Tree Bark

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Most of my wood has the bark intact. I burn Fir mostly. I have not had any trouble burning the bark when attached to the wood. If I put allot of loose bark in the boiler it does not support gassification. I end up pulling it out of the firebox. Has anyone else had this same experience
 
I use white ash bark to start my fires and usually achieve gassifacation in 5 min from the time I light the fire. Never
tried just bark.
 
I always found fir bark, especially the thick chunks, to burn like coal....hot & fierce, in my wood stove. I am not sure what it would do in the gaser now that I no longer live in Fir country...... I imagine that once you had a thick, red bed of coals you could chuck the fir bark on then, or mix the fir bark along with super dry wood as you build your load...... I sure do miss fir. All that pitchy goodness burns hot, unlike pine, ash & 1 year old hardwoods......
 
I use bark probably 75% of the time to START the fire -- peel it off the night before, and nice and crispy in the morning. But I can't imagine trying to fill the firebox with the stuff!
 
Is it really necessary to pull it back out? Won't it just burn up anyway? Should burn up fairly quick and get itself out of the way I would think.
 
ValentineHill said:
I use bark probably 75% of the time to START the fire -- peel it off the night before, and nice and crispy in the morning. But I can't imagine trying to fill the firebox with the stuff!

I use bark to start the fire as well. Every few days when I sweep up the boiler room floor I throw it in a cardboard box.
When I'm ready to start the fire I throw in the box with a load of wood on top. Light the box close the door and walk away.

Though I'd imagine a boiler full of damp bark might take awhile to gassify.
 
BulldogAcres said:
Most of my wood has the bark intact. I burn Fir mostly. I have not had any trouble burning the bark when attached to the wood. If I put allot of loose bark in the boiler it does not support gassification. I end up pulling it out of the firebox. Has anyone else had this same experience

The picture is of some Douglas Fir rounds. I can only add one split with bark to a full burn chamber. Load any more and the high resin content in the bark generates more smoke than can be burnt, resulting in some pretty wild puffing.

I make the other wood cutters in the area happy, as I leave the bark behind.

Colville is a pretty place .When I was 10, our family lived at Christine Lake for 2 years and on trips to Spokane would pass through your town.
 

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BDog,

If your pulling the bark out unburned. It shounds to me that it is packed too tightly, not allowing enough air to circulate. It should gassify with more air and plenty of coals. I bagged up the bark and leftovers after splitting. I put some (not alot at a time) on top of the wood in the stove and haven't had any problems. Hope this helps.
 
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