East-west stoves and 'reversal'

[precaud]

Anyone else have this problem? I don't know the term for it - reversal, or the teter-totter effect.

I put 2-3 splits in the Morso, get the fire established and things up to temperature, then damp it down. All looks OK for a while but then the secondary flames start leaning to one side, then in a few seconds the whole fire is exiting out that side, the other side. Open the door, adjust the front split, try it again. Ooops, went too far, now it is leaning the other way. Sheesh.

It's really difficult to get the fire burning evenly across the whole stove with these sideburners. Gimme a north-south stove anyday.

 

[webbie]

I woudl call a stove like yours a "base burning" model as opposed to east west, etc.

That means you need a decent bed of coals. Also, since the air usually comes in the front (top) of these stoves, it is important to have coals raked toward the front or at least not block the passage of air from the front into the fire.

 

[precaud]

I woudl call a stove like yours a "base burning" model as opposed to east west, etc.

Huh? Explain.
http://www.morsoe.com/us/Products/Stoves/2100/Model_2110/Morsø+2110.htm

 

[babalu87]

I think your stove is a North/South stove, least mine is.

See them little holes in the middle of the front?
Thats the primary air

EDIT
Dang Morsos website rocks now!
(broken link removed to http://www.morsoe.com/us/Frontpage.htm)

 

[precaud]

I think your stove is a North/South stove, least mine is.

No... east-west refers to the stove geometry that is wider than deep and the wood is loaded lengthwise left to right. Has nothing to do with the air.

 

[webbie]

Oh, we can see that...but what causes the less than even burn may be partially the technique. With a stove like this, the coals have to be fairly even along the bed - with maybe a few more in the front. If the air comes in above the wood (top of glass) like most similar stoves, then you have to make sure a flat log is not in the very front bottom tight against the floor - because that stops the air from getting to the rest of the wood.

As per the manual "5. When ready to reload, use a poker to spread the ember across the firebox floor, bringing plenty towards the front of the stove. "

 

[precaud]

Of course I always spread the embers before reloading... that's ABC's of stove operation, along with a channel in the middle. It just seems if there's any imbalance in air to one side or the other, or if the fire is burning a little more vigorously on one side, the whole firebox follows it there. Hence the teter-totter analogy.

 

[precaud]

See them little holes in the middle of the front?
Thats the primary air

Well, technically it's not... the primary air comes in from above. But... thanks for the inadvertant tip... you pointed right to the problem. Those front air inlets stimulate the fire ("keep it lively", as the Morso guy told me...), and in some cases, stimulate it too much. In order to control the firing rate for softwood, I made the air inlet for them smaller, and it appears that I took it down too far. That stream of air, the strongest in the stove, is also what keeps the stove from doing what I was describing. I'll just have to live with the hotter fires.

Dang Morsos website rocks now!
(broken link removed to http://www.morsoe.com/us/Frontpage.htm)

That 2B is a really nice-looking stove... but the firebox is so teeny... I wonder how they get primary air to the back of that thing?

 

[DoubleClutch]

Of course I always spread the embers before reloading... that's ABC's of stove operation, along with a channel in the middle.

Gosh, we must be really lucky with our VC Intrepid II. We just throw logs in and close the lid. When there's room for more wood, repeat.

 

[precaud]

Gosh, you must be.

(biting my tongue...)

 

[babalu87]

Of course I always spread the embers before reloading... that's ABC's of stove operation, along with a channel in the middle.

Gosh, we must be really lucky with our VC Intrepid II. We just throw logs in and close the lid. When there's room for more wood, repeat.

Oh God another VC suck up
I would put my Morso up against ANY stove on the market for its size.

If you want to just throw in wood, lather, rinse and repeat then keep doing what you're doing.

Some of us actually like the cat and mouse game involved with wood burning and are always looking to fine tune and make the experience better.

See them little holes in the middle of the front?
Thats the primary air

Well, technically it's not... the primary air comes in from above. But... thanks for the inadvertant tip... you pointed right to the problem. Those front air inlets stimulate the fire ("keep it lively", as the Morso guy told me...), and in some cases, stimulate it too much. In order to control the firing rate for softwood, I made the air inlet for them smaller, and it appears that I took it down too far. That stream of air, the strongest in the stove, is also what keeps the stove from doing what I was describing. I'll just have to live with the hotter fires.

Dang Morsos website rocks now!
(broken link removed to http://www.morsoe.com/us/Frontpage.htm)

That 2B is a really nice-looking stove... but the firebox is so teeny... I wonder how they get primary air to the back of that thing?

If the primary air comes from the top, how does it get there?
The lever on the bottom of my stove (primary control) regulates that air that goes through those holes in that bump. I am now confused?????!?????!

I told the wife that once I set up our daughters doll house I am getting a mini woodstove and that cookstove off the Morso site

 

[precaud]

Some of us actually like the cat and mouse game involved with wood burning

Or... the non-cat and mouse game! ;-)

and are always looking to fine tune and make the experience better.

Well said.

 

[precaud]

If the primary air comes from the top, how does it get there?
The lever on the bottom of my stove (primary control) regulates that air that goes through those holes in that bump. I am now confused?????!?????!

The primary air channels go up the back, under the top plate, and wash over the glass from the slit above the glass. The holes in the front have their own separate channel built into the grate. Clever boys, these.

I told the wife that once I set up our daughters doll house I am getting a mini woodstove and that cookstove off the Morso site

It will be the only Morso-powered doll house, for sure...

 

[Corie]

I just asked for the 2B candle holder last night while watching TV. Dropping some hints for the perfect valentine's day gift!

 

[babalu87]

Confused I am no longer, thanks Yoda
Well maybe, when I mess with that lever under the center of the stove it changes the flow through those holes.

I would bet my wood pile that there are a few Doll houses around with these in them.

From Morsos website:

You can check yourself whether the firewood is sufficiently dry by smearing detergent on one end of a log and blowing through the other. If the soap bubbles, the firewood is sufficiently dry.

Yes, those Danes sure are clever

 

[precaud]

Well maybe, when I mess with that lever under the center of the stove it changes the flow through those holes.

Maybe they do take from the primary air channel on the 3610, I'd have to see a photo of the backplate to be sure. Frankly, I prefer that arrangement. On the 2110 it's a separate hole. Yet another always-on air source...

From Morsos website:

You can check yourself whether the firewood is sufficiently dry by smearing detergent on one end of a log and blowing through the other. If the soap bubbles, the firewood is sufficiently dry.

Yes, those Danes sure are clever

LOL!

Enough of this fun! I have to work!

 

[DoubleClutch]

I would put my Morso up against ANY stove on the market for its size.

If you want to just throw in wood, lather, rinse and repeat then keep doing what you're doing.

Some of us actually like the cat and mouse game involved with wood burning and are always looking to fine tune and make the experience better.

Hey, whatever floats yer boat. Have a blast. Call a press conference. Don't let me pee on your parade! ;-)

 

[adrpga498]

Welcome DoubleClutch

Just wondering, do you ever burn cardboard for a quick "charge " to the fire.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

not trying to start somthing , but what firebox size is the morso???

 

[precaud]

just under 1 cu ft. Why?
dimensions 18.5"W x 12"D, average height is 10" I think... it's hot in there now so I can't measure ;-)

 

[stoveguy2esw]

was just curious, gawd though , less than 1 cubic foot! thats tiny! anyway , thanks for the info, honestly i was just curious, hadnt seen one so i didnt know what size it was. smallest we carry is 1.3 cf

 

[precaud]

Yeah, the 2110 is a small firebox in a large-ish enclosure. Theoretically, all that surface area should increase radiation efficiency. Not sure if it actually works out that way, though. Nearly the entire top plate is covered by the channel that preheats the primary air. Not sure that was a good design choice.

 

[precaud]

Ooops... well my math used to be good... 18.5x12x10 equals 1.28 cu ft., not 'less than 1' as I wrote above... probably closer to 1.2 given the sloping baffle on top.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

Ooops... well my math used to be good... 18.5x12x10 equals 1.28 cu ft., not 'less than 1' as I wrote above... probably closer to 1.2 given the sloping baffle on top.

lol, ok kool, thought less than a foot was pretty small, would have to burn popsickle sticks at that size. looked at the unit on their site, cute little unit

 

[Highbeam]

1 cubic foot? I am griping about the 3.1 in my Lopi which has been at 550 for the last 2 hours trying to heat up my rambler with its single pane windows. I could not imagine trying to stoke a tenny weeny firebox. Popsicle sticks indeed.