interesting... well basically you want to ease the stove and let the paint cure. My instructions said to do 3 small fires gradually increasing the temp with each - which translates to a small, medium, and large(r) load of wood. It also said to leave the door ajar for the first fire since the gasket might adhere to the paint while it cures. Of course, you don't want to do this with a large load and certainly not without keeping an eye on it. Again it WILL give off fumes and odor so be prepared!