dh1989
Burning Hunk
Is there a nut inside the top area of the stove to adjust the bypass door tension? Since my stove is cold for a few days I checked the gaskets. Door gasket is tight with the dollar bill test but it pulls out on the bypass gasket.
2016-17 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)
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I know this wasn't a recent comment, but I had to reply.
Highbeam speaks the truth! For the last three weeks we've been burning black cottonwood that I cut this spring. It was 45% when I cut it this April, and it's down to 15% now! I think I've gotten up to 16 hours off a load. Pretty impressive. A coworker is now offering several black cottonwoods to me, since no one else will bother to burn them. It's not the best wood, but it's free and plentiful, seasons quickly, and the Blaze King gives you the control you need to burn it properly.
drz1050
Minister of Fire
Cottonwood is decent, it heats the house! I'd be a little peeved if it came in a truckload of logs, but I've burned a bunch of the free stuff 
drz1050
Minister of Fire
Yes there is, you have to remove the flue collar to get to it. I think there's a locking nut on it, loosen this first, then tighten the top bolt and try the dollar test again.
Jeff in Maine
Feeling the Heat
Does anyone who burs Cotton wood have access to Poplar? I was just wondering I have an abundance of Big tooth Aspen on my land , we just call it Poplar up here. I am wondering how Cotton wood compares to Poplar for the heck of it.
I have burned lots of Aspen in my king and now my princess. Very similar to cottonwood for burn times. To me Aspen is an easier wood to process, no bark and generally very straight with small limbs. My son did a science fair project burning measured amounts of wood of 4 local species of fire wood. Aspen put out the most heat the fastest, but also burned out the fastest. Douglas Fir just beat out lodge pole for high temp and longest burn. The Russian olive was mid pack.
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I burn some Poplar and Pine. Less BTU's than hardwood but that can come with its own set of advantages. I like the quick, almost gas stove like response to a thermostat adjustment and the ability to get a fresh load settled in quick on those mornings your running a little behind.
And, as already mentioned, drying time is at least half of many hardwoods plus it don't get much easier to process than a tall, strait grained Poplar.
And, as already mentioned, drying time is at least half of many hardwoods plus it don't get much easier to process than a tall, strait grained Poplar.
Jeff in Maine
Feeling the Heat
I will be opening up a sugar bush on a small portion of my property this winter. While in there marking trees for removal and some very large Poplar are in there as well .I was told by the forester to just drop em and let em rot if I had no use for them but get some of them out of there to open up the canopy some. Most are between 70' & 100' tall I would guess about 2' to 2.5' on the stump. I had planned on hauling the good tree length out to my normal wood yard and make another yard for the much less desirable wood in another yard. Some fir and Pine and of course Poplar. Maybe I will work up a tree and burn it next fall , I bet there is 1/2 a cord in some of them alone.
Poplar is popular
for veneer. In my area I would haul them to the lumber mill and put a few extra dollars in my pocket rather than leaving them to rot.They get tall quick. Many on my property are 100' plus and the young ones are not far behind. They really reach for the sky and can quickly get above most everything around them.
Jeff in Maine
Feeling the Heat
yes mine are tall too. I have a veneer buyer not too far away . He advised me a couple years ago that most Poplar are not veneer grade. Some Poplar are "Quaking Tooth Aspen "and some are "Barm of Gillead" the Barm are not good for much he told me and he said the best way to tell was to cut one, if it stank it was Barm.
Also note it is classified as a hardwood but it dryes, lights, and burns like soft wood.
Jeff in Maine
Feeling the Heat
yea I had no idea how it was spelled. Yea may be classified as hd wd but it is soft makes pretty lumber bright white. I had some sawn out a few years back we built my son a wood shed 10x10 used 2x6 floor stringers 2x4 studs and pine to board in the walls and roof was really easy to work with.
Not so with the black cottonwood here in the PNW. Straight as a string except around knots. Gotta split it when it's soaking wet though, it just pops apart. When it dries, however, it's so soft it just absorbs the maul and is a bit more stringy too.
Mr. Jones
Feeling the Heat
Not sure what my deal is, but I still have a deal. I ordered a brand new t stat for $220. I have it adjusted when cold to 7/8 open, as that's what bkvp told me. It's just not working right. It will never close all the way. Like, it's still a quarter of an inch open when the cat guage is pegged. Burning up my load of wood super quick, and super glowing cat, needle pegged, and can't shut the damned thing down. Almost scary. Pretty sure everyone else with the normal stove with the totally different t stat can close it down while it's cold. So, I moved it down a little more than half an inch open when cold for the next fire. There's oval shaped holes in the t stat when you mount it with two screws, and gives you the ability to move it up or down a bit. It's just like there's no enough play in the spring. It will not close when hot.
Now on my next fire, it went out with wood still in it. The problem is it's not smart, or hooked up to the cat guage to know when it's going out or running too hot. It simply works off the warmth of the stove. Would be nice to have a smart one that worked like that. So then the fire goes out, or almost out, cat goes inactive, and then it starts to open up a tiny bit, making the wood smoke again which just smokes the hell out of the new cat, and new liner for an undetermined amount of hours. NOT what I want happening. It wont get hot enough to re fire the cat up. Not sure what to do from here. Maybe I still have a small leak from the bypass, maybe it's too warm outside. I don't know. It's just a pain to have to be here to babysit this thing, and make sure it's not over firing, or dying out when I turn the fan on. The fan even at half way really brings the cat temp down. You'd think the t stat could compensate and open up when the cat is about to go inactive. It doesn't though. It's like I'd be better off just making the thing like a normal stove without springs n stuff, and just set the damn thing and walk away like most stoves. I don't even care about extra burn times at this point, I just want it to burn at a constant rate, and until all the wood is gone, and then go inactive so it can't ruin a brand new liner.
Now on my next fire, it went out with wood still in it. The problem is it's not smart, or hooked up to the cat guage to know when it's going out or running too hot. It simply works off the warmth of the stove. Would be nice to have a smart one that worked like that. So then the fire goes out, or almost out, cat goes inactive, and then it starts to open up a tiny bit, making the wood smoke again which just smokes the hell out of the new cat, and new liner for an undetermined amount of hours. NOT what I want happening. It wont get hot enough to re fire the cat up. Not sure what to do from here. Maybe I still have a small leak from the bypass, maybe it's too warm outside. I don't know. It's just a pain to have to be here to babysit this thing, and make sure it's not over firing, or dying out when I turn the fan on. The fan even at half way really brings the cat temp down. You'd think the t stat could compensate and open up when the cat is about to go inactive. It doesn't though. It's like I'd be better off just making the thing like a normal stove without springs n stuff, and just set the damn thing and walk away like most stoves. I don't even care about extra burn times at this point, I just want it to burn at a constant rate, and until all the wood is gone, and then go inactive so it can't ruin a brand new liner.
Have you got seasoned wood for sure yet? Double check a fresh split with a different moisture meter? Typically, poor draft or under seasoned wood cause the cat to stall. Your cat therm pegging still seems typical for a new cat to me.
Just like webby said...sounds like a wood or draft problem. These stoves work exactly like they are supposed to. Go to the store and buy some kiln dried wood and try it with that. If that doesn't work then it's a draft issue.
The t stat is designed not to close all the way. It is not dangerous. It is designed that way per EPA specifications.
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Mr. Jones
Feeling the Heat
But why wouldn't that let the T stat close fully when it's hot enough to peg? 7\ 8 of an inch like I'm supposed to have it at, and there's not enough spring in the brand new T stat to close it, wasting wood, killing burn time, and possibly over firing both cat and stove when I'm gone all day at work, or sleeping. I don't get it. It will do this with my wood, or dry as can be 2x4 ends. Doesn't matter.
Mr. Jones
Feeling the Heat
Claybe, how much of a gap is there on yours when it's as closed as it can be? I can't even get the flames to die out before the wood is basically burnt up.
When the fire starts to get cooler and the stove cools down the t stat closes all the way saving wood and extending burn time. Burn times should be incredible. There is something wrong with your set up. Can you post pictures of every part of your set up?
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Mr. Jones
Feeling the Heat
Shouldn't it open up when getting cooler, to keep the cat active, and to make sure it burns all the wood?
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