Winter woodstove prep

Thats all we used to have too was the chimney cap and the stove. We used a 6" round brush on 2 ropes, one to pull it down and one to pull it up. Our damper was right above the stove and we also had one of those "Magic Heat" units right above the damper. We would just unscrew the magic heat and set it aside and do the chimney and then reassemble the pipe. If you don't have a small section of pipe screwed in right above your damper, now would be the time to put one in for easier access next time. I grew up on a farm and our old Ben Franklin stove was the only thing that kept that old house above freezing. Good luck, Geof