Excellent basics of woodburning and woodstove publication (free)

[Apprentice_GM]

G'day All, I came across this excellent handbook for woodburners today. Although written by a highly regarded expert in the field, it is short (36 pages) and clearly written in plain (layman's) language, and it's free

Here's the direct link to the handbook and a link to it's (Australian) Government publisher and website.

Pro's:
Short
Plain language
Covers basics of combustion, woodstove design and operation.
Free
Excellent primer for newbie / novice woodburners. Some old-timers might find the explanations of why or how (what they already know) useful (eg why not to tarp piles during drying seasons.)

Con's:
Australian-based so units are metric (fire works Down Under the same though )
Some sections irrelevant dealing with smoke reduction measures from a local government viewpoint but can easily be skipped over.
Produced in 2002 so (Australian) price comparisons of wood vs gas / electric heating etc a bit outdated. Shows wood burning as cheapest method though.

Anyway, I highly recommend it as a good primer for those new to wood burning. The author's credential's are pretty impressive so it carries a fair bit of credibility. Maybe I'll get him to append my Holz Hausen experiment when it finishes

 

[madrone]

Thanks, I learned some stuff. I loved the part where some guys walked around and looked at chimneys. Somehow very Australian.
Cool stove, by the way. I'd be forever traveling between rooms to check out the fire. "Looks great, I wonder how it looks from the other side..."

 

[Apprentice_GM]

Thanks, I learned some stuff. I loved the part where some guys walked around and looked at chimneys. Somehow very Australian.

Yeah, actually I get annoyed with a lot of neighbours in my valley. All been wood-burning for many years. Most of whom smoke (well their stoves and flu's) like crazy and don't understand the importance of seasoned wood or adequate air. Drives me twisted. So far I've refrained from unleashing my inner smoke-police attitude on them, but if I hear one more comment like "yeah I can turn my air off completely and the fire burns all night!" one more time . . .

Cool stove, by the way. I'd be forever traveling between rooms to check out the fire. "Looks great, I wonder how it looks from the other side..."

Actually, there is quite a difference. I have mine installed between a dining and living room. When I stack it before dinner I favour the aesthetics for the dining side, and then favour the living room. It is a clever design in that it has sloping metal for 2 or 3 inches away from the glass doors down towards the ash pit, then a small vertical drop. This allows either suspension of logs between metal sills above the ash / charcoal pit, or one end down in the coals and the other end up on the sill. Took me a while to work out why that sill is there. It greatly benefits airflow around and under the splits and provides perfect coal forming pockets between the ash pit and underside of logs / splits. The end of the split up on the sill has most of the flame. Depending on stage in the fire cycle this is the better (earlier in cycle) or worse side for viewing. Later in the cycle when the coals are glowing you get coals close to you and can see the splits gently rising away from you and that dancing slow flame on the end as a back-drop. Early on the roaring flames just obscure everything. I love my fire!

Here is a link to my install and the first fire (I've finished the renovation in these rooms so it's painted now, but haven't uploaded any new pics)

 

[madrone]

I sympathize with you. I have a pair of neighbors nearby who split wood from green rounds as needed. Billowing clouds of smoke day and night. Luckily I'm far enough away that I only have to pass through it on the way to work.

Nice install pics. Sounds like a great stove.