Post a helpful hint to help teach others

[PA. Woodsman]

With all of us bright people on here, I thought that we could post a "helpful hint" or two so that others can learn from them. Here's an example: if you have gaps in your stovepipe, you can "stuff" them with pieces of rope gasket cut to size to prevent any smoke seepage.


Let's hear 'em, boys and girls!:greenchainsaw:

 

[LANNY]

How about this one? Keep a self igniting map gas torch by the stove. It's great to jump start a stubborn fire and great to start a draft in a smoky stove. Just point it at the flue, pull the trigger , and instant draft.....Lanny

 

[England14]

If your pipes are in such shape that you need to patch them to keep from leaking smoke, replace your pipes as soon as possible!


On a serious note every wood burner or anybody with a combustible heat source should have a CO detector in the sleeping quarters and a smoke detector in the room with the stove. And make sure they work!

 

[PA. Woodsman]

If your pipes are in such shape that you need to patch them to keep from leaking smoke, replace your pipes as soon as possible!

Actually they're in fine shape, but where they join there is a little "gap" in the back of some of them that I can't close any tighter so I stuff them with black, thin rope gasket. I don't know if they leak smoke or not (I doubt it) but I don't want to take any chances!

 

[StihlyinEly]

I start all my wood furnace fires with kindling and a 1-lb propane cylinder and plumber's self-igniting torch. Gets that kindling snapping in only a few seconds, and I doubt I use up two 1-pounders in a whole long winter up here. No fooling with crumpled up newspaper or firestarters.

 

[chucker]

:agree2:

 

[woodbooga]

Few off the top of my head.

If you think you have too much kindling at the start of the season, you still probably don't have enough.

Don't go into the woods with only one saw.

A peavey will pay for itself many times over. Between chiropractor appointnemts you don't have to make and chains preserved when getting to the bottom of a cut on a grounded log.

If a round doesn't pop within three or four whacks with your maul, lay it on its side and halve it with the chainsaw.

Save newspapers for kindling in the summer so you don't need to raid the stands for the free weekly paper come February.

A cast iron stovetop is one of the few surfaces that will ignite a strike anywhere match.

Your ashes are a wonderful byproduct of woodheat. Either as lawn fertilizer or elsewhere.

 

[stihl sawing]

Always keep those firestarters handy so you can start a fire anywhere anytime even with wet wood. I don't cut kindling, those starters work better. You can even pile larger wood on them and they will burn long and hot enough to get them going. Unless you have a pine knot. If you find one of them hang on to it. They work really good to. i always bring one home from deer hunting every year. mainly to start brush fires with.

 

[CrappieKeith]

....if all else fails....read and follow the directions.

 

[J.W Younger]

Top down fires are the ####. Just load your stove normally, put your kindling on top and light it.
noodles make great top down fire starters

 

[gink595]

Don't eat yellow snow

 

[stihl sawing]

Don't eat yellow snow

But it taste better.

 

[kodiakattack]

Keep a cast iron pot or kettle full of water on the stove to help with the moisture in your home!! Also re-heat your left over pizza right on the top of your stove!! Taste better than when it was fresh!!!

 

[Jon E]

Helpful hint could also be lessons I've learned.

From an OWB owner (Central Boiler 5648)...

Best thing to burn is dry, split hardwood, I cut to no more than 24" long. Load the front of the firebox. Clean ashes out often enough to leave a bed 2-3" thick (retains heat). Use corrosion inhibitor faithfully. Keep your woodpile in a shed. Don't put too much ash in the compost. If you burn pallets, don't put the ashes on your woods roads or you will pop a tire.

Cut and split most species while green, get the splits off the ground right away to dry, save your back and cut pieces in half with a chainsaw if they don't split with your maul. Best investment for a full-time wood burner is a log splitter.

 

[wkpoor]

Your log splitter makes a great log holder when sawing down rather small logs of length. Load sideways and pinch tight. Works better than a log stand IMO.

 

[TonyK]

Use your PPE always. Your family depends on you and you will look funny missing something you were born with.

 

[Turkeyslayer]

To make excellent fire starters: Find a bunch of pine cones....Dip in melted wax (any household candle will work)......Let wax coated pine cones dry.... Place 3 or so pine cones in a small paper bag (Can use more for quicker or larger fires)...... Twist top of bag closed and tie with twine.

I had a bunch of these bags given to me last year, and they are the bomb. So this year I made my own.

 

[Turkeyslayer]

When bucking logs, insert wedge into the kerf to prevent pinched/stuck bars.

Always be aware of your bar tip, and keep it out of the dirt.

I put a mark on the beam of my splitter at 16" that way I know when anything is much over or under that length. Makes for happy customers when all the wood is 16".

 

[osujake]

Fast Orange hand cleaner is great for removing pine sap from a bar.
Don't spit into the wind.
a Clean chimney is a safe chimney. Sweep it yourself or have it done professionally, creosote could burn your house down if you have a chimney fire.
Just like a knife chains are more dangerous when not sharpened properly.

 

[Mntn Man]

When bucking logs, insert wedge into the kerf to prevent pinched/stuck bars.

Always be aware of your bar tip, and keep it out of the dirt.

I put a mark on the beam of my splitter at 16" that way I know when anything is much over or under that length. Makes for happy customers when all the wood is 16".

Wedges are a chain's best friend.

Great idea with marking the splitter. I am usually pretty good at estimating, but this year I have been cutting at a much faster pace then I used to. I start loading the bucked wood and I'm like, who cut this little round or this long bastard? I could at least sort by size when I'm splitting.