Getting the fire going

[Backwoods Savage]

Several recent posts got me to thinking. I like that because sometimes it jump starts me.

On reloads or even on new fires it seems several people have problems getting the wood to ignite. The most common thing I see is that people like to give what the moisture content is and I fully agree that is very important. However, it does not appear to me that most folks take into consideration what type of wood they are trying to burn.

For example, I have stated many times that when I load our stove I like to put a soft maple in the front bottom. Sometimes 2 soft maple. The reason for doing this is to sort of jump start the fire. Good dry soft maple lights about as easy as any wood will and that is also why we use it for making kindling wood. After the soft maple is in the firebox we can then load whatever else we want to burn on that particular fire. Of course pine could be used for this also but I have not read of anyone doing this. White birch would be another as would bass.

Of course there are many others but I just wonder if anyone else mixes their wood in this way.

Does anyone think the different stoves might make a difference when it comes to igniting reloads?

btw, I do not feel there would be any difference between a cat or non-cat stove for this. Do you?

 

[oldspark]

Good point, my elm, green ash, and silver maple are my get it going wood and the oak, mulberry, locust and white ash are my cruising wood.

 

[thewoodlands]

[quote author="Backwoods Savage" date="1290369098"]Several recent posts got me to thinking. I like that because sometimes it jump starts me.

On reloads or even on new fires it seems several people have problems getting the wood to ignite. The most common thing I see is that people like to give what the moisture content is and I fully agree that is very important. However, it does not appear to me that most folks take into consideration what type of wood they are trying to burn.

For example, I have stated many times that when I load our stove I like to put a soft maple in the front bottom. Sometimes 2 soft maple. The reason for doing this is to sort of jump start the fire. Good dry soft maple lights about as easy as any wood will and that is also why we use it for making kindling wood. After the soft maple is in the firebox we can then load whatever else we want to burn on that particular fire. Of course pine could be used for this also but I have not read of anyone doing this. White birch would be another as would bass.

Sav my neighbor likes the soft maple also, my wife likes small cherry (I split the wedge part off the regular split) so we have our wood that we burn in racks plus a stack of small cherry for restarting.

zap

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Zap, I thought you were using bass for kindling?

 

[thewoodlands]

Zap, I thought you were using bass for kindling?

Yes we are Sav but when reloading or on restart sometimes we just throw some small cherry wedges on or both if needed.

zap

 

[midwestcoast]

I've got a lot of Red Oak & find it doesn't start so fast. I put a piece or 2 of Silver Maple or small Elm chunks in for cold starts. On good coals I'll load straight Oak (if it ever gets cold enough out). It may take a bit longer, but I don't mind. I think I'll always keep some softer wood around for this & shoulder season burns.

 

[PapaDave]

I've had mostly oak since starting to burn, and have noticed the maple and pine that I cut down is nice for getting things going.
I was just thinking a few days ago that I'll be cutting more pine and probably some popple for just this type of use. It's what's available and scroungable.

 

[corey21]

I have a lot of red oak and hickory it takes a few minutes to get back up to temps and my wood is dry.

 

[firefighterjake]

Depends on the state of the coals -- large coals I don't worry too much about what I use for the reload. Smaller coals . . . I tend to pick out the white birch, softwood or smaller ash splits as it helps "jumpstart" the fire as you put it.