Starting a Stove Fire

[r porter]

a hair dryer will speed things up. too. just use the fan to get a flame.

 

[Egon]

If your paper is on the bottom your doing it wrong. Use a top down approach for starting your fires. If you have dry wood there is no reason to need any type of fire starters. Base layer of larger splits across the bottom with 2" gaps between. Second layer of medium splits perpendicular to the base layer. 3rd layer of small splits perpendicular to the 2nd layer. Kindling & newspaper on top. The kindling will start quickly and heat the flue creating your draft. Small splits will burn easily from kindling and the coals and fire will quickly work their way down each layer. No more continually stuffing paper into the bottom of your stack. Just light and done.

You mean I was imagining all those bottom start fires? Lots of different ways to start a fire and lots of different quality of firewood.

In retrospect it could be said that any way a fire gets started would be the right way.

 

[Egon]

I season my wood at least two years but still use birch bark for fire starter. Before bucking it up I run the chain saw the full length of the tree to score the bark. A few months later the bark has mostly peeled itself off and I put it in large bags or pails.

We heat with a wood furnace. Like others, I put down two small parallel pieces of wood. Then I light a piece of birch bark outside the furnace, drop it between the sticks once it is burning steadily and set other pieces of wood over it. I like the birch bark because it lights as easy as paper and it burns very hot once it gets going.

Inner dry bark that is debraided into threads works as well.

 

[Deere Dude]

You mean I was imagining all those bottom start fires? Lots of different ways to start a fire and lots of different quality of firewood.

In retrospect it could be said that any way a fire gets started would be the right way.

To the OP.
Lots of good ideas on thing thread. We expect a test of all the different ways to start a fire with a report. I am wondering how in the world the cave men did it?

 

[RedNeckGeek]

The top down method works really well for me, but I no longer bother with alternating directions on the layers or spacing out the splits. I cram as much wood north/south into the stove as will fit, place a handful of splinters and chips on top, wedge a newspaper or packing paper knot on top of that and give it a spark from a lighter. Set the damper down and walk away. Ten minutes later the stove is throwing off great heat and I turn the fans on to circulate it through the house. A lot of it has to do with very dry wood and a great drawing stove. This one is vented to the outside for fresh air, and the flue goes straight up through the ceiling and roof. Draws like a proverbial house afire.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have no shortage of pine stumps but never really noticed that they burned well, except throwing them on a well established fire.

I had a friend and neighbor. A commercial pilot who moved up here, and a little out of his element. He introduced me to starting his fire with a torch, and I kind of laughed at him. But given trigger start torches, that's all I ever use to start a fire now.

 

[CADplans]

I have no shortage of pine stumps but never really noticed that they burned well, except throwing them on a well established fire.

Any pine that falls in the woods, it will rot from the outside - in.
You probably have seen this,, it looks like a piece of disfigured driftwood.

As the wood rots, the pine tar stays in the remaining wood, concentrating heavily.

So, the next time you see a 75% rotted pine log, grab it.
Break off (or cut) a piece, and put it under the wood to start the burn.

It will burn like paraffin soaked fabric!!

 

[Industrial Toys]

Thanks. I will certainly try that.

 

[jk96]

You mean I was imagining all those bottom start fires? Lots of different ways to start a fire and lots of different quality of firewood.

In retrospect it could be said that any way a fire gets started would be the right way.

I have no doubt your able to start your fires from the bottom. If you've got a better method using dry wood as I mentioned without fire starters or fuel from a bottom up fire how about contributing to the thread so we can learn. I haven't found a better method that drafts as quick with less smoke so clue me in.

 

[jk96]

The top down method works really well for me, but I no longer bother with alternating directions on the layers or spacing out the splits. I cram as much wood north/south into the stove as will fit, place a handful of splinters and chips on top, wedge a newspaper or packing paper knot on top of that and give it a spark from a lighter. Set the damper down and walk away. Ten minutes later the stove is throwing off great heat and I turn the fans on to circulate it through the house. A lot of it has to do with very dry wood and a great drawing stove. This one is vented to the outside for fresh air, and the flue goes straight up through the ceiling and roof. Draws like a proverbial house afire.

The only thing I've found different about your method and alternating stacks is by alternating it tends to leave more gaps to the bottom and seams to get the whole pile going a bit quicker.