Wood stove best practices / best results experienced help please

[realunlucky]

Anybody else have best practices?

 

[JG358]

What's the box measure on the large. I think your right diameter might be to small causing a back up.

Stove is about 9.25" wide x 20" deep with an 8.5' pipe.

I would think ideal pipe diameter for an 8' pipe would be at least 3-3.5"

 

[colonel00]

Once my stove is going, I don't have any issues with the pipe diameter or draft. If you go to a larger pipe, you are adding weight and a larger hole in the stove top which means you won't be able to go back to a smaller diameter. You might need more air flow from the front of the stove to help keep the fire going and the draft flowing.

 

[Stid2677]

You mentioned something about being wet,, that is why I keep a piece of a fire log for emerencies. 1/4 of a fire log will have my sawtooth warm in minutes, and will get almost too hot. Caution must be used when using the commercial fire logs. Too much could damage your stove.

 

[colonel00]

Interesting comments about the fire logs Stid. I actually used on the other day to get a fire going down by Valdez in the never ending wet. Anything special you do or way to package it? I assume you just lop off a hunk and carry it in a baggie or something?

 

[Stid2677]

Interesting comments about the fire logs Stid. I actually used on the other day to get a fire going down by Valdez in the never ending wet. Anything special you do or way to package it? I assume you just lop off a hunk and carry it in a baggie or something?

I have precut them almost all the way through at home with a saws-all, but now just use my knife to, not really cut off a hunk, but use the blade to poke the log until I cut through. More of a poking action than cutting. I then use the small hunks to get wet stuff burning or to amp up the heat when needed.

 

[Stid2677]

I have precut them almost all the way through at home with a saws-all, but now just use my knife to, not really cut off a hunk, but use the blade to poke the log until I cut through. More of a poking action than cutting. I then use the small hunks to get wet stuff burning or to amp up the heat when needed.

The better ones are halfway waterproof, the cheap ones will fall apart when they get wet. I have cached them and they still burned the next year.

 

[realunlucky]

Once my stove is going, I don't have any issues with the pipe diameter or draft. If you go to a larger pipe, you are adding weight and a larger hole in the stove top which means you won't be able to go back to a smaller diameter. You might need more air flow from the front of the stove to help keep the fire going and the draft flowing.

I leave the door open so shouldn't that mean it's getting maximum air? Colonel how about a picture of the front of your stove

 

[realunlucky]

You mentioned something about being wet,, that is why I keep a piece of a fire log for emerencies. 1/4 of a fire log will have my sawtooth warm in minutes, and will get almost too hot. Caution must be used when using the commercial fire logs. Too much could damage your stove.

I also had planned this originally but has the plan changed so did the options of getting a fire log. Didn't find any in kotzebue and didn't look like they are allowed on comercial flights. I'll know better next time. I'll be checking into your air pump any more details?

 

[mtswampfox]

we have natural fire logs here in the south, and probably elsewhere. the long leaf pine. used for years for making turpentine. the wood either fresh or petrified will burn when others just fizzle. commonly called lighter any true redneck will have a chunk handy for fire building, usually a piece behind the seat of his truck can be bought or found lots of old fence posts were long leaf pine fortunate to have some in my georgia room as wainscoting was reclaimed bead board from a gentleman who scours the south for the stuff to refinish mainly for flooring

 

[Stid2677]

As far as I know you can fly dura logs, I have on several occasions. Only draw back is those things are heavy.

Birch bark is the Alaskan version of lighter pine. The bark will burn even wet, just shake it off and light it.

This is the blower...

http://www.camp-tek.com/microburst-technology.html

 

[colonel00]

I leave the door open so shouldn't that mean it's getting maximum air? Colonel how about a picture of the front of your stove

Yeah, I'll get some photos. Perhaps having the door open is killing your draft. If I have time I'll actually do a video of my stove. It's kinda cool but it actually chugs as the fire burns since the door doesn't actually latch closed. I can also see that when the door is closed, the coals by the air intakes start glowing as the air is being sucked in.

When I used the stove a lot on a trip last fall, I actually had a system for reloading wood. When the chugging died down I knew it was time for a new piece of wood. When I opened the door the fire would be burning but lazily. After inserting a new piece, I would close the door for a second then open it a little to replenish the air and then close it again. At this time the coals would really start glowing from the air being sucked into the intakes and the new wood would ignite fairly quickly even when damp. It's kind of like what Stid describes doing with the little blower fan but the stove would actually stoke itself as long as there was enough heat and coals to keep the draft going.

 

[rayporter]

i gather twigs the night before i want a morning fire. i put the twigs right under the door and then in the morning i put a piece of trioxane in the stove and light it and put the twigs on the fuel bar as soon as it is lit. i can start stuffing larger pieces in as soon as i light the fuel bar. smoke is not an issue. like Brad, i play with the door to see if it helps to give more air or less air as the fire starts and this can cause some smoke to escape, but it is easy to figure out where the door needs to be to stop the smoke.

 

[Mike7]

Great tips with the straw, pump, etc. Stid. I have a titanium box stove (7"x8"x15" I think) that drafts great with a 7.5 ft long by 3" diameter titanium pipe from Tigoat. On the other hand I have a less portable larger heavier steel (approx 12"x12"x22") stove with a similar length pipe but that is 4" diameter stainless steel pipe, and it doesn't seem to draft as well sometimes. I haven't tested the larger stove as much yet with different firewoods. I have wondered if the larger stove also wouldn't draft better with my smaller 3" pipe at those 7-8 ft long pipe lengths and similar wood, but haven't tried that yet.

 

[Jared Lampton]

Cant really speak to "best practices" but I built this stove and it seemed to draft well and heat the LBO nicely a couple weeks ago in rainy weather. It's small, 8.5" deep, 11.5" long and 5.5" wide. We burned dead sub-alpine fir mostly. Never had an issue with it drafting. When I loaded up the stove it would "puff" like it wasn't drafting fast enough so I'd open the door a little until it settled down then I'd tip the damper a little and it burned slowly for 45 min or so. FWIW the pipe is 6' x 2 3/8". Realized that when you want the fire the most is when it's very difficult to find any dry wood, so I might try the fire log idea. Was able to dry out some wood by placing it under the stove.

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

No it wasn't willow and we did also bring some 2x4 pieces with us but neither would burn worth a crap. Spent time drying wood on the stove body also. We discussed many times if it was worth breathing the smoke to try and keep it going. It did heat some rocks to thaw out my boots.

Craig what's your setup

That's interesting I've never had any issues like that other than getting crappy wood somethings but it still burns just less efficiently. My setup is the Kifaru Oval Ti medium tall wall.

 

[larryschwartz]

Kevin Dill gave me a great piece of advice when I got my stove...buy one of those long butane lighters that folks use for starting charcoal grills in the backyard. They are perfect for reaching way back into the stove to light your tinder or firestarter without scraping or burning your hand or fingers in the process. I keep one in my stoves storage bag all the time.

 

[PredatorX]

Yep I have used that lighter also for my lite outdoors stove. In the early stages of getting my fire going, I open up my shelter so the fire gets lots of oxygen. I do still suffer from it running wide open cherry red to out completely. Or not cherry red but out quickly. I can usually get about 1.5 hours out of it. I need to learn to just get it going and go to bed. I always seem to want to wake up constantly to keep it going. A warm tent is addicting!

 

[larryschwartz]

I need to learn to just get it going and go to bed. I always seem to want to wake up constantly to keep it going. A warm tent is addicting!

With my Kifaru Oval Stove I would do just that; start it when I was getting into my sleeping bag and then go to sleep. If I woke up during the night and was cold I would put the kindling that I keep next to the stove into it and the coals/embers would ignite it and then I could add some bigger pieces...all from the comfort of my bag.

Larry

 

[realunlucky]

deleted the dampner and used stright rod just to hold pipe up. Enlarged vent holes and turned the front sideways. Not sure if it was wood or combinations of my changes but sure didn't smoke out the front as much. Of course it was not enclosed so hard to judge