In a message dated 12/5/00 6:35:30 AM Pacific Standard Time, allenjm@bellsouth.net writes: << tool and inserted it in a special place at the bottom of the wood/coal burning stove and operate it back and forth till the ashes fell out and that he cautioned us not to shake so hard that all the cinders fell out cause they retained enough heat to flare up and cause a fire when we hauled the ashes to the backyard and threw them out. The item shook was called a damper - >> You shook the 'grate'! CEE