Castine Break-in burn pics

[Skier76]

I hooked up the stove on Saturday. I have to say, split pipe is a real $@ to work with...until you figure it out. I held one end together with pliers, then worked "up" and it just popped together.

Pics from fire #1. This took place late yesterday afternoon. Temp was about 70 outside. It was pretty darn cool to see smoke coming out of that chimney...it was kind of long road to get here. I used mostly small pine splits and held the temp at 200 for one hour.

 

[Skier76]

This AM, I did burn #2: 300F for one hour. Today I discovered the joys of opening the ashpan door. Saaaa-weet! That really gets things moving! Temps this morning were in the low 60's.

This is my first experience with an EPA stove. I grew up with a Jotul "3"...that had a damper and you controlled the air via a wheel on the front door. The only time you had smoke rollout was when you opened the door with the damper shut. These EPA stoves are interesting. With the smoke exiting at the top front of the fire box, I can see how rollout can occur when the door opens.

Also, the burn is a lot different. In the old non EPA "3", there was always a flame. If there, wasn't a flame, things were smoldering...not good! So, I had to force myself to sit back and take a few sips of coffee while I just let the flames die down a bit and let things happen. Granted, I was only running a little north of 300F, so I probably wasn't getting the full effect. But you can see the glowing in one of pics; came out almost purple.

Next weekend, we go to 400 for one hour. Can't wait.

 

[begreen]

Great shots. Good to see it burning. If you don't mind a suggestion, resist the temptation to use the ash pan door as a fresh air supply. Try starting the fire and leaving the door slightly open, about 1/4 to 1/2", until the fire is burning well. It's a much safer way to start the fire, avoid puffback and will protect the grate. (This is a common cause of warranty violation.)

The manual is pretty clear about this, with reason. The grate assembly is not designed for the forge-like temps created by opening the ashpan door under the fire:

• The ash pan door on the stove must always be securely closed
when the stove is in operation.
• Burning the stove with the Ash Door open will over-fire the
stove and cause interior damage.

 

[Skier76]

Will do! I didn't even think of the damage that could cause to the grate! I'll start using the door instead. Practice makes perfect. :coolsmile:

 

[begreen]

The other downside of using the ashpan door is puffback. Get what seems to be a good start on a kindling fire on too big wood, then close the ashpan door, and about 1-2 minutes later, there may be a mini-explosion that will sober one up very quickly. (Don't ask me how I know... but after a couple of these, the ashpan door always stayed closed.) Instead have an ample supply of great, dry kindling always on hand. I use cabinetry and finish trim scraps which work great.

 

[North of 60]

Congratulation's on your new heating machine and break in. You were right about not having it up to temp to get the real light show. When you break over 550-600f and start to shut it down with a good load of dry charred wood, you will have the 4th of July going on in there. Just stand back, admire and feel the heat.
N of 60

 

[Skier76]

I'm really looking forward to getting the stove up to op temp and watching those secondary tubes "fire up". I guess that's kind of an odd thought to have on a day it's going to be 90 and humid out.

BG...yikes! That's certainly a good enough reason to not use that ashpan door.

Any tips on building the fire? I've seen a lot of different pics on the internet; from a few bits of newspaper, to what looks like half the Sunday paper and a firebox fully of kindling and a large bit of wood.

 

[firefighterjake]

I'm really looking forward to getting the stove up to op temp and watching those secondary tubes "fire up". I guess that's kind of an odd thought to have on a day it's going to be 90 and humid out.

BG...yikes! That's certainly a good enough reason to not use that ashpan door.

Any tips on building the fire? I've seen a lot of different pics on the internet; from a few bits of newspaper, to what looks like half the Sunday paper and a firebox fully of kindling and a large bit of wood.

As BG said, avoid using the ash pan door for start up fires . . . just leave the door slighly ajar and the fire will take off.

As far as starting the fire . . . ah, the old top down vs. teepee vs. lincoln log debate . . . matched only by the Great Kindling Debate. For every member here there are proponents and opponents to the various methods . . . I say experiment and see what works best for you.

As for me I am a traditionalist and go with the lincoln log set up. Balled up newspaper on bottom, some cardboard, cedar or other softwood kindling (about 1-3 inches in diameter -- 3-5 sticks) and then a stick or two of small (but larger than the kindling) splits placed towards the back top of the pile. Sometimes I'll add in a couple of pallet "pieces" to the works. I generally leave the door open for a bit until the temp reaches 200-300 on my flue and then shut the door. Once the flue temp hits 450-500 I start to dial back the air control. This works for me . . . but there are certainly other methods that work well, if not better, for others.

 

[begreen]

One trick that will get the lincoln log set up burning quicker is to have the bottom two sticks aligned north-south, about 4-6" apart. That will allow air from the front to get under the kindling fire. I just used a few balls of newpaper in the middle of the teepee or lincoln log stack. But we also have Super Cedars, which my wife likes to start the fire with. As long as you have plenty of very dry, kindling, that is reasonably small (1/2 to 2"), the fire will start easily. Start visiting cabinetry and trim shops and get friendly with a wood floor (unfinished) installer. They produce lots of nice scraps.

 

[Wet1]

Nice to see that old pipe breathing smoke again... congrats!

 

[Skier76]

Nice to see that old pipe breathing smoke again... congrats!

I stood there and stared at it for a few miutes in awe. I then smiled when I thought about how much cheaper this route was vs. the pellet.

The starting tips are great! North south...now that makes sense! Before I fired the stove up, I took off the air intake cover (this was last weekend). I wanted to see how this thing ticks. I found the air intake on the back bottom of the stove too. An interesting path the air has to take before it gets to the firebox.

I've got a bunch of scrounged pine that I'll probably chop up into small kindling. Also, there were two dead pine trees up in VT that I pushed over. Mother Nature does a nice job seasoning wood. I just need to borrow a chainsaw and get that cut up and split.

I'm thinking I'm going to need a boat load of kindling because this stove won't be run 24/7, it will basically need to be started every weekend; and possibly a time after the initial start over said weekend.

 

[btj1031]

Congrats on the new stove. And you will need lots of kindling if you're not going to burn 24/7....you can never have enough!

 

[wendell]

As for me I am a traditionalist and go with the lincoln log set up.

What, are you crazy? Everyone knows top down is the best way to start a fire! :lol:

 

[Highbeam]

I go lincoln log too.

 

[BrotherBart]

What, are you crazy? Everyone knows top down is the best way to start a fire! :lol:

Correction. The ONLY way. :coolsmirk:

Any other way is just playing with the stove. Strike the match, touch the paper, close the door, fugidaiboutit. No cracked door, no cracked ash pan door, no nothin. :cheese:

Tried'em all. I now worship at the Temple of Vanessa.

 

[grommal]

What, are you crazy? Everyone knows top down is the best way to start a fire! :lol:

Correction. The ONLY way. :coolsmirk:

Any other way is just playing with the stove. Strike the match, touch the paper, close the door, fugidaiboutit. No cracked door, no cracked ash pan door, no nothin. :cheese:

Tried'em all. I now worship at the Temple of Vanessa.

+1 on the top down. First time I tried it was this spring on the break-in burns of my new Oslo. I was skeptical when I saw they way V. did it on the Canadian video, but I gave it a shot. I don't think I'll ever go back. No fiddling at all. Light the paper knots, close the door, and let 'er rip.

 

[North of 60]

<SPAN class="spellch<span class=" spellchecked_word?>ec</SPAN>ked_word">http</SPAN>://<SPAN class="spellch<span class=" spellchecked_word?>ec</SPAN>ked_word">www</SPAN>.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/default.asp?lang=En&n=8011CD70-1
aint sposed to have bloo smoke coming out chimni

Give it a rest there PooKer. He just fired up his stove. A 200F break in fire aint gonna have no smoke. Id hate to see that sawdust burner of yours with that magic heat light up. Probably would look like a locomotive firing up at -40. :zip:

 

[Skier76]

Thanks North of 60...took the words right out of my mouth. At 200F, there's gonna be smoke.... In fact, there was smoke in the house. Well, from the oils burning off the stove.

Top down...hmmm. Now that sounds interesting. Seems that works for a few Jotul users. Large wood on the bottom...kindling on top of that, finally, newspaper on top?

 

[firefighterjake]

As for me I am a traditionalist and go with the lincoln log set up.

What, are you crazy? Everyone knows top down is the best way to start a fire! :lol:

a) I'm more of a traditionalist . . . it just works for me . . . teaching old dogs, new tricks . . . all that sort of melarkey.

b) I like to play with fire . . . it's what I do for a living.

c) Yes . . . I am crazy . . . but only crazy in a good way, not John Hinkley crazy.

 

[Wet1]

Another vote for the "strike it and leave it" top down fire.

 

[grommal]

Thanks North of 60...took the words right out of my mouth. At 200F, there's gonna be smoke.... In fact, there was smoke in the house. Well, from the oils burning off the stove.

Top down...hmmm. Now that sounds interesting. Seems that works for a few Jotul users. Large wood on the bottom...kindling on top of that, finally, newspaper on top?

Watch this video, and give it a try.
http://www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/videos/Woodstove_mgt-Eng.wmv

 

[Skier76]

Thanks North of 60...took the words right out of my mouth. At 200F, there's gonna be smoke.... In fact, there was smoke in the house. Well, from the oils burning off the stove.

Top down...hmmm. Now that sounds interesting. Seems that works for a few Jotul users. Large wood on the bottom...kindling on top of that, finally, newspaper on top?

Watch this video, and give it a try.
http://www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/videos/Woodstove_mgt-Eng.wmv

That was really interesting. Now I get the Vanessa reference. :lol:

I'm going to give that a try and see what happens. I'm not sure if North/South fire is possible in the Castine given the sizeof the fire box...so I'll probably go East/West.

One other thing that caught my interest. She states she waits until the house cools and the fire dies down before adding more logs. Do you guys do that? With the older stove, I always added wood when the previous pieces started to coal up; I never let the fire die down much.

 

[firefighterjake]

Guess I would rather sacrifice some wood for the sake of comfort, preferring a more steady heat output from the stove so I generally add wood to the fire when the wood has been changed into coals -- not right when it coals up, but definitely before the house is cooling down.

 

[Skier76]

That's what I was thinking as well. It doesn't seem to make much sense to allow things to cool before putting on another load of wood. Granted, if you somehow managed to get the house up to 90....then yes, a cool down may be in order. :wow:

 

[wendell]

wrong! = front to back via temple gulland

Maybe old school Gulland but as you notice from the video, Vanessa is showing John things he never knew and now he's eager to try them.

I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks! :lol: