Hey guys, I want to add some burning questions to our FAQ, need your help coming up with questions and answers for them. This is the one I was thinking about that inspired this: Q: My stove manual says not to build a roaring fire in a cold wood stove. How do I safely bring my stove up to temp? This is really pretty easy, you just have to listen to your stove. Load your stove as desired and follow the guidelines for building a fire. As your wood stove heats up it will begin to creak and pop. Once the stove is up to temp it will become quiet. Use your dampers to keep the fire under control if it tries to heat up too quickly. More question, answers, clarifications, etc are all welcome.
There should be a fire starting tutorial, explaining what tinder is, kindling, sizes of pieces and placement. From what I have read on lots of different sites is some people have very little basic fire building knowledge. I try to start fires as often as I can to practice, mostly outside so in all kinds of weather and such. Learning to start fires without lighters or matches really teaches you how to gather and successfully use tinder and kindling. I like starting fires in lots of ways, but lately I have loved the simplicity of a fluffed up cotton ball soaked with a petroleum based product, like hair pomade, ignited with the spark from a ferro rod. Cheap, and a good 3-5min tinder burn to get kindling going.
YES! When I was a kid an adult put hot ashes in the garbage. My room was in the basement, and I looked out my window to see a garbage bag going up in flames! No damage done because I alerted the adult, but scary seeing fire outside my window.
Top-down fire starting and what to do, or not do, with ashes. Also, how to adjust the air flow throughout the burn cycle.
I have 2 metal ash cans I use. When one gets full I put it in the garage for a few days while using the other can. I keep going back and forth between the two cans. Both cans have covers and I use them.
All my wood ashes go into the garden for soil replenishment, can't light the snow on fire. Lord knows I've tried, Ha Ha!
Griz, great idea, how about also a sub forum of common misconceptions. Example you cannot burn pine in a wood stove. I had been told that since a kid. Also if you go out the wall to put pitch on the pipe. I worked really hard to get mine level on first install!
Would like to add my thought... Last year found this group of guys and gals. read tons of info on hoarding wood, stacking wood, chainsaws etc etc. Barely made it through the winter with dead standing lodge pole pine. lots of smoke go figure it was dead. Made the effort to be three years ahead hated that feeling of turning up the furnace in the late winter and the spring when i should have been burning.. This year started early C/S/S to work on getting ahead sitting on twelve cords now. Would like three to four more cord in my three year plan. This is the funny part with question i have been asked 1. What are you doing with all that wood? 2. Why are you gathering wood so early it's not cold yet. 3. Could you lend me a cord or two 4. Did you split all of that by hand? 5. All that wood is going to rot. 6. Do you suffer from OCD. Sometimes an old dog learns a trick or two. People here don't get me but i keep on sharing what i am trying to do and maybe someone will catch on. I think the greatest is the satisfaction that i will not have to worry this year. Self sufficient and watching my gas bill stay the same as this past summer have been the main goal. Last thought my wife loves the warmth of the stove and i don't mind if i need to open the window a crack.
Dusky, have you ever read this?: http://firewoodhoardersclub.com/documents/Primer on Wood Burning.pdf
