2021-2022 BK everything thread

[Nealm66]

Dang. I’ve been stuffing it full of those things since last winter. They actually seem to burn cooler than Doug fir when I’ve cranked them up after they’ve been simmering for about 12-14 hours. I hardly ever do it except in these extreme colds. Ive also burned a bunch of the fire brick things. Really weird thing is they turn down lower than Doug fir as well during the milder weather. Especially the Idaho logs. They’ll hover right on the edge of active cat and my thermometer will be at a lower heat for crazy long times. I get firewood for free but I really like the control of the press logs. Have you tested any of these and maybe it’s actually not hurting anything? I definitely can get away from using them if they’re causing damage that I’m not noticing

 

[BKVP]

Dang. I’ve been stuffing it full of those things since last winter. They actually seem to burn cooler than Doug fir when I’ve cranked them up after they’ve been simmering for about 12-14 hours. I hardly ever do it except in these extreme colds. Ive also burned a bunch of the fire brick things. Really weird thing is they turn down lower than Doug fir as well during the milder weather. Especially the Idaho logs. They’ll hover right on the edge of active cat and my thermometer will be at a lower heat for crazy long times. I get firewood for free but I really like the control of the press logs. Have you tested any of these and maybe it’s actually not hurting anything? I definitely can get away from using them if they’re causing damage that I’m not noticing

We have sent logs to labs for testing. The lab tests them for composition. One brand test was very high in sodium. When I contacted the fuel mfg they admitted they have little control over feedstock. Drift wood, melamine and over chemical concentrates are detected.

As to overfiring, what if you forgot to close the bypass or had door ajar to get them going and forgot to close it? Damage to a stove would be the least of your worries. 2-3 at a time.

 

[Jeff in Maine]

I have charred a wood handle on the loading door on 1 King and 1 other new non Blaze King stove I purchased. If you have a temperature gun, please PM me any readings you might get. I can show them to engineers. In the mean time, just PM you name/address and we can send a replacement handle. Are the adjoining wall masonry/noncombustible? You can PM a picture of the install too if you don't mind.

BKVP

Afternoon Chris
I too had a burned door handle and Chris fixed me up with a new one. I still run the old/ original one as it still functions, but the stove side of it is about 30% burned off where is screws on to the steel portion of the lever.

 

[jdonna]

Afternoon Chris
I too had a burned door handle and Chris fixed me up with a new one. I still run the old/ original one as it still functions, but the stove side of it is about 30% burned off where is screws on to the steel portion of the lever.

Impressive. What do you run your stove at on the stat and what’s your stack temp?

 

[Jeff in Maine]

I have no idea what the stack temp is i run the thermostat between 3-4 or so I guess. I don't have any technical temp info to give you i never installed any pipe temp probe not that important to me , I run it on 3 or so overnight and 4 or so during the day.

 

[ratsrepus]

Impressive. What do you run your stove at on the stat and what’s your stack temp?

I dont think blaze king guys pay much attention to stack temp. I dont

 

[Jeff in Maine]

I dont think blaze king guys pay much attention to stack temp. I dont

that and I paid 3/4 of a zillion bucks for the double slip pipe I wasn't about to begin by drilling hoes in it.

 

[jdonna]

I dont think blaze king guys pay much attention to stack temp. I dont

I guess I’m a odd ball technical outlier in the BK club.

 

[jdonna]

-21f 15 mph n wind. Thermostat set on 2 on the letter m. 525 internal stack temp. Damper 3/4 shut. I’m not comfortable pushing my setup much harder. 10 hours of good heat.

That’s where my questions come on what people see their stack temps at running wide open ?

Tetris!

 

[bikedennis]

After the fire is stabilized what is optimal stove pipe temp with single wall pipe and magnetic thermometer with Sirocco 30.2? What is optimal stove top temp?

 

[BKVP]

-21f 15 mph n wind. Thermostat set on 2 on the letter m. 525 internal stack temp. Damper 3/4 shut. I’m not comfortable pushing my setup much harder. 10 hours of good heat.

That’s where my questions come on what people see their stack temps at running wide open ?

Tetris!

View attachment 288976 View attachment 288977 View attachment 288978

See how your 3 large pieces are sitting on 5" of coals? That's why I switched over to my Tamarack. I can't get nearly as much fuel in each time when burning locust, maple, walnut and cherry. The cooling properties are evident.

I like the end grain image. Do you have any really large diameter pieces? If so, you can split some of the smaller rounds to max out load density.

Good looking load...

 

[Diabel]

To keep the game on. Sorry no small splits in my collection

 

[clancey]

Diabel: All you people are crazy---Do you think that I could load my stove that full? (JA Roby Sirius) Three big logs like that and how long does it burn? I hope I can do that too...clancey

 

[jdonna]

See how your 3 large pieces are sitting on 5" of coals? That's why I switched over to my Tamarack. I can't get nearly as much fuel in each time when burning locust, maple, walnut and cherry. The cooling properties are evident.

I like the end grain image. Do you have any really large diameter pieces? If so, you can split some of the smaller rounds to max out load density.

Good looking load...

Solid mess of clinkers and some ash below a couple inches of coals. No time to clean out when it’s this cold.

I don’t have quite the belly of the beast like your king with the princess.

All hardwood in my area. The red elm coals really throw some heat when it’s above 20 degrees, annoying when it’s -21.

 

[BKVP]

Solid mess of clinkers and some ash below a couple inches of coals. No time to clean out when it’s this cold.

I don’t have quite the belly of the beast like your king with the princess.

All hardwood in my area. The red elm coals really throw some heat when it’s above 20 degrees, annoying when it’s -21.

And you're spot on about "this cold". Because you burn at a higher burn rate, you also increase amount of coals. I love hardwoods in shoulder season when they can simmer and cook down. When it's cold, baby I'm burning softwoods!

 

[jdonna]

I’ve found that burning full loads of ash do not leave a lot of coals in the BK.

 

[stoveliker]

I use oak when it gets cold (tomorrow night lower 20s- that's good cold here, not crazy COLD, but better than 30-40 as now).
And as I need less than two full loads a day, I do a baby load of whatever I have available during the day to tide me over to the real load in the evening. That baby load burns down any coals that are left. And as it's small, I can run it higher.
It leaves a nice coal bed to start the evening load.

But tonight I have just pine going. Only 30 outside.

 

[BKVP]

We are warming up! Winds at 50 mph...blasting warm air. Was 16 at noon, now 34! Watch for flooding next....

 

[Poindexter]

I switched to burning spruce only several years ago because of the relatively lengthy coaling stage of birch, at the instigation of some of our Canadians here.

Right now it is is -32 dF with the usual reminder on the local news that exposed flesh will be frostbitten in ten minutes with our little bit of wind making wind chills -50 dF and colder.

I don't want coals in my stove right now. I want baseball sized globs of sap giving off black smoke to feed the cat, and I will do have what I have to do to keep the stove full and the combustor high active.

If I had access to good hardwood with lengthy coaling stage I would use it in the shoulder seasons.

God bless y'all Canadian users here for setting me on the straight and narrow path.

 

[Todd]

And you're spot on about "this cold". Because you burn at a higher burn rate, you also increase amount of coals. I love hardwoods in shoulder season when they can simmer and cook down. When it's cold, baby I'm burning softwoods!

I used to be a hardwood snob but now that I own 23 acres of Aspen I find this statement to be true. Aspen works great for these sub zero temps I’ve been mixing in a few better hardwood splits for a good overnight burn works out well.

 

[kennyp2339]

-21f 15 mph n wind. Thermostat set on 2 on the letter m. 525 internal stack temp. Damper 3/4 shut. I’m not comfortable pushing my setup much harder. 10 hours of good heat.

While never anywhere near -25, I pretty much run just like you, .10 on the draft w/ 3/4 shut is right around were I settle, maybe .07-.08 area.
I've never ran wide open either for fear or wrecking something, at our coldest I've been a 3 o'clock which had some pretty vigorous primary and secondary flames, clean stack plume at all times to.

 

[ratsrepus]

I’ve found that burning full loads of ash do not leave a lot of coals in the BK.

that's the great thing about ash, its getting scarce here in Michigan.

 

[TheElementalCashew]

Mine is looking pretty wimpy compared to some of you guys. I usually shoot for 12 hour reloads based on my work schedule and the weather (which has been mild this year), so the amount I pack in can vary.

 

[BKVP]

Mine is looking pretty wimpy compared to some of you guys. I usually shoot for 12 hour reloads based on my work schedule and the weather (which has been mild this year), so the amount I pack in can vary.

View attachment 289022

I think it looks just fine. Looks like oak, mostly with the bark removed or haven fallen off.

 

[MissMac]

I switched to burning spruce only several years ago because of the relatively lengthy coaling stage of birch, at the instigation of some of our Canadians here.

Right now it is is -32 dF with the usual reminder on the local news that exposed flesh will be frostbitten in ten minutes with our little bit of wind making wind chills -50 dF and colder.

I don't want coals in my stove right now. I want baseball sized globs of sap giving off black smoke to feed the cat, and I will do have what I have to do to keep the stove full and the combustor high active.

If I had access to good hardwood with lengthy coaling stage I would use it in the shoulder seasons.

God bless y'all Canadian users here for setting me on the straight and narrow path.

Just for you sir:



I threw one token piece of spruce on top