Tonight's full load

Full load
Gotta load birch fast
Catching fire as the last piece is loaded.
Cat kicks in in minutes
Reload about 12hrs from now +\-

 

I wish I could load a stove that full, I would worry about a runaway

 

Y'all make small splits.

 

I have a big steel cat stove as well and found small splits work better. Ya I can get big ones in there but getting a second row and filling the gaps is way harder with giant splits. I can get the box more full with smaller ones. Plus my oak dries faster split smaller and 90% of my wood is an oak species.

I fill full as well and with a cat stove I'm not so sure you have as great a runaway chance? After all your flame is minimal and your just smoldering the load.

Since I replaced my cats I am more worried about flame impingement as there is less room for the flame and it can lap around the flame deflector.

Sorry for my tangent.
Nice oic BD

 

I can get more in, pound-wise, with bigger splits, even if there are bigger air spaces. Ain't no other firebox like it



Dave probably does what he can. He doesn't have many 4' oaks to work with.

 

Dave, what temp did you expect last night?

 

I would love to see a few pictures (from either of you) of what those burns looked like after about 1, then 2 and lastly 6 hours with those loads. I'm curious how the BK stove handles the massive outgassing that occurs when they all get heated up. I've seen the BKK in person start up, and at the end of burns (12 to 16 hours later), but I have never seen it in-between to see what it does.

And, how long are your splits?

 

My stove is a trapezoid shape, I think that is the shape? But it has a bay window front. Its wider than the door and with big splits its hard to get them off to the sides to fill the top row.

 

Worry less and learn how to use your stove, unless I am missing something?

 

That and fix an air leaks that you may have.

 

I try for 16-18". The fresh cut ends you see are splits I had to trim. When I cut them, I was using a furnace that would take a 26" split.

I'd be happy to take more pics, but you can't see much thru the black glass, at least not in a photo.

Honestly, the box and load are so big, I don't think they all get heated up at once. The splits in the bottom corners are still somewhat soild if I have to pull coals to the front to burn down for another load. I only have to do that in cold weather.

 

If you have an air leak, you will have any overfire whether it is 50% full or 100% full.

You throw three uglies in the 30 and I can get it up to 700 degrees if I want.

 

Ok, older stove here.
Air leaks are nonexistent, and I can close the intake air to a very small sliver, and yet still have the fire get a little hairy with air closed and the damper closed as well.
Only half the load outgassing on a full stove. 800 degrees on my IR....it's happening right now.

 

You sure you don't have secondary holes or something? No matter how hairy the Vigilant would get, I could always smother it if need be.

 

Me?
Back down to about 650, after a short trek to 800.
I don't remember filling the stove in the daytime, so I'm experimenting to see what it does.

 

was 13° & warming
This AM 22°, now 25° & rain.
Ice everywhere, schools closing, roads a mess.
G-daughter school buses went this AM, before the rain.
Road crews busy
A "Stay home & tinker" day.

 

Please do!

 

17 inches

Will try next load where I can stay & document .
Got some pics somewhere where I did similar. I'll look & take some more
Tough to get good pic thru glass, but will try.

Not very exciting, just a glow from the wood & ashes as the front center burns first
then burns out to the sides & back. Cat glowing just about thru the whole burn.

 

Pop the door open for a quick photo opp!