A good way to handle ashes: no mess, no dust, no burnt fingers. The Wood Heat Organization:
Answers to your questions about burning wood for heat and enjoyment.

One man's ash fetish

I don't like ash pans in stoves.  I know most stove buyers demand them, but every one I've used has been fussy and messy and too hot to touch.  Plus, most folks don't empty them often enough so they overflow and really make a mess.  My two previous stoves had ash pans in their pedestals that never had ash in them.  The dumb plug in the floor of the firebox was never even lifted.  I have developed another strategy that is quicker, more effective, and absolutely dust-free. 

I also like to keep a clean firebox.  I find that if I don't empty a little ash every day of cold weather full-time heating, by the end of the second day the ash starts to interfere with my stoking technique.  The way I handle my ashes is a direct result of that stoking technique, which involves raking hot coals to the front of the firebox and placing the new load of wood behind them.  This raking moves the heat source for ignition to the place where the combustion air and the fuel are, just inside the loading door.  The result is that I usually have ignition almost instantly.  And the coals never get smothered by new fuel.

When I get up in the morning, the first thing I do is put coffee on, then I rekindle the fire from coals.  The hot coals from the overnight fire are always found at the back of the firebox of this non-catalytic stove.  Because of the raking technique that I had used several times the day before, there is always an accumulation of ash at the front, just inside the door.  

I use the rake to consolidate this accumulation and then use a wedge-shaped scoop with a sliding lid to pick them up. This scoop is called an ash-trap, but there are variations available most places.  Using the scoop means that I don't make dust shoveling ash into a bucket.  Instead, I slide the lid closed before removing the scoop from the firebox. Voila!, no dust.

Two quick jabs with the scoop, which doesn't disturb the coals, close the lid and carry the ashes to the back door where a small steel garbage can waits to receive them.  Removal of the ash takes about 30 seconds and is such a quick and simple job, it is not worth putting off.

Back at the stove, I rake the coals forward, put in a load of wood and have a bright fire burning in seconds, long before the coffee is ready.

JG