Ideal steel/cat wood stove…?

As far as temps go, just use the magnetic thermometers as a quick visual guide but don't believe the numbers. They can be more than 100° off.
I will engage the cat about 20-30 minutes after a start up, after i hear the by-metal air control open and the secondary flames are heating the stove quickly.
I've found that it's easier to get a full load of fuel going than, say, 4-6 splits.

I hate to "waste" wood, and I've recommended building smaller fires to other burners in the past, but it takes twice as long to get a small fire up to temp and the air dialed back. It's way easier to build a full load fire, and close the basement door when the first floor gets too warm.

 

I found that as well. Since my stove is right in the living room I don’t have the luxury of closing the basement door. I could crack a window but that seems like cheating. A good work around is to build a “Lincoln log” stack out of about 4-6 splits. It gets the splits stacked up close to the top of the stove without loading a full load. Not a great pic but it gets the idea across.

 

This time of year we do a lot of small (log cabin) fires.
The cold, rainy, overcast days (like today, Ugh) are the toughest days to regulate.
You fight to get the draft going in this weather (dreary and 45°), so you want to reload on hot coals, but you don't need that many BTU's.

(Side note) i don't mind opening the door so the puppy can go out every 30-60 minutes) lol

 

I dont have much "crap" wood here but smaller splits of the good stuff would help get the fire going quicker and the coaling issues, so far I've avoided the coaling problems.
I dont consider the stove a slow starter but I'm retired and can tend the stove, if working and on a schedule it would be a different story.

 

Yep similar situation here Tim. I love that I am getting a full days heat out of “garbage” blue spruce in this type of weather!

 

I am not sure if the stove is a slow starter; or if it just takes X number of BTUs to warm the beast up Before it can push heat out. mine with the optional soapstone, etc. is over 750 pounds.

 

Yep I have the soapstone option also, what you lose at the beginning you gain at the end.

 

Definitely use the "Lincoln Log" stack. I like that open space in the middle for air flow.

 

It’s the way to go for quick and cold restarts and shoulder season fires for sure. During the cold months I load the thing as full as I can get it and let it chooch for 12+ hours.

 

Not too cold today (49° right now) but SS brings its own extremes. They're calling for 25mph wind with 50mph gusts. Yikes.
Good day to stay in the house.
Unless the wind blows this shack down.
Lol

 

We have the wind here too and it’s hovering around 30f. Good day for a mid day SS fire!

 

Do I spy some Boxelder in there?

 

Not in that pic. It’s mostly spruce/pine with a stick of really old cherry in the upper left.

 

Question to group about continuous burns without ash pan: (I'm new here but have been burnin IS since 2015)

• My IS doesn't have an ash pan, bottom is lined with same bricks as sides
• For each reload I push ash to back of stove w/tool, compressing it into a vertical "wall"
• Hot coals free up, I rake them forward, and I add next set of splits on top of that
• I'm getting 12-18h burns with oak when I pack the box well - I live in CA so it's not that cold here
• Every 4-5 days I clear out the packed and hot ash into bucket(s) to start over

I see a lot of conversations on the ash pan, small hole, etc. Am I seriously missing out here?
I am guessing no ash pan means more efficiency, longer burns.
Also figure that were I to live in a colder climate, I'd be burning a lot more wood and the ash pan would be totally necessary.

 

I can't see where the lack of an ash pan would improve efficiency or burn time.

The highly controversial 1/4" hole doesn’t change the efficiency either, as far as i can tell, it just allows the coals to burn up a bit faster during the cycle instead of having the big coal bed at the end.

 

They’re too small to worry about in my opinion. You’re getting good long burns. Nothing there to see. That’s excellent. How clean does your glass stay with those long burns?

 

Whats too small?
I'm confused

 

If i could do it over again i would not get the ash pan, no problem so far with coals and am very happy with how quickly the fires start. Last winter i thought it was a slow starter but seems fine to me know.

 

I am exact opposite; the ash pans, I have 2. Are an easy way of getting rid of ash and keeping STT above 400 from Dec 15-mar 15

 

Mine fills up too quick, easier to scoop out the ashes, got tired od dumping it out last winter. No problem keeping temp up in stove.