Electric Bellows

[wooduser]

Having a bed of coals that light up when you throw some wood on it is great.

Having a couple of puny coals that might or might not light the fire if you keep blowing on it..... not so great.

So....

I'm experimenting with using a vacuum with the hose in tair exit from the vacuum, so I get air blowing out of the cleaning tool.

Thast's too much air and blowing too hard, so I put a piece of paper in and adjusted it to get a userful flow of air with blowing ske and embers into the room.

That really cause even small embers to light upkidling quite rapidly.

I'm sure the hairdryer a lot of people keep handy would be the same thing.

 

[weatherguy]

Just regular bellows are fine too, I'll lose track of time a few times a year and have hardly any coals left, did it on my first reload this year so off to an early start.

 

[begreen]

Maybe keep something like this near the stove.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C42PRPT/?tag=hearthamazon-20

 

[wooduser]

I've been thinking about buying a metal lathe and developing some machining skills I can use on projects around the house.

I was, for example, thinking about the use of the electric vacuum machine described in this thread to fan the flames of my wood stove. If I machined an adaptor that fit over the end of the vacuum cleaner hose, with a hole of suitable size drilled in the other end, I could avois stuffing paper in the hose and have an appropriately sized flow of air and a reasonable jet to fan my flames.

That was a reasonable project, but there was no reason why it had to be a metal fitting ---- I could .make a suitable adaptor out of wood! And indeed I did. I found that an 1 1/8" hole drilled with a spade bit in the end of a stick of wood fit the end of the vacuum cleaner hose nicely. I cut the stick of wood to a suitable length and drilled a smaller hole through the wood to the 1 1/8" hole.

That works fine for a fitting and jet. Took about ten minutes to design and build.

Now I'm going to have to think of other adapters that could be used to vacuum or force a positive air flow for varying purposes.

 

[bholler]

I've been thinking about buying a metal lathe and developing some machining skills I can use on projects around the house.

I was, for example, thinking about the use of the electric vacuum machine described in this thread to fan the flames of my wood stove. If I machined an adaptor that fit over the end of the vacuum cleaner hose, with a hole of suitable size drilled in the other end, I could avois stuffing paper in the hose and have an appropriately sized flow of air and a reasonable jet to fan my flames.

That was a reasonable project, but there was no reason why it had to be a metal fitting ---- I could .make a suitable adaptor out of wood! And indeed I did. I found that an 1 1/8" hole drilled with a spade bit in the end of a stick of wood fit the end of the vacuum cleaner hose nicely. I cut the stick of wood to a suitable length and drilled a smaller hole through the wood to the 1 1/8" hole.

That works fine for a fitting and jet. Took about ten minutes to design and build.

Now I'm going to have to think of other adapters that could be used to vacuum or force a positive air flow for varying purposes.

You could also get a better stove that you could hold fire in longer so you dont start many fires. I have started 5 or 6 so far this year.

 

[wooduser]

I'm a firebug. I like building fires.

Besides, temperatures around here have regularly gotten up to 50 degrees F, so the challenge has been building small fires rather than large ones.


Tonight has been cooler, and cooler weather is predicted in the next few days So larger fires are in order.

 

[bholler]

I'm a firebug. I like building fires.

Besides, temperatures around here have regularly gotten up to 50 degrees F, so the challenge has been building small fires rather than large ones.


Tonight has been cooler, and cooler weather is predicted in the next few days So larger fires are in order.

I can comfortably burn 24/7 at those temps without overheating the house.

 

[velvetfoot]

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rutland-Safe-Lite-Fire-Starter-Squares-144-Pack-50B/202218153?

 

[SculptureOfSound]

Sounds like bholler is becoming a BK convert!

 

[bholler]

Sounds like bholler is becoming a BK convert!

In the shoulder season its great. But now i really see no benifit at all. I like it but not magic like some here claim

 

[Hogwildz]

Just splurge the 25 bucks for a hand bellows and no need to drag a vacuum to the stove every time you want to light a fire. Fire starters as someone posted are the best option.

 

[SculptureOfSound]

In the shoulder season its great. But now i really see no benifit at all. I like it but not magic like some here claim

Isn't it easier to get a more even heat curve throughout the burn? I would think that would reduce wood usage/extend burn times (maybe only a bit though if running somewhat high) but more importantly keep the temp in the house rather constant.

I don't heat with wood full time (ng is too cheap here and our fireplace is not in an ideal location for whole house heating) but if I did I think having it behave as closely to a furnace or water heat would be ideal and most comfortable

 

[bholler]

Isn't it easier to get a more even heat curve throughout the burn? I would think that would reduce wood usage/extend burn times (maybe only a bit though if running somewhat high) but more importantly keep the temp in the house rather constant.

I don't heat with wood full time (ng is too cheap here and our fireplace is not in an ideal location for whole house heating) but if I did I think having it behave as closely to a furnace or water heat would be ideal and most comfortable

No i am not saving any wood at all. Now that the temps have dropped i am seeing just about the same burn times loading the stove 3x a day. Yes the heat is more even but i never had a problem keeping the heat at a pretty constant level with the noncat because i heat from the basement. For me that really evens out the heat. In warmer weather it was fantastic but most of our heating season is pretty cold.

 

[SculptureOfSound]

Regarding the bellows, at least on my insert (VC Montpelier) you can open the door but get it to partially latch, leaving it like a half inch open, and this tiny opening really creates a bellows effect on the coals. I would think most doors would work the same way if you can get them just barely open

 

[wooduser]

Part of the attraction of wood stoves is that everyone develops their own style. That's particularly true for building fires, I think.


I've had an old Electrolux Model G cannister vacuume kicking around for years:



I'm currently experimenting with using it to blow fresh life into coals in the wood stove, and it beats blowing on the coals! I just leave it out by the woodstove at present ----it's handy to use and my investment in this application has been $0.00.

Perhaps I'll discard this practice after a while but at present I find it interesting. It blows life into very marginal coals, and really gets wood burning in a hurry.

The only down side is that you could blow coals or ashes out of the stove and into the house. That's what the adaptor I made avoids, since it created a pretty coherent jet of air that's not too strong that can be directed right where I want it with a minimum of spillage out of the stove.

So, I find this interesting for the time being, and I'm glad to hear the comments of others on what they think of this bright idea.

Heh, heh! Three shots for a quarter!

 

[georgepds]

A long tube would do much the same as the gadget begreen recommended

Just be sure not to burn your lips

Me, I like the bellows. Fits in with the who DIY wood thing

 

[georgepds]

Re "
I'm currently experimenting with using it to blow fresh life into coals in the wood stove, and it beats blowing on the coals! I just leave it out by the woodstove at present ----it's handy to use and my investment in this application has been $0.00."


Just curious, are you married?

 

[wooduser]

Never married & live alone.

I can do what I please.