First Fire of the Season: How I do mine (top down)
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Hogwildz
Minister of Fire
After trying it just now I don't like it much either, I have done it before, but today, I was trying to do it without a bunch of paper
Tenn Dave
Minister of Fire
They say it's a good way to establish a strong draft without creating a lot of smoke, but it seems counter intuitive to me.
Woody Stover
Minister of Fire
It burns really clean; The smoke from what is catching is always rising into the flame to be burned up before it exits.
I put the bigger splits in the bottom and the back. When I get to the top/front 1/4 of the load, I'll put a couple smaller splits so they make a "V." I twist a couple half-pages of newspaper and put in the V, then lay a few small (finger-sized) Pine kindling diagonally across the V so they don't lay on the paper. Then I put a couple medium kindling of some Cherry or soft Maple on top.
My stoves are E/W burners, so the air wash is blowing on the full length of this setup at the top/front of the stove....
I put the bigger splits in the bottom and the back. When I get to the top/front 1/4 of the load, I'll put a couple smaller splits so they make a "V." I twist a couple half-pages of newspaper and put in the V, then lay a few small (finger-sized) Pine kindling diagonally across the V so they don't lay on the paper. Then I put a couple medium kindling of some Cherry or soft Maple on top.
My stoves are E/W burners, so the air wash is blowing on the full length of this setup at the top/front of the stove....
Tenn Dave
Minister of Fire
HollowHill
Minister of Fire
I don't use paper in my top-downs. Just put in progressively smaller diameter layers with the top layer being kindling. Put the Super Cedar in the middle about one or two layers below the kindling. Light the Super Cedar, close the door, and off it goes.
I don't think what I do is really top down, but I load my stove with wood and then use a quarter or less of a super cedar in the middle of the pile, next to a split of wood that has some edges that should take off well, light it up and shortly have a good fire going. My stove essentially only holds 2 layers of wood splits loading north/south, so I will lay the ss on the top of the bottom layer, and make sure the flames are licking a well placed split above the flames of the ss. No kindling, no newspaper, just pay a bit of attention to where I stick that chunk of super cedar. Check the discount/free thread to get your sample. A bit of a luxury for me, but very effective, and bought my winter supply just a couple weeks ago so I wouldn't be out of them this season.
Seasoned Oak
Minister of Fire
I tried top down and it works fine. It makes sense and i think it cuts down on the initial smoke produced in a cold stove. i usually use pine lathe boards to start my fires and they tend to smoke a lot. Top down warms the flue quickly and gets the stove hot before engaging all the wood in the burn.
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
Not saying this is right/wrong/best or whatever, but what I like doing for the first fire each year.
This is just barely shoulder season for me (had a frost last night and will be close again tonight).
The 10 day forecast says I shouldn't need a fire for at least that much time again.
Normally I do a hybrid top-down start with some kindling on the supercedar chunk as I find doing that is faster getting things up to full tilt. But for the first fire when the stove is stone cold, when things were still in the 40's, I did a full top down (for fear of a down draft putting smoke in the house) Doing it this way is slower for me, but to the naked eye, completely smoke free (neighbor friendly if they still have clothes hanging out on the line).
Here's what things looked like for about the first hour or so.
I added a log to the center between the 6th and 7th pics.
Pic's weren't taken in equal time intervals, just when I thought about it or needed another beer.
Also, since the stove was completely cleaned out at the end of the burn season, I set the 2 outer base logs up on the lip that the 30 has next to the dog house air inlet so that they could get better air under them.
pen
This is just barely shoulder season for me (had a frost last night and will be close again tonight).
The 10 day forecast says I shouldn't need a fire for at least that much time again.
Normally I do a hybrid top-down start with some kindling on the supercedar chunk as I find doing that is faster getting things up to full tilt. But for the first fire when the stove is stone cold, when things were still in the 40's, I did a full top down (for fear of a down draft putting smoke in the house) Doing it this way is slower for me, but to the naked eye, completely smoke free (neighbor friendly if they still have clothes hanging out on the line).
Here's what things looked like for about the first hour or so.
I added a log to the center between the 6th and 7th pics.
Pic's weren't taken in equal time intervals, just when I thought about it or needed another beer.
Also, since the stove was completely cleaned out at the end of the burn season, I set the 2 outer base logs up on the lip that the 30 has next to the dog house air inlet so that they could get better air under them.
pen
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Ram 1500 with an axe...
Minister of Fire
Stax
Minister of Fire
Hogwildz
Minister of Fire
That's basically how I always did it with the old stoveX2, to hell with that pillow bitter top down crap. Tunnel of love all the way!
I ONLY do a top down if I want a basically smokeless start (usually because it's fairly warm outside).
I find a true top down, while it starts exceptionally clean, takes longer. I usually do a hybrid or tunnel-of-love start if the stove has any warmth left to it at all, even barely above room temp. But if it's stone cold, I sometimes get a down draft that puts smoke in the house w/ a hybrid or t-o-love start; so in those cases, I do a true top down.
Just made a thread on it w/ pics if you want to see https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/first-fire-of-the-season-how-i-do-mine-top-down.113924/
pen
I find a true top down, while it starts exceptionally clean, takes longer. I usually do a hybrid or tunnel-of-love start if the stove has any warmth left to it at all, even barely above room temp. But if it's stone cold, I sometimes get a down draft that puts smoke in the house w/ a hybrid or t-o-love start; so in those cases, I do a true top down.
Just made a thread on it w/ pics if you want to see https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/first-fire-of-the-season-how-i-do-mine-top-down.113924/
pen
Ram 1500 with an axe...
Minister of Fire
Wow nice pics, I'm glad you showed us what you were talking about, seriously....now, where's Teller?
Just put the splits in the stove, some kindling nestled between the top splits, a chunk of Super Cedar on top of the kindling, light it, close the stove door it and fugidaboutit.
Time it. I have. I don't buy this too slow stuff. Up to temp the in the same amount of time as when you put the Super Cedar under the splits. Just not the cute show from the bottom of the firebox. As the Super Cedar cooks gunk out of the splits up into the chimney.
Time it. I have. I don't buy this too slow stuff. Up to temp the in the same amount of time as when you put the Super Cedar under the splits. Just not the cute show from the bottom of the firebox. As the Super Cedar cooks gunk out of the splits up into the chimney.
I've timed it too. For me there definitely is a difference.
I think the reason is my chimney setup where I have a 90 a pipe length above the stove, then another 90 after it goes through the wall.
Can't beat how clean the top down is regardless.
pen
Now that's what I'm talking about, starting without screwing around with a bunch of paper.
Most of the time with my old stove ,I didn't use paper (very often no kindling ) just a fire starter n wood
Most of the time with my old stove ,I didn't use paper (very often no kindling ) just a fire starter n wood
Top down starts for me were faster with the paper bows. After I tried the Super Cedars I didn't care. I don't subscribe to the paper anymore and grabbing bundles of them at the dump when I took the trash felt kinda dumb.
But sitting in a nest of kindling on top the lil red pucks rocks. But most of the time I am lazy. Just put the SC piece under a pile of splits and go. And clean the pipe twice a season.
With top down it didn't need it half way through.
But sitting in a nest of kindling on top the lil red pucks rocks. But most of the time I am lazy. Just put the SC piece under a pile of splits and go. And clean the pipe twice a season.
With top down it didn't need it half way through.
Hogwildz
Minister of Fire
Hmm, maybe for the next test I need to suck it up this shoulder season and see if doing continued top down starts until I can burn 24/7 makes a difference in what I find in the pipe as well.
I've never found much since I put a liner in this masonry chimney, but haven't consistently done one starting method enough to see if there was a change in the pipe for me or not.
Never had much in the old chimney either, but it was't the light fluffy stuff I get now.
Ugh, it's tough breaking habits.
pen
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