I started a thread a while ago about the best ways to start a fire for a cold stove, and I got some interesting recommendations. Well .... I just wanna say that I took some of those recommendations and they have worked like a charm for me. First and foremost the most helpful hint I got was to bunch one large sheet of newspaper and put it in the empty cold stove and light it at all its points, so the newspaper lights quickly. Once this burns out I do it again and this then warms the flue and starts a draft in just about every instance. Only when stove is severely cold will I get a small backup after the first bunched newspaper. When I put the second one in it starts the draft EVERY TIME.
In the past I would put the splits in the stove and then tied 6 newspaper knots and put them in the stove with the kindling wood. The problem with that method when the stove is cold is I guess there are too many objects competing for oxygen in the stove, and things tend to smolder and cause a big smoke back up.
Anyway, today I started a fire after 3 days of no fires. Stove was cold. I cheated a bit though and put a couple of small splits in N/S, and then bunched one newspaper put it between the splits and lit it at all points. I then put the second bunched newspaper in, and to my amazement the splits caught fire ! This was a cold stove minutes before ! I usually put in a 1/4 super cedar, kindling and 6 newspaper knots to catch fire to the splits. Figuring the fire would go out, I put 3 pieces of kindling E/W on top the splits and the fire took off. No more newspaper, no super cedar.
No doubt the wood was probably really seasoned as has been discussed on this forum constantly. But second to the importance of seasoned wood was using bunched newspaper alone to get the draft going. I can't help but stress the importance of this to all novice burners who start fires from cold stoves on a regular basis.
In the past I would put the splits in the stove and then tied 6 newspaper knots and put them in the stove with the kindling wood. The problem with that method when the stove is cold is I guess there are too many objects competing for oxygen in the stove, and things tend to smolder and cause a big smoke back up.
Anyway, today I started a fire after 3 days of no fires. Stove was cold. I cheated a bit though and put a couple of small splits in N/S, and then bunched one newspaper put it between the splits and lit it at all points. I then put the second bunched newspaper in, and to my amazement the splits caught fire ! This was a cold stove minutes before ! I usually put in a 1/4 super cedar, kindling and 6 newspaper knots to catch fire to the splits. Figuring the fire would go out, I put 3 pieces of kindling E/W on top the splits and the fire took off. No more newspaper, no super cedar.
No doubt the wood was probably really seasoned as has been discussed on this forum constantly. But second to the importance of seasoned wood was using bunched newspaper alone to get the draft going. I can't help but stress the importance of this to all novice burners who start fires from cold stoves on a regular basis.