I'm just wondering how others start their fires. I use four different boxes of wood to help build our fires. I use a hand planer to shave off curls of wood, which are the first addition to the wood stove. Next, kindling that consists of dried branches or wood chopped to finger-size width or smaller. Once the fire is going with these two items, larger kindling is added and finally the largest pieces are added to the stove. My goal is always to start the fire with one match. I guess this comes from a magazine article I read a few years back, about a woman living up in northern British Columbia. It seems she was lost in the woods during a snow storm, about minus 20 C outside, and stumbled across an old trappers cabin. She found a bit of timber and a couple of matches in the cabin. She was able to get the fire going and survive the storm. I've always been impressed with getting the fire going with only 2 matches, knowing that the fire was a matter of life and death. In my rather comfortable life by comparison, how many times had I used more than one match to get the fire going? Well, now I've got it down to one match. I'm interested in other's techniques and stories.
How do you start your fires?
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Well, I`m lucky I guess, bought 5 cords of Western Red Cedar last spring. So I start my fires top down, sunnyside up, bottom up, don`t matter. just load up with lots of that stuff. and away we go. Oh, and maybe 2 or 3 small pieces of newspaper. That`s it-Instant Bonfire
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Ever try the top down method? Start will 2 small/medium splits, then kindling, and paper on top. Works well and little chance of it falling in on itself and smothering.
If I have some coals, I rake them into a pile and place 2 pieces north-south on either side. Paper goes in the middle on top of the coals and a couple pieces of kindling on top. Then, a few pieces east west across the first 2 pieces. If I have room, a couple more pieces on top of those north-south. Log cabin style I guess.
--Two loose paper knots on top of whatever charcoal remains on the stove bottom.
--Loose pyramid of four or five 1/2 to 1 inch diameter branches/twigs.
--One or two 2-3 inch dia branches/splits on top.
One light from one of those long tipped butane lighter thingys.
Let run with one of the two front doors cracked a few inches open until wood catches.
Then close up the front and run a bit longer until ready to add larger wood.
I used to think it took all kinds of really small twigs to get a fire going. Now I use less and less kindling. As long as it's good & dry, the larger stuff catches pretty easily.
--Loose pyramid of four or five 1/2 to 1 inch diameter branches/twigs.
--One or two 2-3 inch dia branches/splits on top.
One light from one of those long tipped butane lighter thingys.
Let run with one of the two front doors cracked a few inches open until wood catches.
Then close up the front and run a bit longer until ready to add larger wood.
I used to think it took all kinds of really small twigs to get a fire going. Now I use less and less kindling. As long as it's good & dry, the larger stuff catches pretty easily.
I put one medium size log on the side, ball up a couple pieces of newspaper next to it and throw some kindling on top. I open the draft all the way and leave the door open a crack until the kindling starts, then I start adding some small pieces and shut the door. One the small wood starts I load it up and turn the draft down to where I want it.
I ball up a whole bunch of newspaper, like 6 or 8 sheets, cuz its cheap, throw 8 or 10 splits of 2x4 on top, throw some small wood splits of any kind on top of that, then throw the biggest stuff I can get in on top of that, light it, let the side door open about an inch or so for a couple minutes, then close 'er up and kick back for a couple hours.
If I have a bed of coals I'll throw whatever in there, trying to keep some air pockets here and there, and she'll do just fine.
If I have a bed of coals I'll throw whatever in there, trying to keep some air pockets here and there, and she'll do just fine.
I tried the top down procedure this evening, but it didn't work so well. Next time I'll leave an opening North South from the front to the back of the stove to allow the air wash to feed the fire (I didn't do that this time). I also found the fire took longer to get going than when I used smaller kindling. I'll keep experimenting with the top down method, but in truth right now getting me outside making the kindling gets me off my butt and gives me a bit of exercise! Who knows how long I'll think like this though.
3 rolled up pieces of newspaper on top of left over charcoals if I have them, then a hand full of sticks/shavings/wood sweepings. 3 or 4 very small splits north and south. 2-3 small splits. Finally some balled up newspaper on each end. Light it and crack the door. In 5 minutes she's moving, close the door, air full open. In the hour I am 375-400 degrees. As the fire drops in the box I load in sm-med splits and go from there.
Open damper all the way.
I make 5 newspaper rolls made of one sheet of newspaper each.
I make a tic-tac-toe pattern.
Put down a bit of small pieces of kindling & build up to my larger pieces.
Light 3 of the newspaper rolls, leave door open a crack
5-10 min. looking pretty.
I do a slow damper down & air take adjustments.
Some times I do a top down to change things up, just reverse it pretty much.
I make 5 newspaper rolls made of one sheet of newspaper each.
I make a tic-tac-toe pattern.
Put down a bit of small pieces of kindling & build up to my larger pieces.
Light 3 of the newspaper rolls, leave door open a crack
5-10 min. looking pretty.
I do a slow damper down & air take adjustments.
Some times I do a top down to change things up, just reverse it pretty much.
Couple pieces of pallet wood. One very small chunk from a wax fire log (one $2 log lasts the entire season if not multiple seasons). Obviously you can light the wax log any way you want, but I use a cheap propane torch - by far, the best firestarting tool ever. No paper ever. Works great, never fails.
Four fist size pine splits North/South. Four of the same size East/West on top of them and three or four small ones on top of that. Place six knotted pieces of newspaper on top and light it. Come back fifteen minutes later and place three monster oak splits N/S on top of the blazing pine. At 400 degrees stove top temp back the primary air down to 75%. At 450 back it down to 50% and then at 500 to 550 down to 25%. Go out and look at the chimney, grin and go do something else.
tradergordo said:
I have had propane tanks leak, with and without the adapter head attached.
VERY DANGEROUS! :coolmad:
Any lighter could leak. Since propane is sold with a stinky additive, you will know if it's leaking. Heck your natural gas stove could also potentially leak. I would advise against storing all firestarting materials (including lighters/ flamable gasses) close to your stove.
Jim Walsh said:
A lighter is not the size of a propane tank, my propane source for cooking is outside and not sitting next to my wood stove and LPG is a heavy gas so it sinks and you may not be able to immediately recognize the smell before the explosion happens!
My natural gas cooking stove is INSIDE, should I replace with electric? Heh, well you have a point, I guess there is some small risk of a leak. You could always store your lighters/torches outside or in the garage until you need them.
Jim Walsh said:
i take a starter log break it into a million pieces take a couple of those with 1 biobrick with 2-3 splits and poof 10 minutes inferno
Rutland fire starter squares, 10 bucks at wally world. top down, make a channel through the ash front to back, a couple splits across that, then a couple more small ones on those with a little log cabin with the fire starter square in the middle, alakazzam, adjust air and reload in a hour or two.
Super Cedar firestarters work perfect for me. I haven't used a single piece of newspaper since I got them.
Jake said:
Fatwood is best for me too. No chemicals ... nothing but a couple of sticks of dry wood. Lights right up -
http://www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/default.asp?lang=En&n=8011CD70-1
I saw this before but couldn't recall where, it was just posted on another thread. It shows the top down burn and is a good video to watch.
I saw this before but couldn't recall where, it was just posted on another thread. It shows the top down burn and is a good video to watch.
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