(updated) This should be required viewing.........

[MCPO]

.............for all those who burn wood.
http://www.hearthtools.com/

Scroll down a bit and click on " video" for a top down fire starting trick.
Lots of good tips in this video even for the experienced burners.

 

[begreen]

That's John Gulland demoing the stove. ( http://www.gulland.ca/ )
The Canadian video is posted on the Canadian clean air site.
http://www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/default.asp?lang=En&n=8011CD70-1

 

[MCPO]

Starting a good fire from scratch is not new to me since I been doing it just fine for many years but this morning I found a better way with that top down method as so clearly demonstrated in the video.
2 big pieces with about 6 " space in the middle filled with a couple larger splits and a few smaller ones above those and then some kindling and topped off with newspaper rolled up in knots as shown in the video.
It worked like a charm and did not require the usual babysitting or wasting time subsequently having to build up a good fire.
It`s all pre built.
Basically it takes just a few extra minutes only to roll and tie the paper knots but the time and effort gained in the end makes the paper prepping a moot point. You simply light the paper , close the door and take your shower. When your`e done add your logs.

 

[begreen]

Sounds like a communications problem. Perhaps they don't speak pookese? %-P

 

[MCPO]

ideal burn with epa stove involves gassifying the woodpile to the point where primary air can be shut off & secondaries flame. if all secondaries are flaming, it could be that not enough combustion air is accessible to offgassing load=CO or creosote in exhaust= inefficiency. STOCHIOMETRY? i appreciate GULLland but from interacting with woodheat.org think that it is no more than a CHURCH= built around dogma & limitedly defensive insofar as possible flaws within their dictums.=POPE GULLANDI

All this above from someone who burns coal in his pellet stove?

Look, All I`m saying is it`s worth a try. It cost nothing and it might not be new to everyone but it should help some people .
I`m always amazed to learn something new since I`ve been around so long I think I`ve seen and heard about most everything .

 

[MCPO]

Sounds like a communications problem. Perhaps they don't speak pookese? %-P

recent disagreement didnt start from me but i picked up on it when the fluid dynamics prof didnt follow thru perhaps figuring the inanity of the pursuit= church. eventually the discourse disappeared & the dogma prevailed not from me because theres nothing more my head appreciates than scientific enlightenment=i love it when i'm wrong cause thats when i learn. all in all its a good video though overladened with egodramatix & could be better summarized by:
1-packjam the epa stove
2-build fire in front with primary open
3-close down primary so that secondaries fire as load is offgassing & secondary air is effecting an efficient burn.
4-pay attention to stove & possible variables = living/loving shes just a woman///didisaythatright?

Hey Pook, Do you normally jam pack a stove from a cold start?

 

[n3pro]

I would like to see more videos like this of different methods. Tradergordo has some, I'm a eighties child skip the words and give me video. I frequently do searches on youtube and metacafe for this stuff. I'm sure with the amount of members plus the expertise we could create a good library of educational films, put it on a DVD and have Billy Mays sell them on an informercial. But wait there's more call within the next 10 minutes and we'll throw in a free one year subscription to hearth.com.

Ok, bed time.

 

[Wet1]

I've been a fan of the top down fire for a long time. My time is limited in the AM, so I find not having to babysit a fire very helpful. FWIW, I don't use newspaper for the fire starter. Every so often I come across some big wood I don't want to move by hand, so I just rip them down with the saw. I keep a bin of these 'noodles' from the chainsaw and they work excellent for starting a fire.

 

[gpcollen1]

I would like to see more videos like this of different methods. Tradergordo has some, I'm a eighties child skip the words and give me video. I frequently do searches on youtube and metacafe for this stuff. I'm sure with the amount of members plus the expertise we could create a good library of educational films, put it on a DVD and have Billy Mays sell them on an informercial. But wait there's more call within the next 10 minutes and we'll throw in a free one year subscription to hearth.com.

Really, more videos?? I must say that the way many of us learned anything was trying it one way and another and fine tuning that method. Like when you have to figure out how to get the campfire going in the middle of a down pour. I would not suggest watching more videos but take some of the methods and try them and go from there. Different stoves will respond a bit differently to starting up - door cracked, door open, top down, super cedar, rolled up paper, tie it in knots, use cardboard...

As Bo says, Just Do It! No need to analyze fire making videos. With a bit of a search you can find all the info you need right here...

 

[BrotherBart]

"Vanessa Does Top Down " is my favorite movie. :coolgrin:

 

[karri0n]

I agree with Pook(WTF!) in that Gulland's articles and woodheat.org do seem to have a weird "dogmatic" feel to a lot of the articles and advice. That's not to say that the top down thing, and a very large portion of his articles and ideas are good, just that a lot of it is really rigid, and sometimes the best thing for one person/setup is not the best for another. This applies to most things, and not just wood heat.

 

[BrotherBart]

I agree with Pook(WTF!) in that Gulland's articles and woodheat.org do seem to have a weird "dogmatic" feel to a lot of the articles and advice. That's not to say that the top down thing, and a very large portion of his articles and ideas are good, just that a lot of it is really rigid, and sometimes the best thing for one person/setup is not the best for another. This applies to most things, and not just wood heat.

But in the video they say there are many ways to start a fire, several ways to load the stove etc. And then they show one way of doing it that works. Nothing rigid about that. And for new wood burners it is a good starting place to use as a basis for discovering different ways to get where they wanna go.

 

[karri0n]

I agree with Pook(WTF!) in that Gulland's articles and woodheat.org do seem to have a weird "dogmatic" feel to a lot of the articles and advice. That's not to say that the top down thing, and a very large portion of his articles and ideas are good, just that a lot of it is really rigid, and sometimes the best thing for one person/setup is not the best for another. This applies to most things, and not just wood heat.

But in the video they say there are many ways to start a fire, several ways to load the stove etc. And then they show one way of doing it that works. Nothing rigid about that. And for new wood burners it is a good starting place to use as a basis for discovering different ways to get where they wanna go.

I was referring more to some other articles that are on there, but I see your point. They are generally unrelated to this video.

 

[karri0n]

Because pook, don't you know magic heat causes a chimney fire and house fire 100% of the time? Flue gas cooling=creosote + slower draft x CHIMNEY FIRE

 

[BrotherBart]

& i still cant figure why a properly callibrated MAGIC HEAT wont work against the FLA. BUNGALOW SYNDROME SO TO CONTROL THE FIRE LIKE IT DOES ON MY SAWDUST BURNER

Buy a wood stove. Install it with the Magic Heat. Get back to us someday with the results. Be sure to keep a wet newspaper in a plastic bag handy.