kindling up an old fire

[sb47]

Thought I'd post up how I re kindle up an old fire in the morning after it has burned down to just a few coals.
I keep a bucket of scrap slivers that come from splitting firewood on the back porch that when dry make great kindling.
My mother bought me a bellows for my stove a few years ago as a Christmas gift. I used it many times but it doesn't work as well as I had hoped.
I found that if you simply blow in the coals it works better because it's a steady flow of air, where the bellows give a puff puff flow and not a steady flow of air.
Getting down on your knees and blow is not a comfortable way to restart a fire.
One day I was working on an electrical project and I was using a heat shrink blower to shrink some tubing and it hit me. It works like a small hair drier, by gently blowing hot air to shrink the tubing.
So I tried it to restart a fire and it works like a charm. It blows a genital steady flow of air that is just rite for starting up an old fire when you just have a few small coals to work with.
If you have one, try it out, it works great.

 

[Natster]

Just get yard sale hair dryers.

 

[sb47]

Just get yard sale hair dryers.

I haven't tried a hair drier simply because I don't have one but it may be a little to strong of an air flow and it may stur up to much ash dust, where the small heat shrink blower blows very gently. A hair drier may work if it has a low setting rather then on high.

 

[Streblerm]

I rake all the coals into a pile. If there’s a log sized pile of coals then no special treatment is necessary. I just pile two or three more logs on. I don’t really mess with kindling. I buy fatwood firestarters. A 50# box lasts me between 1-2 years depending on who is starting the fires. If there aren’t enough coals then I relight pretty much the same as if it’s cold but I use one or two pieces of fatwood instead of two or three.

 

[bowtechmadman]

Yea, I'm going to pass on getting on my knees and blowing. Each to their own. Another reason I like my OWB...she just keeps burning.

 

[turnkey4099]

"genital steady flow" coupled with, the subject of blowing. Still laughing.

 

[sb47]

Pine knots work great if you can find them. I try not to wait till it burns down that much but if I have one single coal the size of a bbq briquette, I try too just use it to restart the fire.
If I start from scratch I use the same kindling with a little shot of diesel fuel from a squirt bottle I keep handy.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

There are many ways to get this job done. A most reliable way is when I come across very old pine logs or stumps that have not rotted away. These I know are loaded with pitch. Split these to two or three inch chunks and you are good to go. All you need is a match to get them going. Leave them out in the rain no problem. Thanks

 

[sb47]

There are many ways to get this job done. A most reliable way is when I come across very old pine logs or stumps that have not rotted away. These I know are loaded with pitch. Split these to two or three inch chunks and you are good to go. All you need is a match to get them going. Leave them out in the rain no problem. Thanks

We call that pine knots. It's basically loaded with turpentine pitch.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

I just use a poker to spread out what's still in there, throw more wood in, shut the door and let it be for another 12+hrs.

Once it's cold enough to keep the stove going, the only time it goes out is to empty it out a few times a winter.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

We call that pine knots. It's basically loaded with turpentine pitch.

Probably the same type of wood. Here when a Pine is stressed for a reason that I am not sure of the sap gets concentrated in parts of the tree. Some times the area is near a crotch that has cracked. Some time a lightening struck tree will have 20' of the trunk heavy as ever. Most of the trees are really gnarly in that the grain is all twisted. When the tree has high concentration of pitch they work wonders. After being gone for some time the house is freezing grab a chunk of pine light it and stick some Oak near and you have a fire. Thanks

 

[Natster]

Rich Pine
Pine knots
Lighter pine.
Put it in the log splitter, cross grain. Crush cut it. Put in a bucket.
Excessive use will tend to stop the chimney top screen.
N

 

[Trapper_Pete]

on my stove the air comes in right at the front from an upside down V under the center of the door.
I use my shovel to push the ash to the back, rake the coals forward to the front center , open air control full open.
place a large split right and a large split left some smaller stuff on the coals close the door the draft pulls in fresh air and the pile of coals turns bright red glow and starts the smaller stuff give it a few minutes to get going well and add a split on top or load full depending

 

[James Miller]

We save noodles from cutting big rounds to manageable size for situations like this. Doesn't really matter what kind of wood, noodles will light off with almost no effort and build from there.

 

[TimberWolf530]

In the shoulder seasons, I use fatwood. About 4 pieces is enough to get it going again. The fatwood costs me about $30-$40 a year. To me it's worth not having to worry about collecting my splitting scraps, storing it both outside and inside the house, and then getting it burning. With fatwood, you just toss it in, light with one match, and in a matter of seconds, you have a roaring fire. No, it's not free like kindling, but its and expenditure I'm willing to make considering the amount of time and hassle it saves me in the long run. Once the winter hits, and I start burning 24/7, I never need anything. I always have enough coals to get me going. I open the door to stir the coals, let them get glowing for about 5 minutes, then add wood, leaving the door cracked for about 10 minutes, then close it up and let er rip. When its up to operating temp again, I close the air control down to about 1/4. Over the next several hours, if I'm there, I will open it back up until its full open again to keep it in the operating range.

 

[IYAM]

I have a Harmon wood stove with a removable ash box below the fire box grate.

After scrapping the ash/embers to mostly drop into the ash box, I put small scraps on the remaining embers, close the main door, and open the door to the ash box slightly ... the effect is like that of a blacksmith's forge ...

It works well even with just a few embers. Oh yeah ... DO NOT FORGET TO CLOSE THE ASH BOX DOOR!

 

[muddstopper]

I cheat, A Lot. I stick one of these in the door and light it up.

Big wood, little wood, kindling or splits, it works every time.

 

[bbxlr8]

Funny!
I am 9y with a wood stove in this house and was frantic during the first couple of years burning FT and was super anal retentive about restarts, reloading in the middle of night etc. (read old boy scout). I am have become much more relaxed and have not noticed any difference in the heating bill.

I now open back up, stir around coals and throw in some kindling from splitting or deadfall along with a squirt of diesel.
No time, mess or fuss! Not OSHA recommended though...

 

[muddstopper]

Funny!
I am 9y with a wood stove in this house and was frantic during the first couple of years burning FT and was super anal retentive about restarts, reloading in the middle of night etc. (read old boy scout). I am have become much more relaxed and have not noticed any difference in the heating bill.

I now open back up, stir around coals and throw in some kindling from splitting or deadfall along with a squirt of diesel.
No time, mess or fuss! Not OSHA recommended though...

My feeble attempt at a joke. But I have done it to start fires in my shop in the barrel stove. What I usually do in my house stove is if their are coals in the stove, I just rake them to the front and start putting small splits on top. Open the draft up and usually it will start back up without any more fuss. If I dont think I have enough coals to restart the fire, I will just start pulling splinters off of the bigger splits. Once I get a big handful of splinters, I will throw a paper towel on top of what ever coals are still in the stove and then pile the splinters on top of the towels. I then start putting smallish splits on top of that. Once the stove is full, if the fire hasnt started on the towels I will light them with a Bic lighter and close the stove door. Open the draft wide open and that usually does the trick. Another trick I am very fond of is using horse bedding. I will buy a bale at TSC and just open one end of it. I grab a handful and throw on top of any coals in the stove and start pileing on splits. Bic lighter if it isnt burning within a couple minutes. Horse bedding is pine shavings and it burns very well. A bag/bale full is only a few dollars and will last a lot of fire startings.

 

[bbxlr8]

Newspaper & dryer lint as well... anything to get the flame going again