what I've learned so far.

I have had an old stove installed a couple of months ago and so far I've really enjoyed it. With the help of folks like you I think I had an advantage going in from the start. With good seasoned wood I get smoke out the chimney for the first 30 minutes, after that all I see at the cap is a blur of heat with the stove pipe temps cruising at 300-400 degrees. I think I am doing something right. The ambience of the fire is truley relaxing. The stove is a Franklin Fireplace and when I know I'm going to be sitting in front of it for at least 6 beers I open the doors and watch the fire untill the pipe temps start falling below 300 degrees. Then I add wood close the doors and let the temp build back up. I have let it rip a few times to the point that my rutland stove theremoter was well into the overfire zone. When I check the pipe temps with my digital gun it shows 450-475 on the pipe and 600-650 on the stove pipe itself. The rutland isn't too accurate but helps with a ballpark anyway. This whole wood burning expierence is very very cool. When it's time for bed, I shut the damper and close the air and it burns itself out.

I have two cords of mullburry for next year still seasoning, this year I have one cord of hickory and as much oak pallet wood as I want. That pallet wood burns extremely hot as the wood is kiln dried before the pallets are assembled. The runners on them are 6" by 6". Definatley a bonus. With out those babies I would be posting a thread WHERE TO BUY SEASONED FIREWOOD!

Yes alot of wood indeed, but it's free minus my hard work. Some day an EPA stove is my goal but for now this works. Hold on to your seats in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. Looks like we are going to get alot of freezing rain. They are talking accumalations that are definatley going to stress power lines and trees. I feel relaxed knowing if my power goes out that this old beast will provide heat.