starting fire with propane torch

[RustyShackleford]

Watching a friend start a fireplace fire with a propane torch years ago,
I started lighting my wood stove the same way. One of those handheld
torches with an auto-on trigger.

Is there some reason this is a bad idea ? I assume the gas in the bottle
has no impurities that would poison the catalyst. Of course, I'm careful
not to let the hot flame touch any parts of the stove itself, especially
glass.

It gets the fire going a lot quicker, and saves on kindling and newspaper.

 

[cmonSTART]

I do it sometimes and I'm proud of it!

BTW, MAPP gas works better.

 

[KeepItNatural]

I suppose to each their own, but I like using just one match and seeing if I can get the fire going.
For me its kind of fun to have an elaborate process to get a fire going with as little input as possible and take the time to get my fire going- but that's just me... I'm a little weird.

 

[fbelec]

I do it sometimes and I'm proud of it!

BTW, MAPP gas works better.

ya but it smells awful when the torch doesn't light right away

 

[grommal]

Watching a friend start a fireplace fire with a propane torch years ago,
I started lighting my wood stove the same way. One of those handheld
torches with an auto-on trigger.

Is there some reason this is a bad idea ? I assume the gas in the bottle
has no impurities that would poison the catalyst. Of course, I'm careful
not to let the hot flame touch any parts of the stove itself, especially
glass.

It gets the fire going a lot quicker, and saves on kindling and newspaper.

Did this for many years with a cat stove, and never had a problem. There's nothing in propane or its combustion products that would poison the catalyst. I usually started a fire with a regular long-nosed lighter, but whenever I used a torch to preheat the flue if the draft was bad, I just went ahead and lit the fire before extinguishing the torch.

 

[BrotherBart]

I used to use all sorts of stuff to start fires in stoves. Then Vanessa showed me the light. Literally. ;-)

 

[Ratman]

I used to use all sorts of stuff to start fires in stoves. Then Vanessa showed me the light. Literally. ;-)

Right on BigBrotherB, right on.
She has changed my life.

Whats Big V going to do when the newspaper companies all go paperless?
Hmmm....Maybe she'll shave-up some poplar tinder.
Oh wait... That's my idea.
Duh!

 

[BrotherBart]

I used to use all sorts of stuff to start fires in stoves. Then Vanessa showed me the light. Literally. ;-)

Right on BigBrotherB, right on.
She has changed my life.

Whats Big V going to do when the newspaper companies all go paperless?
Hmmm....Maybe she'll shave-up some poplar tinder.
Oh wait... That's my idea.
Duh!

She will probably retire and burn natural gas. She has been the owner of the Embers hearth shop in Perth, Ontario for over twenty years and now also has a stove distribution company there. She can just kick back and hit the remote on the gas stove. She can afford it. ;-)

 

[summit]

sometimes i soak a piece of rag in some k-1... gets 'er goin every time..

 

[afblue]

I guess I am just going to state the obvious. Get the torch lit before you put it inside the door opening. Worse thing that could happen is you are striking whatever to get torch lit and fill the stove with gas and POOOOOFFFFFF, there goes any facial hair you may have. :snake:

 

[stoveguy2esw]

little tip when torch lighting, before you aim at the base of the fuel , aim the torch up the flue for a minute to dump some heat into the chimney to help it start pulling a bit harder, helps reduce the smoke through the doorway before the wood gets going good.


BTW not to hijack , but has anyone tried an electric grill starter element to start a fire in a stove? i havent but would love to hear any input.

 

[RustyShackleford]

I guess I am just going to state the obvious. Get the torch lit before you put it inside the door opening. Worse thing that could happen is you are striking whatever to get torch lit and fill the stove with gas and POOOOOFFFFFF, there goes any facial hair you may have. :snake:

Good thought, but like I said, I am using the auto-trigger type (you just pull a
trigger and it starts the gas flow and lights it simultaneously).

 

[shawng111]

I used to use all sorts of stuff to start fires in stoves. Then Vanessa showed me the light. Literally. ;-)

Yep, +1 for Vanessa

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Watching a friend start a fireplace fire with a propane torch years ago,
I started lighting my wood stove the same way. One of those handheld
torches with an auto-on trigger.

Is there some reason this is a bad idea ? I assume the gas in the bottle
has no impurities that would poison the catalyst. Of course, I'm careful
not to let the hot flame touch any parts of the stove itself, especially
glass.

It gets the fire going a lot quicker, and saves on kindling and newspaper.

I use MAPP gas.

 

[firefighterjake]

I suppose to each their own, but I like using just one match and seeing if I can get the fire going.
For me its kind of fun to have an elaborate process to get a fire going with as little input as possible and take the time to get my fire going- but that's just me... I'm a little weird.

Same here . . . then again I often start my fire the old school way as well . . . although if I must confess the last two fires have been top down fires.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I still do it the old way with newspaper and kindling. There are a few time when we do use some firestarter but have never used a torch.

 

[TreePapa]

Sounds sort of like shooting a flea with a gun.

Peace,
- Sequoia

 

[fbelec]

i use those long lighters. you know the one's that don't work right after the second time you leave em on for more than 30 seconds. thats for my upstairs stove and a top down burn with 100 year old wood lath, but i do use a torch down in the basement stove. i rake the ashes into the ash pan but leave the left over coals and put them in a pile then bring out the torch. hit them for about 30 seconds close up the stove except the ash door and after 3 minutes nice bed of blue flaming coals.

 

[BrotherBart]

starting of the fire is the most inefficient& polluting part of the burn cycle i thinx
i love cardboard & lotta air from wherever, ashpan is my fave so to get er hot! butt top down is good

So you finally bought a wood stove?

 

[fbelec]

check out the size of the torch this guy has.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlh-p56eug8

 

[BrotherBart]

check out the size of the torch this guy has.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlh-p56eug8

He could use a few more combustible items around that stove. Especially that bottle of propane sitting right next to it. :ahhh:

 

[RustyShackleford]

check out the size of the torch this guy has.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlh-p56eug8

Wow, this isn't quite what I do. I lay a fire as normal, but maybe not as
much paper and smaller kindling. Then I cook the largest kindling with the
torch, trying not to light the paper. When the kindling starts smoking, THEN
I light the paper. So the paper is more creating a draft that makes the
kindling burn, but hopefully the torching has already heated the kindling to
near the ignition point.

Total time I run the torch is MAYBE 1 minute.

 

[Dune]

Last I checked mapp is ten bucks a tank. Used newspaper is free. Must be nice.

 

[BrotherBart]

Last I checked mapp is ten bucks a tank. Used newspaper is free. Must be nice.

And setting the Washington Post on fire is one of the few simple pleasures left in my life. :coolgrin:

 

[fbelec]

check out the size of the torch this guy has.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlh-p56eug8

He could use a few more combustible items around that stove. Especially that bottle of propane sitting right next to it. :ahhh:

that's for sure. he must not run it to hot. he had a nice layer of black on the glass.