Do You Use PPE For Loading Your Wood Burner(s)?

[ctreitzell]

I see a lot of requests for amounts, species and dryness of wood burner loads and reloads, yet I don't see much equipment. Maybe I haven't dug deep enough yet into these forums.

Since beginning keeping a continuous fire going for heating purposes last year, I got fed up with entering my bare hands into the fire box of my wood stove. Just cuz that's how I always did it before doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement.

My wife (who is a sculptor) suggested welding gloves. What a fantastic suggestion! So now that's what I use. They are awesome! There's no issue picking up a red hot ember should one decide to roll out. This darn Panadero Delice/ Dover I have has a tiny lip into the fire box. Embers fall out very easily. Plus the Panadero baffle trains the flames to the glass door. I try to wait until the flames die down, but sometimes it needs to be added to without having to wait. The welding gloves make a massive difference in safety.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

None. I have a pair of welding gloves, but that’s more of a “tried to load one too many splits, couldn’t fit it in, and now it’s on fire” type of thing. I usually get a stove kiss on my arm each year reminding me to open the door more.

 

[gthomas785]

I use a pair of stove gloves depending how hot the firebox is. The placement of the first few splits is critical to maximize capacity in my stove so I tend to shift em around a little and I've burned my arm hair off a couple times by leaving my hand in for just a second too long..

 

[Pinesmoke]

Welding gloves live on the wood next to the stove.

 

[ctreitzell]

Welding gloves live on the wood next to the stove.

mine always live on the windowsill next to the stove 👍

 

[begreen]

Back when we had the top loading VC Resolute, a pair of welder's gloves was essential. I have a pair of regular leather gloves by the stove, but they are just for emergencies. Normally, I load the fire N/S and don't touch it until it's time for another reload. If I do a full E/W I might need the gloves if a split rolls toward the glass so I rarely load full this way.

 

[Eman85]

I never wear them to reload, probably should. I do keep a pair for emptying the ash pan as it's hot when we're burning steady and have to dump it.

 

[NHWS]

I always wear gloves when handling wood. Greatly reduces the number of splinters.

Welding gloves are a safety issue during hot reloads. Once in a while it's necessary to move a piece of wood quickly.

 

[begreen]

Good point about the splinters. Doug fir can be bad that way. I should add that I usually get a minor singe once a year, but am usually cautious and slow about loading. Mainly to avoid slamming into the firebrick with the splits.

 

[River]

I have been using welding gloves for stove loading for over three decades. I would not care to be without them. I just wish they would last longer. I rarely get much more than one season per pair.

 

[Dieselhead]

When dealing with hickory, Osage or locust a full face shield isn’t a bad idea! With hot coals in the box from one of those species hit it with the poker and its 4th of July in your living room, and that’s no exaggeration!

 

[Poindexter]

I belong to the @EatenByLimestone school of "oh crap, and now it is on fire" school of stove loading.

I do keep leather gloves by the stove for moments of exuberance, but load almost exclusively NS with only end grain showing at the loading door. When my daughter the welder was in high school I spent a LOT of money on welding gloves for her. For myself I made a pair of vamgreaves out of very heavy vegetable tanned leather and I do use those for splitting and stacking. I have no idea how many pair of leather gloves I have worn out since then, still on my first pair of vamgreaves.

Funny story, I was working a pile of oak logs in North Carolina, I think about summer 2007. I rolled a log off the top and came face to face with a copperhead snake at eye level. I peed my pants and backed away slowly. The copperhead looked at me with something like disdain even though I was packing a Peavy, and the snake backed away too.

I called it a day around 130 in the afternoon and made these that same day. Probably about 16 ounce leather. Once I had the cones done I was about to sew them to a pair of gloves but chose thumb straps instead.

 

[Poindexter]

The gloves I keep next to the woodstove have a leather outside surface, with some insulation inside. Certainly how far it is from the woodstove to the nearest snowbank is an issue to consider when choosing gloves for the hearth and the extra exuberantly burning extra split.

How come the one split that doesn't fit lights off like black gunpowder?

 

[DonTee]

I usually wear gloves when I load the stove. Not for burn protection, but just for normal hand protection like any time I handle firewood.

I only load my stove N/S. Usually that piece that won’t quite fit in doesn’t catch on fire because it’s on top

When I had a top loader VC stove I had to be more careful not to burn my arms.

 

[BillBurns]

I have gloves by the stove, but to just load it I hardly ever use them. Stray coals its time for the gloves, lol. Oh, and splinters get OLD quick!

 

[ctreitzell]

I use the welding gloves every time...door latch is waaaay to hot to touch on the Delice/ Dover with any burn inside

plate warmer lid too, is blazing hot

the oven mit Panadero provides/ sells is not sufficient and utterly fragile

 

[Pinesmoke]

I belong to the @EatenByLimestone school of "oh crap, and now it is on fire" school of stove loading.

I do keep leather gloves by the stove for moments of exuberance, but load almost exclusively NS with only end grain showing at the loading door. When my daughter the welder was in high school I spent a LOT of money on welding gloves for her. For myself I made a pair of vamgreaves out of very heavy vegetable tanned leather and I do use those for splitting and stacking. I have no idea how many pair of leather gloves I have worn out since then, still on my first pair of vamgreaves.

Funny story, I was working a pile of oak logs in North Carolina, I think about summer 2007. I rolled a log off the top and came face to face with a copperhead snake at eye level. I peed my pants and backed away slowly. The copperhead looked at me with something like disdain even though I was packing a Peavy, and the snake backed away too.

I called it a day around 130 in the afternoon and made these that same day. Probably about 16 ounce leather. Once I had the cones done I was about to sew them to a pair of gloves but chose thumb straps instead.

View attachment 321364

I can feel that twinge in your gut when you uncover a snake. Down here is a real thing. My boots are knee high snake boots if I'm in the woods. Tearing a pile down is a cold weather job, Everything that wants to punch holes in you is moving slower. Between copperheads, which have a real attitude problem on this mountain, to Timber rattlers and European Hornets I don't tear piles down in warm weather. I'm getting too old for that kind of excitement

 

[kennyp2339]

I always wear a pair of welding gloves, got tired of constantly getting corporal stripes on my forearms

 

[ctreitzell]

I can feel that twinge in your gut when you uncover a snake. Down here is a real thing. My boots are knee high snake boots if I'm in the woods. Tearing a pile down is a cold weather job, Everything that wants to punch holes in you is moving slower. Between copperheads, which have a real attitude problem on this mountain, to Timber rattlers and European Hornets I don't tear piles down in warm weather. I'm getting too old for that kind of excitement

too right!
I'm currently in the middle of demolishing a massive french longere which I didn't get to renovating in time

the roof trusses started falling down this past summer...8 meter long 12"x12" solid oak tie beam fell down 6 meters to the barn floor in july and then a second 3 weeks ago...the hip of my roof bears on the next truss along...could fall any minute...luckily I have a friend with a 10m reach forklift with a nacelle and he loves doing this kind of stuff...wellll, he's driving and I'm in the nacelle...it's harrowing at best

ok, we ABSOLUTELY would NOT demo this barn in warmer times of the year...we've got an issue with Asian Hornets around here and if the yellowjackets are bad enough...in the cold, every threat beyond heavy machinery accident is moving very, very slowly...The Frelon Asiatique can kill people very, very quickly...

again, pics to come

 

[vatmark]

I always use gloves. They hang right with the stove tools. I always reload from the side door.

 

[30WCF]

I always use gloves. They hang right with the stove tools. I always reload from the side door.

View attachment 321380

Good looking set of forged tools.

 

[ozarkoak]

I load N/S on reload so gloves are not a necessity for loading but I do use one for hot clean outs and keep a pair close by just in case of emergency.

 

[30WCF]

Gloves close by and I do the safety squint if the coals start popping when raking them.

 

[vatmark]

Good looking set of forged tools.

Thanks. They were made by the Bearded Blacksmith of the Blue Ridge.

 

[DonTee]

safety squint

Lol. Yes