Best Woodstove Lighting Methods

Match and wood

For 50+ years we used newspapers and kindling and it worked for us. However, getting a fire started in a cold stove can be a challenge for some and one of those is my wife.

We have a forum member here, Thomas from NWfuels who makes and sells Super Cedars and you can ask and receive samples from him. We finally sent for some samples and WOW, what a difference it made. No more newspapers for us. I also tried the top down fires and although many use them I did not like them nor have great results so I used almost what I'd been using for years.

Two small splits on the bottom forming a slight Vee between them. Now 1/4 of a Super Cedar goes in the middle or thereabouts. I then light the Super Cedar immediately. Now I place 3 or 4 pieces of kindling above the Super Cedar. On top of this kindling I lay one or sometimes 2 splits. Close the door and that fire will get going really quick. If a larger fire is necessary, once the kindling is gone I'll lay one or two more splits on and that fire will be good for many, many hours.

I suppose I should try the top down method now that the chimney is working better, but could not get it to work last year so I do the two splits with newspaper and kindling and two more splits above the kindling. I dont really think if you get a fire going quickly (no matter how) it is "dramatic" on the less smoke and cresote, the woodpecker had been pecking into too many hardwood trees.

Gonna look into the top-down method as anything that reduced smoke, is cleaner, etc. is always worth considering.

As for what I do now, a number of years ago I started just buying the fire starter "bricks" from the store in the 24 or 48 pack. I split them in 1/2 or 1/3 throughout the season and "cheat" this way, especially with these warm days and cold nights. For the most part I'm fortunate enough to have either branches or kindling or splitting scraps stowed away or lying around and build from there. Usually warm up the flue with some paper (recycling sure goes down this time of year, no?) then get at it.
If I have some real nice dry wood left over, I might get aggressive and just start loading, but most days it's the usual loading of smaller splits then larger stuff until it's going nicely.

One of these days I'll have to torture my daughter and show her how to start a fire "from scratch" (no fire starter cheat)... that should captivate her teenage attention for all of 3 seconds... LOL!

RichUncle said:

Gonna look into the top-down method as anything that reduced smoke, is cleaner, etc. is always worth considering.

As for what I do now, a number of years ago I started just buying the fire starter "bricks" from the store in the 24 or 48 pack. I split them in 1/2 or 1/3 throughout the season and "cheat" this way, especially with these warm days and cold nights. For the most part I'm fortunate enough to have either branches or kindling or splitting scraps stowed away or lying around and build from there. Usually warm up the flue with some paper (recycling sure goes down this time of year, no?) then get at it.
If I have some real nice dry wood left over, I might get aggressive and just start loading, but most days it's the usual loading of smaller splits then larger stuff until it's going nicely.

One of these days I'll have to torture my daughter and show her how to start a fire "from scratch" (no fire starter cheat)... that should captivate her teenage attention for all of 3 seconds... LOL!

Click to expand...

Seriously, forget the bricks. If you're going to use a firestarter, get some Super-Cedars.

gyrfalcon said:

Seriously, forget the bricks. If you're going to use a firestarter, get some Super-Cedars.

Click to expand...

Just checked them out after reading this thread. I'm adding them to my Christmas wish list... looks like I can cut them in half and extend the life of the package.

Incidentally, we had a couple of cedars fall a few years back and that wood makes great kindling all on its own. Nice and hot start, a medium piece thrown on the stove late in the day draws all the household critters hearthside as well...

Thanks for the tip on the Super-Cedars. They look like a great product.

RichUncle said:

gyrfalcon said:

Seriously, forget the bricks. If you're going to use a firestarter, get some Super-Cedars.

Click to expand...

Just checked them out after reading this thread. I'm adding them to my Christmas wish list... looks like I can cut them in half and extend the life of the package.

Incidentally, we had a couple of cedars fall a few years back and that wood makes great kindling all on its own. Nice and hot start, a medium piece thrown on the stove late in the day draws all the household critters hearthside as well...

Thanks for the tip on the Super-Cedars. They look like a great product.

Click to expand...

You're more than welcome. Actually, a quarter of one of the disks is plenty if your wood is dry and you have a decent draft. They are an astonishingly good product, the rare thing these days that does exactly what it says it will do and doesn't cost much.

FYI, if you email them, they'll sell you a larger-size box without the blasted wrappers.

I have a very small stove, which means I'm starting from scratch most mornings, so these these are absolutely essential for me. I'm one of those people who generaly doesn't pay money for stuff if I have my own ingredients for free that will do just as well, but not having to fuss with paper and kindling and this and that as soon as I get up on a cold morning is something I willingly pay for.

1/4 Super Cedar and kindling in a top down configuration . . . or if I'm feeling nostalgic I go with some balled up newspaper.

gyrfalcon said:

RichUncle said:

gyrfalcon said:

Seriously, forget the bricks. If you're going to use a firestarter, get some Super-Cedars.

Click to expand...

Just checked them out after reading this thread. I'm adding them to my Christmas wish list... looks like I can cut them in half and extend the life of the package.

Incidentally, we had a couple of cedars fall a few years back and that wood makes great kindling all on its own. Nice and hot start, a medium piece thrown on the stove late in the day draws all the household critters hearthside as well...

Thanks for the tip on the Super-Cedars. They look like a great product.

Click to expand...

You're more than welcome. Actually, a quarter of one of the disks is plenty if your wood is dry and you have a decent draft. They are an astonishingly good product, the rare thing these days that does exactly what it says it will do and doesn't cost much.

FYI, if you email them, they'll sell you a larger-size box without the blasted wrappers.

I have a very small stove, which means I'm starting from scratch most mornings, so these these are absolutely essential for me. I'm one of those people who generaly doesn't pay money for stuff if I have my own ingredients for free that will do just as well, but not having to fuss with paper and kindling and this and that as soon as I get up on a cold morning is something I willingly pay for.

Click to expand...

We got the box that is wrapped but without the labels. You can see they are scored and I break them into quarters before unwrapping. Then when I unwrap, I do just enough to get 1/4 out. The rest goes into a ziplock bag.

I use these matches. They can light 2-3 splits by themselves. But we also use some kindling sometimes.

http://www.diamondbrands.com/pages/firestarters/29.php

After many years of useing newspaper, I now use starters sold in HD. They burn long and hot enough to light splits without kindling. But I do use a few pieces of pine kinding to make sure it fires every time. With the starter burning at on bottom, I fully load the stove, leave the side door cracked. I lights every time without messing with it.

Starting my Fireview -

Bypass the cat and open the air damper all the way.

Two large splits on the bottom of the stove, three inches apart. Lay several crumpled newspaper pages between the splits, then 1/4 Super Cedar on top of the newspaper. Then two half-inch square 18" long pieces of pine kindling over the newspaper and Super Cedar.

Two small splits diagonally across the two big splits, then two more big splits on top of the small diagonals. One more split in the middle on top if it will fit.

Add several crumpled newspaper pages right in the doorway and light them at the bottom.

Hold the door open one inch for 20 - 30 seconds while the crumpled newspaper burns and gets the air flowing up the flue, then close the door. Watch the flue temp and begin to close the air damper when the flue surface temp reaches 375 - 390 F (I use an IR gun).

Let the Fireview burn at 375 - 390 F flue surface temp for 10 minutes, then drop the bypass damper to ignite the cat.

PS on Super Cedar:

I can buy raw paraffin wax for about $4.50 per pound and small Dixie cups for a few cents each. Sawdust is free. At that cost, about 20 fire starters per pound of wax cost me 25 cents each. 1/4 Super Cedar pieces cost about 18 cents (or less) each with the available 15% discount (type Hearth in the coupon code space). Clearly, there is no cost advantage for home made fire starters unless you use free wax from old candles. Even then, the mess is hardly worth the cost savings.

Ok, I'll jump into this back from the past thread... From a cold stove... Newspaper, sometimes a stick or two of fatwood, some skids pieces, and a couple small to medium splits. Works good for me.

Lately, we've been able to let the stove go cold during the day. When this is the case, I put two splits n/s on the sides. Then a firestarter in the middle with a little triangle of small pieces of driftwood around it. Start the firestarter, then add some more driftwood camp fire style above and around. Let it catch well, then add a third split n/s on top. If we let it go out and we're leaving for a long period of time, I do the same with the splits and driftwood, but then add three ecobricks e/w between on top of the driftwood and firestarter with another small split or two e/w on top of that.

I am amazed at the variety of techniques people use. It is as varied as the type of stoves we have. I guess it is like the same stove will burn two different ways based on the house and install. I myself use only kindling and a lightning bug fire starter. These are just like a Super Cedar only smaller, about one inch around and come 250 to a box. The original purpose is for a pellet stove, I like the size and speed. I have been to the Super Cedar factory and will tell you he has got it down. I have used Super Cedars and they are great, 1/4 and that's all you need. This next year I'm switching to SC because it is a local company and I love to support local business.

+1 on the Super Cedars. We still have a bunch of the Rutlands to use up, but I got 2 free samples of the SC's and really liked them as well so I'll order up a bunch. Probably as we get close to next season so I don't have to store them, unless we get back into shoulder season for a long time and we use up the Rutlands. I like the idea of supporting another small business owner, especially one that makes their product here.

About 3 or 4 short splits n/s with a quarter of a Super Cedar some where toward the middle front. Usually a couple big splits on top, e/w. Haven't used kindling since learning of super cedars.

I have delveloped a good cheater system on starting my smoke dragon, sshhhh :coolhmm: , out in the garage. I just catch my house stove near ready for a reload, scoop out a few scoops of hot coals and carefully drop them in the bucket on the front walkway, then carry the bucket to the garage and dump them into the mouth of the dragon. Throw in some splits and away she goes. Real easy. What will I ever do with all that kindling I took from the lady at work?? :ahhh:

Now with my knowledge from this forum of striving for a clean burn. When I do crank up my old beloved smoke dragon in the garage I do keep the stove top temps up and don't choke it down too much to try to keep it clean. I don't burn it all that much. Usually on my days off if even then.

I split 2 16-18" doug fir 4x4s I have (I have... at least 100 of them).. Then put two splits N/S on the sides of the stove with maybe an inch or two away from the side. then put all the split doug fir pieces (split as small as I feel like doing, usually 1/2" or so) log cabin style on top of that. Sometimes I use paper, sometimes I use a torch. When that burns down to coals, I'm ready for a reload and the catalyst is warm enough to be engaged... Plus the Chinook will go out if I turn the T-stat down to 1 without a coal bed established.

I've had success with top-down starts, almost 100% probably because the Pine kindling catches so fast. I load E/W, big splits stacked up in the back, mediums on the bottom in front, smaller stuff on top of the mediums. I then put a couple of pieces of 1/2-3/4" Pine kindling top front, three small newspaper knots made from a page and a half on top of those. A few more Pine kindling on top of the paper. Light the paper, leave the door cracked for a minute with primary full open. The wood that's catching (smoldering) releases its smoke upward, into the flame, and is burned so there's virtually nothing coming out of the stack. Once the other wood starts catching, there's enough flame in the box to burn that smoke.
I haven't tried it yet but I think I can adapt the top-down to a reload on coals by pulling the coals forward, loading the big stuff in back and bottom front, load the rest the same and light the paper. Hopefully the fire in the small stuff will eat the smoke as the bigger stuff catches...