How dead is this horse?

[Stevenmverrill]

although I will admit to not even using the Serch function... let's presumably have yet another thread on fire starting. or just use this place to rant about dead horses. ether way should be fun.

so:
Let's see/hear how you get started. for me: I go with the, 'boy scout log cabin' and save low gloss 'junk mail' news paper feeling stuff. crumple 2-3 peices inside the cabin, then use the 3rd (or 4th) ball (with a corner hanging out) to light then drop it on top.

now for what I'm most curious about?
Where do you draw the line between blowing dead coal back to life like a hooker, and starting from scratch like a darn boy scout?

I sometimes regret saving yesterday's fire 1/2 way in, and on the other hand as I'm choping kindling say to my self: 'you could have blown those coals back to life by now'...

any one drawn a good line on that?

 

[VirginiaIron]

I just rake all the charcoal into a pile and then I crumple up some newspaper, put it on top of the coals and light it. Like magic, The charcoal comes back to life. Now I have the option, prior to bringing all this back to life, of cleaning out the ashes. It all depends on how full my firebox is. I usually do not have to blow.

 

[VirginiaIron]

I just rake all the charcoal into a pile and then I crumple up some newspaper, put it on top of the coals and light it. Like magic, The charcoal comes back to life. Now I have the option, prior to bringing all this back to life, of cleaning out the ashes. It all depends on how full my firebox is. I usually do not have to blow.

Partially closing the door usually helps all the coals/charcoal become Red hot

 

[SlyFerret]

Cold start:
Put in my splits, tuck a quarter of a super cedar fire starter in the middle down low and light it. Leave the door cracked for a bit as it gets going. Close the door, then latch the door good. Back the air off slow. Within about 30-40 minutes, it's cruising along.

Hot reload:
Pull coals towards the front and leave a line going down the middle toward the back like a "T". Put in the splits. If it needs a little help, blow on it a bit. Leave the door cracked. Then closed, then latched. Back the air off slow. Cruising in about 30 minutes.

 

[Squisher]

I don't know about others stoves but on my summit on a reload cracking the door for any longer then needed to load the wood just robs heat. I can watch my flue temps go down on the auberin readout if the door is left cracked open. I load and close, max air or less if it's a hot re-load.

Top down is the only way to cold start. Again one of the big benefits is keeping the door closed after the initial draft establishment.

 

[Woody Stover]

Top-down start is the way to go for the cleanest burn possible.
End of thread, horse now dead.

 

[theora55]

although I will admit to not even using the Search function... let's presumably have yet another thread on fire starting. or just use this place to rant about dead horses. ether way should be fun.

so:
Let's see/hear how you get started. for me: I go with the, 'boy scout log cabin' and save low gloss 'junk mail' news paper feeling stuff. crumple 2-3 peices inside the cabin, then use the 3rd (or 4th) ball (with a corner hanging out) to light then drop it on top.

now for what I'm most curious about?
Where do you draw the line between blowing dead coal back to life like a hooker, and starting from scratch like a darn boy scout?

I sometimes regret saving yesterday's fire 1/2 way in, and on the other hand as I'm choping kindling say to my self: 'you could have blown those coals back to life by now'...

any one drawn a good line on that?

Great question. Have to admit, as a former Girl Scout, I sometimes rebuild a fire from the tiniest ember, using chaff from the bottom of the woodbin and carefully adding small bits of kindling. ou know, just to show I can. I pick up commuunity newspapers that are outdated, so I have a big stack in the shed if I need them. Lately, I'm more likely to be happy that the stove is warm and will draw well and just start a new fire.

For times when I need an assist, I have a container full of sawdust and grated candlewax. Or greasy paper towels from the kitchen.

 

[BIGChrisNH]

I go back and forth. If kindling is handy, I build a Boy Scout cabin, If not, I blow on those coals to get things going. It's nice to switch it up if you're burning from late October through April anyhow, haha.