My First top down fire and I am hooked

[Hurricane]

I started my first top down fire this morning and it worked better than great if that is possible. I have been burning for ever and never tried top down. This time of year can be tough because it is cool then warm out and the draft does not always start correctly. I started a fire a few days ago and got lots of smoke in the house. Today I tried top down and it worked great draft started immediately and no smoke. I called my dad to tell him about it and he tole me he switched to top down about 5 years ago. I always just used a few smaller splits and a fire starter to get fires going, now kindling is in my future.

I am smarter today than yesterday

 

[BrotherBart]

Great ain't it? And your chimney loves you for it. Trust me on that.

 

[Pagey]

I'm a fan, too. In fact, I just built a small top down with 3 small pine splits on the bottom and a pile of pile splits and oak bark on top of them. Put a tiny piece of a fire starter on top of the bark and a small ball of newspaper on top to start the draft. We're off to the races!

 

[EKLawton]

I just started top down 2 weeks ago. I think its the best idea since sliced bread....
no smoke got to love it :bug:

 

[LLigetfa]

I think its the best idea since sliced bread....

As does Vanessa.

 

[greythorn3]

ive been using this method to since i installed my stove. and i love it! thanks for the great knowledge guys!

 

[grommal]

I started my first top down fire this morning and it worked better than great if that is possible. I have been burning for ever and never tried top down. This time of year can be tough because it is cool then warm out and the draft does not always start correctly. I started a fire a few days ago and got lots of smoke in the house. Today I tried top down and it worked great draft started immediately and no smoke. I called my dad to tell him about it and he tole me he switched to top down about 5 years ago. I always just used a few smaller splits and a fire starter to get fires going, now kindling is in my future.

I am smarter today than yesterday

Welcome to the fold!

 

[hockeypuck]

Okay,

you got me real interested. I read the link but no pictures. Do you have any other good links to figure this out. I think I have it, but want to make sure. I am going to build one tonight.

 

[BrotherBart]

Okay,

you got me real interested. I read the link but no pictures. Do you have any other good links to figure this out. I think I have it, but want to make sure. I am going to build one tonight.

Click on the word "Video" just below the first paragraph on the linked page.

 

[hockeypuck]

thanks, its early and still on my first cup of coffee.

 

[LLigetfa]

Okay,

you got me real interested. I read the link but no pictures...

Click on the word "Video" just below the first paragraph on the linked page.

Ja, I linked to the text version in case you're on dial-up. :roll:

One of these days I might just try a top down but so far I figured it's just a yuppie fad like the holtz whachamacallit.

Does a top down use more kin'lin or less? Does it take longer to get to a full hot fire?

I criss-cross my kin-lin and prop it up on the firebrick surrounding the doghouse so it gets good air for a really fast start. By the time it burns through and collapses, the criss-crossed wood above it is in full flame.

 

[hockeypuck]

Well worth the 12 minutes. I thought I was an pretty experienced wood burner. That video teaches you how to use finesse to a great fire instead of brute horsepower. Thanks for the thread Hurricane.

 

[hockeypuck]

Tried it, worked pissa. I am picking up the phone to call my father right now. Maybe the son can teach the ole buck a thing or two.

 

[04RevX]

I can't wait to try that top down method. Great video.

 

[olskool53]

First top down tonight...............worked great!

 

[THEMAN]

Vanessa in the video describing how to start a fire with the logs on the bottom paper in the middle and kindling on top, "That method works fine when the logs are placed north-south, like this, but if your firebox is east-west, it is not so good." So does this mean that if you do load your firebox north-south that a top down fire is not the best method, and you should load it with the parallel logs on the bottom instead? Or is top down the "best" method hands down regardless of how you load the firebox?

 

[hockeypuck]

I have a hi300 front load insert. I placed my first logs (largest) going across the fire box. Placed the second tier (quarter and eight splits) on the second layer and then the small stuff (remnants from splitting, and kd scraps) on top, with a icing of newspaper (tied in a knot).

 

[wendell]

I load E-W and it works great for me.

 

[av8roc]

Been having trouble with a fresh chord of split Black Locust in my fireplace. While I don't have an insert yet I tried out a top down fire tonight and I was amazed! Worked absolutely brilliant! Thanks guys!

 

[LLigetfa]

I load E-W and it works great for me.

I buck my wood to 20" so it won't fit N/S so I lay up my starter on the diagonal (NE/SW), alternate layers NW/SE) so they are cribbed to allow lots of air flow. Once the coal base is set, they all go E/W.

 

[Hurricane]

I did not use the tied newspaper I used 1/2 supercedar. I got the two free samples and it worked great.
Anyone else use firestarters for top down ?

 

[Patrick H]

Wow! Whodathunkit? Just tried it, and it works well!

 

[GeneralBill]

Glad to see this topic. Since installing my Summit I've struggled starting the first two fires. The firebox is a lot smaller than the old Earth 100, plus there is much less air.

I just started top-down on the Earth last year, then forgot about it with the Summit. Hopefully it wil help. The Summit seemed to take a while getting up to temp.

- Bill

 

[Green Energy]

Never knew about top-down fires until I started reading here and watch the Vanessa video. I use only one page of newspaper and a couple handfuls of wood shavings with kindling on top and splits on the bottom - 500 F with secondaries rolling in 30 minutes - amazing! I am hooked.

 

[Skier76]

I do a modified version of this. I put two small/medium pine splits down facing east/west. Beweent those, two pine cones, on top of that, two peices of cardboard, then my tinder/kindling which is bascially broken branches. I usually use birch bark to light things off. I've had difficulty with a true top down in my stove, but I'm still experimenting. The cardboard has allowed me to nix the newspaper which has made life much easier.