Starting a Stove Fire

[Egon]

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.

There is no best way. It's what works with what you have. That's the clue in.


Contribute; I did, I just stated there are options rather than only one method.

Bottom start fire.



The Lake side fire may have been a little difficult to start with the top down method.

 

[Industrial Toys]

What are the round sections? Is that pine for fire starting?

What's on the camp fire? A big trunk and roots?

As a kid, I used these white blocks (ESBIT?), to fire my toy steam engine. I always loved the smell and wonder what they were comprised of.

 

[MAN IN BLACK]

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.

Same here....besides, ounce the cold sets in, my stove very rarely dies...always a good bed of red coals in the morning, reload with wood and go !

 

[Industrial Toys]

I actually have more luck maintaining coals in our fireplace with drafty glass doors and a heatilater, then I do in my rather small airtight (E-W) stove. Just for one thing, the firebox is so small that you can't really jam it up with much wood. I can't put any bigger pieces in there because there is this gas burning arrangement up top that limits height. I CURSE the salesman that insisted I not buy too BIG a stove! Then, when you do get some good amount of ash and embers, you have even less room for wood!

 

[PILOON]

Same here....besides, ounce the cold sets in, my stove very rarely dies...always a good bed of red coals in the morning, reload with wood and go !

LOL, while I no longer heat primarily with wood I do recall only using about 2 matches per year to heat my home.
There are always some hot coals hiding in there and experienced handling of the controls saves you a lot of matches,

 

[Deere Dude]

I can't put any bigger pieces in there because there is this gas burning arrangement up top that limits height. I CURSE the salesman that insisted I not buy too BIG a stove! Then, when you do get some good amount of ash and embers, you have even less room for wood!

You must have got the same brand as mine:laughing:

In WI I had a 4 cu/ ft fireplace and I could stoke the starch out of it and have nice hot long lasting fires that could overheat the house quickly. We moved to TN a couple years ago and I priced fireplaces and they doubled in ten years.

We have about the same size house but to keep cost down I got a 2 cu/ ft. air tite fireplace with all kinds of tubes in the ceiling of the firebox. Now I need to shovel the ashes out more often and I can only put three 4" or 5" diameter at a time. Once it gets hot though I stick one at a time in and it takes right off.

The bad thing about a short box, I can't stick fire starter then small sticks then bigger sticks then logs to get it going. It won't balance that high. I would bang into the stainless tubes in the top of the firebox.

But it is my fault for being so cheap.

 

[MossRoad]

I had one year where I only used 4 matches in 6 months of continuous burn. That was a long winter.... Last year and this year, I've had days where we didn't want a fire because its too warm just from the sun. Crazy weak winters...

 

[jk96]

There is no best way. It's what works with what you have. That's the clue in.


Contribute; I did, I just stated there are options rather than only one method.

Bottom start fire.

View attachment 497283View attachment 497282

The Lake side fire may have been a little difficult to start with the top down method.

Well thanks for pointing out the clue in.

In all seriousness I thought maybe you had a method that worked well as I have the same issues as the op when starting a fire from the bottom with any decent size logs.

 

[jk96]

Here's a video I took from earlier today.

For the op the key is going to be making sure you have well seasoned wood. One year minimum depending on type of wood and 2-3 years preferred. After that its pretty simple. In the video wood was from a standing dead honeylocust I cut down last week. Bottom row is 9-10" splits. Second row is 5-6" rounds. Third row is 1-2" splits plus kindling from the pile under my log splitter. Used a couple pieces of paper and 1 match.

 

[Deere Dude]

Here's a video I took from earlier today.

For the op the key is going to be making sure you have well seasoned wood. One year minimum depending on type of wood and 2-3 years preferred. After that its pretty simple. In the video wood was from a standing dead honeylocust I cut down last week. Bottom row is 9-10" splits. Second row is 5-6" rounds. Third row is 1-2" splits plus kindling from the pile under my log splitter. Used a couple pieces of paper and 1 match.

Have you ever left out the middle bottom piece and put the starter and kindling in there and then wedges above them. I would think you could get it rolling in half the time.