Show us....Starting Techniques

[ArsenalDon]

I would love to see a pic....no explanation needed unless your technique is so complex that an explanation is needed. Just curious how people stack their stoves at cold start up in the interest of learning something new.
So share your studly stove stacking technique for a cold start (or near cold) with a pic.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Sorry Don, no pics but the explanation is very simple.

Two splits on the bottom, face up (bark down). I usually form a slight vee with these 2 splits. Now 1/4 of a super cedar goes in the vee and is lit immediately. If I have some kindling I will lay a few pieces on the super cedar making sure there are air gaps between the kindling. Otherwise, 2 splits go on top. With the 2 splits on to, I try to leave an air gap above the super cedar. This has never failed to light a fire really quick.

 

[ArsenalDon]

Tow splits

What are Tow splits? just kidding...Things are fine with my cold starts, just thought it might be cool and good info to get a picture gallery of different styles.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

What are Tow splits? just kidding...Things are fine with my cold starts, just thought it might be cool and good info to get a picture gallery of different styles.

That is lack of editing!

 

[lopiliberty]

Saw this thread this morning and luckily I remembered to take pictures. Started this fire 30 minutes ago

 

[webby3650]

I can take a picture this fall. That's the next time I'll need to re-start my fire.

 

[ArsenalDon]

I can take a picture this fall. That's the next time I'll need to re-start my fire.

I get it...but come on.... a low coal morning reload should do

 

[Woody Stover]

I can take a picture this fall. That's the next time I'll need to re-start my fire.

Getting pretty warm here, almost let the stove go out a couple of times already over the past few days...
Oh, that's right, you've got 'new stove fever.' No way you're lettin' the new baby go hungry!

 

[Gabby12]

You know this thread is actually helpful to me right now.
Only two weeks into owning and operating my first wood stove.
Have worked through a few kinks but feel going pretty good at this point.

One thing that is on my mind is "inside the house wood managment".

This stove is in a new addtion to our house that i am building but have a long way to go before completing.
So at this point having wood laying around the stove hearth is not a big deal but not something i want to see or have (to some extent) once the room is complete.
I understand that using a wood stove and that having wood laying around is part of the nature of the beast but I still want to devise a system that keeps the wood supply in good order and not sitting in 5 gallon buckets such as i have now.

I think I am going to make some sort of nice wooden box w/ lid to contain my inside supply of wood and was think of having a section inside of this box just for kinlan (I'll figure out how to spell this at some point) but reading through this thread got me thinking that maybe i don't need as much kinlin as I might think.
I am used to starting fires while camping using a lot of kinlin and going from there.
I did pick up some type of fire starting cube (I am guessing similar to the super cedar) that when using works well but i am still piling on a bunch of kinlin around this fire starting cube to get started.

The thought comes to mind that when usign these fire starting items that maybe I don't need the kinlin. Maybe i can just go more directly to my larger wood thus reducing the need to have so much kinlin laying around.

Just thought I would ask.

 

[webby3650]

Getting pretty warm here, almost let the stove go out a couple of times already over the past few days...
Oh, that's right, you've got 'new stove fever.' No way you're lettin' the new baby go hungry!

I always have new stove fever!

 

[ArsenalDon]

You know this thread is actually helpful to me right now.
Only two weeks into owning and operating my first wood stove.
Have worked through a few kinks but feel going pretty good at this point.

One thing that is on my mind is "inside the house wood managment".

This stove is in a new addtion to our house that i am building but have a long way to go before completing.
So at this point having wood laying around the stove hearth is not a big deal but not something i want to see or have (to some extent) once the room is complete.
I understand that using a wood stove and that having wood laying around is part of the nature of the beast but I still want to devise a system that keeps the wood supply in good order and not sitting in 5 gallon buckets such as i have now.

I think I am going to make some sort of nice wooden box w/ lid to contain my inside supply of wood and was think of having a section inside of this box just for kinlan (I'll figure out how to spell this at some point) but reading through this thread got me thinking that maybe i don't need as much kinlin as I might think.
I am used to starting fires while camping using a lot of kinlin and going from there.
I did pick up some type of fire starting cube (I am guessing similar to the super cedar) that when using works well but i am still piling on a bunch of kinlin around this fire starting cube to get started.

The thought comes to mind that when usign these fire starting items that maybe I don't need the kinlin. Maybe i can just go more directly to my larger wood thus reducing the need to have so much kinlin laying around.

Just thought I would ask.

Just be very careful of clearances. It appears that if you keep the wood off of your hearth you should be ok. We do not bring in wood to stack by the stove. All it takes is for the wood to be too close, have an accidental overfire and there goes the house.

 

[wood burning cop]

I did pick up some type of fire starting cube (I am guessing similar to the super cedar) that when using works well but i am still piling on a bunch of kinlin around this fire starting cube to get started.

those are probably fighting words to some of the people on here. they would not like you comparing those blocks to super cedars. i use alot of the scraps that are left over from splitting wood as my kindlin. have several totes of it and put in a couple of handfulls with the firestarters and some small splits to get a cold stove going. i also like to throw on a handfull of it in the morning when i am loading on just a small coal bed. helps it take off and start the larger pieces.

 

[rideau]

Burn kindling shoulder season and when I have small branches to get rid of. Otherwise don't bother. Not necessary with dry wood. Even on a cold start, a supercedar will ignite a split easily.

 

[HaTaX]

Here's how I just got done starting the stove from letting it die down to pretty much nothing. (Well, 6 hours ago) Temps were still in the 90s on the outside of it, and I wasn't looking to get a raging fire going quickly. Let it go for about 15 minutes with the doors open to view it and hear it as the family was in the room. After that, closed it up and it was up and roaring after 30-45 minutes later. Then I backed the air down to cruising range, ohh and before I lit it I moved the two top bricks closer together. In the middle are some starting pellets, fat sticks, and cardboard, normally doesn't take more then that unless the flue is quite cold.

I learned from here! Top down starting is easier, and it helps the secondaries kick off a bit sooner. And yes I know, that big huge split in the middle isn't ideal, but it was very dry and went up quickly. Normally that would be 2-5 small splits to get it going quicker. Didn't need much heat, it's in the 20s and 30s here currently.

 

[Jags]

I think I am going to make some sort of nice wooden box w/ lid to contain my inside supply of wood.

Build this with the intent of holding a tote inside. The tote should be about the same size as your firebox (or bigger). It is the best of both worlds. Use the tote to fetch your wood - keeps trash inside it - easy to clean. Drop it into your decorative box so it is out of site.

I simply use a tote to move the wood to the stove (my wood stays out in the cold till it is going to get burned). Load stove - throw tote back in garage for the next cycle.

 

[Gabby12]

Good idea with building to hold tote and I too might just go get a few splits when needed.
I actually have a nice spot (outside) next to steps going into addtion that I am thinking of keeping a few days supply there in close proximity to door.
Don't have a big yard so my wood pile/stock isn't all that far away as it is anyway.

 

[Motor7]

This is like asking "what is the best oil to use in my car/truck"....many opinions and here is mine: Criss-Cross....build a mini log cabin in the floor of the stove using soft wood small splits(cedar, pine, hemlock, etc) big enough to stick a crumpled up full sheet of newspaper inside it. After lighting the paper throw on some that crap that you swept up after hauling in the wood(dry bark, shavings etc). Give it plenty of air and then keep adding bigger splits as it grows. This has never failed to have a roaring fire in 5 min and it's the same way I taught my daughter to build campfires.

 

[ailanthus]

Build this with the intent of holding a tote inside. The tote should be about the same size as your firebox (or bigger). It is the best of both worlds. Use the tote to fetch your wood - keeps trash inside it - easy to clean. Drop it into your decorative box so it is out of site.

Love this suggestion. I built a wooden box with the intention of taking it in and out to fetch wood - I end up leaving the wooden box inside & using a (much lighter) cardboard box to bring wood in and fill it with. Been thinking about building something nicer, like a bench with a hinged top.

 

[Bret Chase]

This is like asking "what is the best oil to use in my car/truck"....many opinions and here is mine: Criss-Cross....build a mini log cabin in the floor of the stove using soft wood small splits(cedar, pine, hemlock, etc) big enough to stick a crumpled up full sheet of newspaper inside it. After lighting the paper throw on some that crap that you swept up after hauling in the wood(dry bark, shavings etc). Give it plenty of air and then keep adding bigger splits as it grows. This has never failed to have a roaring fire in 5 min and it's the same way I taught my daughter to build campfires.

that's pretty much what I do...

 

[Woody Stover]

I didn't load this morning, so there weren't many coals when I loaded tonight. Shoved them to the back and loaded for a clean-burning top-down start. Three Red Elm in the back with a White Ash on top. More Ash, then a couple of Black Cherry on top in front. Lit a couple little SC chunks and placed them in the vee. A few Red Pine kindling on the SCs. Aaaaaand they're off!

(broken image removed)

Cherry and Ash burning, bypass closed.

(broken image removed)