All Nighter Mid Mo' Log Length

[Razo]

Hi all,

I just picked up a used All Nighter Mid Mo off my dad, he no longer burns wood but burned this stove for a good 5 seasons and loved it. I found the original manual and documentation online and see that it accepts 24" logs.

I know most people with smaller stoves usually use 16" logs as the standard. Does anyone have any experience with these All Nighters? The firebox is pretty long, do you use full 24" splits or do you use something a little more manageable like 16" or 18"?

 

[pen]

I've never run that Mo, but have experience with a fisher mama bear that could take good long splits and a Timberline that was similar in size to a fisher papa bear, that could take even bigger (over 24 inches).

I still always like to keep things to about 18 inches. For one, it kept splits that were easy for the women that ran the stoves from time to time to handle. Also, 18 inches is easier splitting than 24 inches by hand. Additionally, if the splits are cut a little long sometimes, that was ok, or if they was some odd balls with knots, crotches, etc, I had room in the stove to slide them to the back more and load other stuff up front.

That said, I'd suggest you shoot for eyeballing 18, but know you have a few inches to work with when you get to the end of a log you are bucking up and have that piece that comes out to be 22, let that ride,,,, then down the road you'll have a mix to play with and see how you like it. In general, if you were to actually cut at 24, and 24 truly is the max, any odd pieces, are going to give you hell.

Also, if you are really humping things and get a build up of coals in the stove, having pieces about 18 inches gives you room to bring the hottest coals up to the front of the stove and load the fresh wood behind them. This lets the large excessive coals have a place to burn down without turning your load of wood thermonuclear by being underneath the load itself. Or if you are trying to extend things, perhaps try pushing the coals clear to the back and loading in reverse.

 

[yooperdave]

Cut the lengths into whatever is convenient for you to manage. You will be the one hauling splitting stacking loading etc. Just because a stove is able to take large pieces doesn't mean that is what they should be sized at. The stove is there for you convenience, right?
Welcome to the forum...enjoy the spring weather Razo!

 

[Razo]

Thanks for the good advice guys, going to be new to the whole woodstove game this next winter, I've only ever burned in an open hearth, looking forward to it though. I'm going to buck to around 18" for convenience and know I have a little lee way if one ends up being a little long.

 

[Simonkenton]

You will love the wood stove. I have a fireplace and a woodstove, to the left is a pic of my fireplace. It is beautiful, and it is a good heater, but nothing matches the wood stove.

 

[Razo]

Thanks Simonkenton, I can't wait to feel the increased heat from the stove.I love your fireplace, the stone, the arch, perfect. I have a brick one that I have been burning all winter. Definitely helps but its no way to heat a house.

 

[coaly]

If you burn 24-7 and it's your only heat source, (or exceptional cold spells) it's nice to use as long a log as it will take. The stove will burn down to ash in the front near the air source first, and leave a lot of coals and charcoal starved for oxygen in the back. Logs reaching all the way to the rear gives you a larger coal pile in the morning. The importance of this is if you don't allow the stove to go out for ash removal, you can remove a shovel a day each morning from the front where it's burned down to fine ash. Then rake the coal pile and charcoal ahead. It will burst into flame and reload on it. If you tend to use shorter pieces, you tend to get a higher pile in the center and don't get them pushed to the rear as much. You can end up with little to no pile in the back. (That's fine spring and fall, but not mid winter) Since the duration of a fire is based on allowing to burn down to coals and relighting without the use of a match, the technical burn time is extended by the slower burn in the back.

 

[Razo]

Awesome advice! I'm new to this so these type of descriptions are gold. Makes complete sense to me. Will be nice to have some "max-length" logs for exactly what you described.

 

[fbelec]

agree with coaly. my stove is made for max of 24 inch i can get in the right spots 25 inch but they are heavy when loading from my side door. it is a good idea to put aside about a quarter cord of 22 to 24 inch splits for those cold snaps. with a hotter burn for more heat and same burn time as your 16 to 18 inch wood and also keep in mind that the big stuff takes a lot longer to dry those monster size splits than the rest of your stock.

frank