New approach to loading the Woodmaster

[Jon E]

The big pieces do burn more slowly, but there's a downside to that. I drive by OWB's all the time that have huge stacks of unsplit rounds piled nearby, and in my experience I wonder how they can get away with that. I tried loading up the boiler with unsplit rounds once or twice and found that the fire never really got very hot, and the next day I would be left with a couple of charred chunks smoldering in the firebox and no bed of coals to speak of. Similarly, a lot of little pieces tends to make a huge pile of very hot coals but a short burn time.

So it's a mix. I load the OWB with a few split pieces, a few small pieces or rounds, some scraps, and a big chunk or two of something ugly, unless there's a good hot fire already and I can skip the little stuff. There really is a learning curve to this, and I'm learning... I split everything that will split easily, one or two shots with a maul and if it doesn't split, it gets cut to a manageable size with the chainsaw and goes on a nearby pallet for the "overnighter" pieces. I spent the first year with the OWB burning nothing but pine slabs and pallets and that made for some interesting ups-and-downs with the heat cycle.

 

[bassman]

I have had mine for 5 winters now and will tell you that all wood burns different, some fast with lots of ash and some not at all like green wood.

this year my unsplit 2 year old birch looks like it dosent burn at all but the temp stays up for what seems forever on a a 5 log fill!!

after a few days I get a coal bed that seems to just stay there and boil water.

even my green birch burns better and longer that the best popalar I have used in the past.

 

[oneoldbanjo]

I have found that with any wood burning device - no log will burn by itself. If you can snuggle two pieces of wood together they will burn up completely -but if you have some big round piece it will only burn where it is near another piece. When I burn the big ugly pieces that won't split well they usually last a few days as I roll them around inside and pile new wood up against them. Big chunks of wood don't make lot of flame and in really cold weather they may not be able to make enough heat if you don't throw in some smaller stuff as well.