Today's the day....... first fire!

I never adjusted the air control tonight (4 whole time), had to use door to maintain. Stt to about 300ish. I know people are going to say something about the wood, but unless its too dry, it's not the issue. I may get on roof and look down chimney tomorrow, just out of curiosity.

Just came back in the room. Lawd it's feels hot in here. We don't have thermometer, will need to get one.

The wife is cold natured, she says it feels good, but hasn't started shedding yet. I'm going to have to have a supply of fig leaves for attire if this keeps up. And I can still smell the paint.

We had been having some 40s and 50s (even 60s week or 2 ago), but today was chilly. It may have gotten up to 40, but was a but breezy. Saw a few snow flakes this am. I think tonight's supposed to be around 25ish.

All the brick was here when we bought the place, the slate center is new. Previous folks had some kind of tiled particle board rigged up on fire bricks. Wife wants to paint the brick black.

 

Thanks, slate on hearth turned out good....it took us forever to find something we could at least mostly agree on. Buddy from church and I hooked the pipe, I thought he knew what he was doing, even he would admit I was giving him too much credit, cause he told me that a time or 2.

I definitely took my time....but please don't make that comment to my wife, she has finally not brought it up since this morning hahaha.

 

How tall is your chimney again?

 

It's on the short side....I think right at 15. But with a 90 in the wall and 2 45's to connect to thimble.

 

Our setup has a short chimney also… but straight out.
We fought the stove for the first couple years, same problem.
We only have oak to burn… but found that a hot bed of coals makes a HUGE difference on how it works.
So I do a smaller warm up fire, to get some coals and warm up stove, then add 3-4 more larger splits . At this point the stove acts completely different and will crank out the heat. Only then can we throttle down below 2. … hardly ever go anywhere near 1… otherwise it starts backpuffing and scaring the dogs…

 

So, it's probably extremely important to state that this is my first wood stove. Have lit a fire in a shop stove like twice. Other than that, I'm used to lighting fires and fighting fires, in the outside environment. Used to sell tons of firewood, but never been on the using end.

I have already thought about having to add a section to the top of the chimney. I have a brick chimney, that wad lined with rhino and poured. There is a piece of rhino (which is thick single wall) sticking up, about 18-24-ish inches. I know I may need to figure out how to 'insulate' that piece.

I think what Nitrodave said may be part of my deal...getting that small kindling fire going and building up. I'm probably rushing putting on the normal splits, before inside stove temps are up and have much of a coal bed....

I also think I'm going to have to split down a lot of my wood. Nitrodave and Oldhippie ....what size splits do you normally use? Maybe using a 12 ounce drink can, or 2 liter bottle for size comparisons.....

 

Can you post a picture of how you are building the fire, the one that wants to go out?

 

For starting a fire from a cold stove (and your chimney) i would use 3 or 4 inch splits and lincoln log it.
Lots of aiir space helps a bunch.

 

I save paper egg cartons to use as part of the package for cold stove, cold flue situations. Half of a carton with a newspaper knot or 2 in it topped with kindling.

 

What species of wood do you have, that can make a difference also?

 

I haven't had a real "method" yet. Pit in some paper and kindling, add fire, put a few bit-larger-than-kindling-size pieces, let that get going, then add 2-3 pieces of wood. After mulling over yalls comments, I think I'm trying to rush it and not getting a hot enough fire/bed of coals.

I will have to start finding cardboard cartons...think I only have styrofoam ones now...

No donor ashes, only the ones from the two smallish fires I've done....

The wood is a mix...white oak, red oak, some ash, hickory, cherry. Maybe a few pieces of other species in there too...

 

You might be doing this already but start the fires with the ash and cherry and put the oak and hickory on a bed of coals.
Use the tunnel of love method for starting the fire.

 

Most of my splits are about 4”x4”. I currently have some larger ones , must of been tired of splitting .. …. Not liking them much… plus they aren’t as dry.
We can’t load this stove to the gills, otherwise it would be 110* in the house…. So we end up starting many fires in a day.

 

Don't have the cat thermometer in cause no hole in the shroud. Have double wall pipe, so can't put a thermometer on it.

I had a good fire going. Tried engaging the cat. How do I know if it lit? Not sure that I can see it on this stove through the glass...

 

Confused! What is Rhino single wall? What did you pour? Got links to these products?

Beauty stove.

 

Sorry moresnow , I've got links to nothing.... The chimney guy did it a couple years ago. Rhino rigid I think is the name.

 

Rhino Rigid Chimney Lining System

 

Found it.

 

I’m not familiar with the anatomy of that stove but with my Woodstock Fireview I could kneel down and look up at the top front of the stove and see the cat glowing reddish orange.