Picked between a rotary and a whip for a 1920s brick flue in Albany, and the whip saved my afternoon

Sean Bennett · 2026-10-10T14:05:03.803629+00:00

Had a job over on State Street last Tuesday, a 1920s brick flue that was caked with glazed creosote about a quarter inch thick. I stood there with both tools in the truck and went back and forth for a minute, since the rotary would eat through it fast but risk chewing up the mortar joints. I went with the whip on a drill at low speed and worked it in stages, and it knocked the glaze loose without tearing up the brick. Took me 40 minutes instead of the two hours I budgeted, and the homeowner tipped me an extra $20. What are you all running on old soft brick when the creosote is that bad?

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Picked between a rotary and a whip for a 1920s brick flue in Albany, and the whip saved my afternoon | Chimney Sweeps - Free To Speak