Ok I have been searching and reading different threads on burn cycle and temps. I have some questions. So when in the burn cycle do you start to close the damper? I have been starting my fires with a couple pieces of twisted up paper and some small kindlin. Once it catches I add a couple pieces a little bigger and once it burns down I will fill the stove with bigger splits. Those bigger splits catch and will really take off. I have been able to get the stove up to 400F at most and then I start to close the damper down a little at a time because it seems like the big splits are just burning up too quick if I don't damper it down. I am burning maple, poplar and ash that are a year and six months seasoned. I have been able to get the tubes running across the top of stove to fire......is this the secondary burn I have read so much about? Anyway, am I closing down the damper too soon? How can I find what temp I should be getting my Buck 74 to burn at? Last night I loaded it full at midnight and at 6am this morning I only had a few red embers glowing in the stove. Thanks for the input.