How to start an EKO from a cold start

[sled_mack]

Just what the title says. I only start about 3 or 4 fires a year where there is no bed of coals to just add more wood onto. Each time is a smokey mess and the first burn doesn't do much more than create a bed of coals for the second burn.

I'm open for any and all suggestions.

 

[Bob Rohr]

My method is, a ball of newspaper, some kindling from wood scraps, and larger fuel. I sometimes leave the door open a bit, blower off, until I hear the crackle. You need a pretty good start before you turn the fan on and pull the lever.

In a hurry I'll sometimes cheat... a squirt of motor oil drained from my diesel truck. Keep some in a 1 gallon container, when you do an oil change. A small hole drilled in the cap. A little sprinkle over the pile, and one match.

A little dab will do ya.

Nothing worse then coming home to find the "pile' never took off.

hr

 

[Nofossil]

I have it down to a science, since I build a fire nearly every day. 6 minutes match to gasification, 100% success rate.

Described in this thread.

 

[Eric Johnson]

Paper, pine cones, kindling and the driest wood I can find to start the fire. I leave the ash door and bypass damper open until a good fire starts (never untended at this stage), then put it into gasification mode. Sometimes I have to go back out after about 30 minutes to stir things up and toss another couple of chunks into the firebox. If the wood is dry, that's all it ever takes. If your wood is damp, a little more screwing around is usually on the menu. Once it gets going good, it will pretty much burn clean no matter what you put in there.

 

[tuolumne]

One thing with the crumpled newspaper...a "Nantucket Knot" will work better than just crumpling or twisting. Twist up a length of newspaper, then tie it into a granny knot. A couple of those seem to light a fire better than other approaches. We also use half an egg crate to get a fire going in a cold stove. None of this is needed often since our wood stove goes 24/7!

 

[barnartist]

I really dont like having to start new, mainly because of the smoke and the babysitting. I was in a hurry one day, and put too much chain saw fuel on the kindling. I use a propagne torch thats used for sweating copper pipe, it has a single action trigger. Well, the burst of flame almost blew my hat off, but I did not get burned at all. Till I later looked in the mirror and my goatee hairs were all singed. Had to bust out the clean chin look. Lesson learned. Old oil and sawdust (dryed) is a great mix, but its a bit smokey for a while.
How much coals is enough to throw the wood on and walk away? Is it better to even out the bed, or pile them up on top of the nozzles? I take the poker tool and carefully create a hole to the nozzle opening.