Starting a Stove Fire

[Industrial Toys]

Thanks. Actually, my weekend companion usually looks after that. She wasn't here this weekend, so maybe that prompted the thread. I was fire-less much of the weekend. Talk about LAZY!

I used to use that gell in the downstairs stove, mostly because if you didn't get it right the first time, you could be smoked out.
But it's pricey.

My Dad told me about waxed cartons, that helps, and I do burn them all, but still too slow for starting.!

I know there used to be a gizmo that rolled up newspapers and would be curious if anybody has ever used that. Can't see it working myself.

I have a stove and fireplace in the house, and three more stoves in other buildings, so I would still like to find a faster, walk away, type method.

 

[Deere Dude]

I tried lots of different ways, store bought and home made things like cotton in egg cartons with wax, etc. I tried using shredded paper handfuls under small kindling building up to bigger pieces. They all seem to work to some degree and some were mentioned in this thread. They never worked as fast as I wanted them to.

I finally settled on diesel soaked lumber chips like 2x4 scrap pieces and small plywood pieces. I do some wood working so it is always available. With 2 or 3 foot pieces I either throw big pieces in the fireplace or small pieces for starter. Started pieces work for me.

The pieces are drained good and diesel only covers the outside of the pieces but is enough to get any manufactured wood going nicely as per post #15.

Don't use anything with a low flash point like gas or anything as messy as oil. Diesel or kerosene works great for quick reliable sure fire startling. I have been using this every morning every winter since about 2000.

Diesel is not flammable enough to worry about it jumping out and getting you like gas would be.

 

[dodge man]

The newspaper roller was meant to get something that looked like a log, you'd burn that instead of wood. Not really meant to be a fire starter.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I really don't want the smell of diesel in the house, but might try kerosene. Curious, if particle board would swell and soak up kerosene like it does water. Because, normally it doesn't burn well.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I really don't want the smell of diesel in the house, but might try kerosene. Curious, if particle board would swell and soak up kerosene like it does water. Because, normally it doesn't burn well.

Kerosene stinks worse than modern low-sulfur diesel. Paraffin lamp oil may be an alternative.

I just use kindling and leave the door open until the fire is well caught. For restarting from embers, go to your local farm store and buy a small bellows. 30 seconds of whoofing will start a fire fine if there is any life in the coals.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

If you need all that fancy stuff your wood is wet.

 

[PILOON]

Another thing to consider.
There is a bunch of cold air in that chimney and B4 it will draw you need to fill it with hot air and push out that cold.
One simple trick is a 100 watt bulb for a short while to start that draw or flow.
Sure a fire will eventually work but with a certain amount of smoke in the house.
Sometimes a wad or 2 of fast burning paper will do the trick but still with some smoke but the light bulb or maybe the butane torch will speed things up.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I burn a lot of standing dead elm and just garbage from wind fall. Even though kept out of the weather for a couple of years, it is hard starting.

I keep old bacon grease in the fridge that I use to help get a fire going. Smells good outside.

 

[MossRoad]

I bought a metal cat litter scoop to sift out the coals from a nearly dead fire to help getting it restarted. It doesn't work as well as I'd hoped. The easiest solution is keep the fire going.

I found that cat litter scoops are too open. So, I got a cheap metal ash scoop and drilled a bunch of 1/8" holes in it to use as a sifter. It catches all the charcoal and hot coals that are left. I just push everything to the left side, take a scoop, hold it over the cleared right side and shake it. The ash falls through and the coals/charcoal remain. I toss those in the back right corner and repeat. Once all the ash is sifted, I scoop it into the metal ash can (we have an ash drawer under the stove), and move the coals/charcoal back to the front of the stove. Set in the new wood, a couple pieces of paper go in last, shut the door, open the air, and about a minute later... POOF!

 

[MossRoad]

Thanks. Actually, my weekend companion usually looks after that. She wasn't here this weekend, so maybe that prompted the thread. I was fire-less much of the weekend. Talk about LAZY!

I used to use that gell in the downstairs stove, mostly because if you didn't get it right the first time, you could be smoked out.
But it's pricey.

My Dad told me about waxed cartons, that helps, and I do burn them all, but still too slow for starting.!

I know there used to be a gizmo that rolled up newspapers and would be curious if anybody has ever used that. Can't see it working myself.

I have a stove and fireplace in the house, and three more stoves in other buildings, so I would still like to find a faster, walk away, type method.

As others have mentioned, this is what I do to start a fresh fire in our woodstove, as well....

Take two dry pieces of split wood and set them 2" apart down the center of the stove with the split edges facing the center. Not the bark side.

Then take a couple more and set them against the outer edges of the first two, towards the outer walls. What you're aiming for is a bed of wood across the bottom of the stove with a 2" gap running down the middle.

Next, build a second layer, also with a 2" gap down the middle.

Then open up some newspaper, then crumble it lightly and put it in the gap all the way towards the back of the stove. Stick in about 3-4 more pieces the same way until the gap is full. You don't want to pack it. But you don't want to get it too loose, either. If you want, you can put some kindling on top of the paper, but I haven't used kindling in about 4 years. I still have a barrel full of it in the woodshed. I just don't need it. If the wood is dry, and the gap isn't too large or too small, the wood lights directly off of the paper.

Make sure all your air controls are open, light the paper at the bottom in front, throw the match in, close the door and off you go.

My fires light up well this way. I set the alarm on my iPhone and come back in about 20-25 minutes and check it. If its burning well, I shut down the air control to the level I want. If not, I let it burn another 15 minutes and check on it again. :thumbsup: