I went to bed at 4am this morning and was up to a nice bed of red-hots at 7:45. No mystery there... ;-)
Boy, am I sleepy.
Rob
Boy, am I sleepy.
Rob
I found the secret to the "overnight burn"
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I was in bed by midnight and when I got up at 6 the bloody stove was half full with coals! The two big splits I put in the back just turned red and the latch side of the door where the gasket leaks got sooted up. Guess I didn't get it charred well enough before I turned the air down. So much for me saying I can turn the stove all the way down and still keep the glass clean.
It was 76 degrees at bedtime so the wife had the upstairs window wide open to cool off the bedroom and in so doing created enough of a negative pressure situation at the stove to affect the force of zipper air on charring. That and I didn't stuff it quite so full with smaller pieces since it was too hot in the house. Sometimes it seems the less wood I put in the stove, the more coals I have in the morning. I've run out adjustment on the door so I really have to replace that gasket.
It was 76 degrees at bedtime so the wife had the upstairs window wide open to cool off the bedroom and in so doing created enough of a negative pressure situation at the stove to affect the force of zipper air on charring. That and I didn't stuff it quite so full with smaller pieces since it was too hot in the house. Sometimes it seems the less wood I put in the stove, the more coals I have in the morning. I've run out adjustment on the door so I really have to replace that gasket.
Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire said:
Not bad for a stove made in China. I bet you could get a full 4 hour burn with a better stacking arrangement
hehehehe
Eye loaded my Woodchuck at 9:45 last nite. Came in from the shop and reloaded at 8:30 this morning . House was at 72 when eye reloaded. Eye got this mutha dialed in.
You wood sheet if eye told you how long a burn eye get with wood/coal mix.
Ok guys eye said the dirty word "COAL" ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, flame on
!!
Eye loaded my Woodchuck at 9:45 last nite. Came in from the shop and reloaded at 8:30 this morning . House was at 72 when eye reloaded. Eye got this mutha dialed in.
You wood sheet if eye told you how long a burn eye get with wood/coal mix.
Ok guys eye said the dirty word "COAL" ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, flame on
!!exactLEE said:hehehehe
Eye loaded my Woodchuck at 9:45 last nite. Came in from the shop and reloaded at 8:30 this morning . House was at 72 when eye reloaded. Eye got this mutha dialed in.
You wood sheet if eye told you how long a burn eye get with wood/coal mix.
Ok guys eye said the dirty word "COAL" ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, flame on
I personally use a mix of about 15% coal or charcoal, 70% potassium nitrate, and 10% sulfur.
You DO realize I'm kidding, right?
Stephen in SoKY said:I learned the secret as well:
![[Hearth.com] I found the secret to the "overnight burn"](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/coal002-webp.211375/ "[Hearth.com] I found the secret to the \"overnight burn\"")
My biggest chunks ( little bigger than softball) are about half the size of the small ones in that pic and all the way down to dust. Man do I love "mixing". I usually mix 10-15lbs to a load of beech and can easily get 16 hour burn times at 0-20 degrees outside temp. I've actually gone 24 hours with outside temps at 20-35 degrees.
Clarion vein, and mine run. Was told it was some of the dirtiest Bituminous coal but I have yet to see how. Usually smokes 10-20 minutes after catching and no visible smoke after catching. You can smell it but it's not offensive like some I have smelled.
How long are your burns mixing? How is Kentucky Bituminous?
Franks - I actually bought this stove the year before I found this website. I still think it was a decent purchase - It is a miser on wood and keeps my family warm and is installed properly. Maybe when I can save up a couple grand I'll ask your opinion on what stove I should buy and if I have a pocket full of cash perhaps you won't have such a condescending attitude.Franks said:
Yes, it's local Kentucky Bituminous, I get it in Owensboro. Like yours, it smokes on loading, but once the volatiles are burned off, about 30 minutes, there's virtually no smoke out the chimney. I obviously break those down into football or smaller pieces. Last load of the night I load around 25 lbs of the bigger chunks on a low bed of coals, cover that with 2 yr split hickory/oak, make certain all is well caught/charred & head to bed. Next morning I awaken to the same house temps, or maybe 2 degrees less, than when I retired the night before. I then stir the coal around with my ash hoe and she'll keep heating another 2-4 hours depending on outdoor temps. I then move back to wood for the day & evening. If it's below 30 during the day I'll put 2-3 shovels of fines on top of each wood load & soak up the heat!
Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire said:
It's still not bad for a stove made in China. I wasnt talking down to you, it was a comment made in semi jest as the whole thread was started in jest anyhow. I sell stoves from $900 on up. I treat the customer the same way, always with respect regardless of what they are looking to spend. Sorry to upset you with my little jab, it wasnt my intent.
Sorry, I honestly had no idea that the stove was an "import" and that's due to my lack of research when I bought it. I think I'll def. be more informed when I am in the market for something bigger but that won't be for a couple years. No offense taken - I'm actually a little embarassed that I assumed that it was made in the U.S.A. and yes, I get the jest.Franks said:
Rob
My secret?
Three beers and a 57 year old bladder.
Of course, now with my VC Vigilant I get nice 8 hour burns on a full load of hickory, so I just go check it, maybe adjust the thermostat, kiss it good night but don't add wood. Plenty of glowing coals come 6 AM and stove temp still around 250-300ºF most mornings.
Why are these old stoves so maligned by folks here? Smoke dragon? I get good hot, clean burns with a mix of seasoned and not so seasoned wood, and the EPA doesn't give a hoot about the emissions I make out here in the country. I rarely see a trace of smoke, just heat waves coming out the top of the stack.
Now if I start tossing in a shovel or two of my smithing coal every night.... %-P
Three beers and a 57 year old bladder.
Of course, now with my VC Vigilant I get nice 8 hour burns on a full load of hickory, so I just go check it, maybe adjust the thermostat, kiss it good night but don't add wood. Plenty of glowing coals come 6 AM and stove temp still around 250-300ºF most mornings.
Why are these old stoves so maligned by folks here? Smoke dragon? I get good hot, clean burns with a mix of seasoned and not so seasoned wood, and the EPA doesn't give a hoot about the emissions I make out here in the country. I rarely see a trace of smoke, just heat waves coming out the top of the stack.
Now if I start tossing in a shovel or two of my smithing coal every night.... %-P
Hi Battenkiller, what made you turn that Scandia 118 copy into a lawn ornament? I nearly had to pry that same Scandia model out of my father-in-law's fingers when I made him upgrade to a new stove.
DBoon said:
I eventually burned a hole right through the top baffle/smoke shelf. I burned it all last season with some heavy steel plate covering up the hole. The side baffles were toast again and the entire thing really needed rebuilding again. Plus, the old knees no longer like getting down there to inspect and fill it several times a day. Well... the getting up part is the problem. I really like the new top loader.
Next year I just may sell the VC or give it to a buddy with a hunting camp. Depends on if that 50% tax credit goes through. That Jotul F 500 Oslo at the local dealer looks like a sweet stove, and it sure is well liked on this board.
Come pick up the Scandia if you live anywhere in upstate NY. It would still be a good day burner to take the chill off an outside workshop (wouldn't trust it left alone with a full box in it's present condition).
Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire said:
At the rate this country is going, one day "Made in China" will be a badge of honor.
Remember, we used to make fun of Japanese cars.
OK coal people, you have officially hijacked this thread. But since it's been done - where would I find out how to get coal in my area?
exactLEE said:hehehehe
Eye loaded my Woodchuck at 9:45 last nite. Came in from the shop and reloaded at 8:30 this morning . House was at 72 when eye reloaded. Eye got this mutha dialed in.
You wood sheet if eye told you how long a burn eye get with wood/coal mix.
Ok guys eye said the dirty word "COAL" ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, flame on
I was afraid that was going to happen to my father-in-law's stove. Every year, he was covering it with more and more stove cement, and only after I told him how smoky his house smelled. His is now "donated" to his next door neighbor who uses it to heat his barn workshop, so it is being put to a reasonably safe use.
Thanks for the offer of your lawn ornament, but my fil is getting quite used to the new stove, and he is just about "over it" so I dare not mention this offer to him.
Now that is FUNNY! I've been getting up at least once (usually on my own) to throw on some more wood. I've been off for a couple of weeks and we I go back to teaching it is going to be tough to keep the stove going all day with temperatures not making it out of the single digits.
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