block of wood and a mallet to seat bearings instead of a press. Said you could feel the bearing seat properly and knew when to stop before damaging anything. Makes me wonder how much of our modern tools just add extra steps instead of real efficiency lol.