BBQ Grill Scraper Tool

An easy to make BBQ grill scraper tool, that accommodates various grill sizes. The cost is under $10 even if you have to buy all of  the parts new.

1 - 36inch long by 1/4 inch diameter threaded rod, to be cut in half.
2 - 1/4 inch nuts to fit threaded rod
2 - 1/4 inch lock washers
2 - 1/4 inch flat washers
1 - 3/8 inch flat washer
1 - 6 inch long by 1 inch diameter wooden dowel, if you can't find that, a piece of a old wooden broom handle will do.
Note in the photo it shows 3 flat 1/4 inch washers you need only two..

Tools
Electric drill and assorted drill bits
Hacksaw
center punch
Hammer
Bench vice
wood glue
2 Wrenches  to fit the nuts, 7/16 is the size I needed
tape measure or ruler
A flat file
A round file, I used a chain saw file because that is what I had.

Cut the threaded rod into two pieces of 18 inches each. When I bought the rod at the hardware store I asked them to cut it in half so it was easy to carry home without poking some with it inadvertently.
Cut the dowel / broom handle to its 6 inch length.
Clamp the dowel upright in the vice.
With  a 15/64 inch drill bit, drill a two inch deep hole in the center of the dowel.
Bang out the sawdust and put a bit of glue in the hole.
Insert one end of the threaded rod into the hole. It will be a snug fit so  you will have to turn the rod so it goes in.
To make this easier you can clamp the middle of the threaded rod in the vice so that you can turn the dowel /handle on.
measure the exposed part of the rod (16 inches) should be left.
Set aside for now and go and make the scraper part.

On the large washer center punch it at the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions.
Select appropriate sized drills to fit the grill rods you will want to clean / scrape.
The drill bits I used were to fit my smaller sized charcoal grill. On larger gas grills the rods are of a larger diameter so you will have to determine the appropriate size for your own use.
Drill one hole of each size at the four center punch marks.
Clamp washer in vice and file through to the hole, repeat for each hole drilled. Slightly make the opening a bit wider then the hole so that it fits on the grill rods easier.

Take the handle / rod assembly, thread on one of the 1/4 inch nuts about one inch from the end, add a lock washer, add a flat washer, add the scraper washer, add a flat washer, add a lock washer, put on the other nut.
Tighten the parts together with the two wrenches.
You will find that because of the larger diameter hole in the scraper washer that it will move to one side while tightening, If it does this just slightly loosen off the nuts and rest the scraper part on a flat surface and re-tighten.

It can be used on a cold or hot grill.
Since on my charcoal BBQ the grill needs to rotate to adjust the height of it I use BBQ tongs to keep  the grill from turning when I am scraping it.
If you slightly tilt the tool to the left or right when on the grill you can clean much more of the grill rods.