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Starting a fire IN a wood stove

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  • Starting a fire IN a wood stove

    I have read for years about all those neat tools for "making" fire, all those strikers, and flint thingies, etc. Seems to me those would not work well trying to start a fire IN a wood stove/firebox. The pattern always seems to be to make a tiny pile of fluff/duff/tinder, make the sparks fly, and when one catches the tinder you begin to add larger and large pieces of wood. All that works well making a fire in the open, but does not seem to be very workable trying to get a fire going in your wood cook or heating stove without smoking up the house. Workable suggestions on actually doing this would be welcome.

  • #2
    Open the damper and flue so the smoke can go up the chimney :). Rolled newspaper works ok...just place it under the thoroughly seasoned (IMPORTANT) wood and it should take off in about 2 or 3 minutes. I use oak that's been seasoned nearly 2 years and this works quite well for me. If you are still having issues with smoking up the house, you may have problems in your chimney. Has it been cleaned recently? I have also seen where the flue had come loose from the shaft and does not open properly...just a thought.

    I recently changed the style of rain cap on top of our chimney pipe, mainly due to wind-blown rain. A side benefit, however, is improved draw.

    HTH!!!
    This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. ~Elmer Davis

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    • #3
      I use balled up newspaper, finely split cedar as kindling layed in a 'log cabin' fashion & then thin pieces of kindling. I then use a battery powered air mattress pump to blow air into the draft vent until the chimmney is hot enough to draw.
      Survival question. What do I need most, right now?

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      • #4
        Appreciate the replies. What I an looking for is a way to start the wood stove fire without using a match and newspaper. Those items will eventually run out espcially the matches. I just cannot figure out how to use those "sparking" fire tools inside the firebox to catch the tinder/fluff. Other than that potential problem, I'm good to go under normal conditions. My stove is a Great Western #524 and ALL firebox, like 30" deep, 28" high, and 22" wide - holds a LOT of wood, so starting a fire using the hot coals does produce some smoke as the pipe is a good 2' up from the bottom of the firebox and takes a bit to get warm and start drawing properly.

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        • #5
          Dryer lint w/ some fat would be a good tinder.

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          • #6
            I'm afraid my clothes line does not produce much if any lint, gal, LOL. I have a friend that makes sawdust and melted wax fire starter thingies in muffin tins which work great - once you get a spark on them. I just trying to find a way to get that spark without matches which I can do for an outside fire, just haven't mastered it yet for the woodstove firebox.

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            • #7
              Pine cones make great kindling!!!



              WAB

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              • #8
                Build your starter fire on a board then when you get it going great move the board into fitebox. If you don't want to us a board make shakes out of your split logs.

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                • #9
                  G L make sure your chimney is drawing proper (pulling air from the house and then up the chimney) before starting. Strike a match inside the stove and see if the match smoke goes up the chimney or see if the flame is being pulled up the pipe (draft). Is cold air coming down the pipe and into the house? Light a sheet of newspaper or two, open the draft and keep door closed and see if you cant warm it up a little. (Hate smoke in the house). I use to start fires from scratch but now use "strike-a-fire" (they are like a huge book match, strike it and it will burn for 10-12 min.) Chimney height is a determining factor for drawing well also.
                  "Well, you know what they say: 'Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment. '"

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                  • #10
                    Sorry for posting again but make sure the pipes are clean and not caked up or anything.
                    "Well, you know what they say: 'Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment. '"

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                    • #11
                      Use charcloth with your sparker then use the charcloth to ignite your tender in the box. The charcloth controls the amount of “flame” by the amount of air you give it. It allows you to safely and easily move it without burning yourself or the house.
                      Knowledge is Power, Practiced Knowledge is Strength, Tested Knowledge is Confidence

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                      • #12
                        Thanks, Matt. Someone elsewhere turned me on to the Fire Piston which uses char cloth and that system sounds like it would be extremely usable for what I am looking for, which is starting a wood stove fire without matches or paper. Got to get me an Altoid tin and get busy with some cotton!

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                        • #13
                          Cotton balls saturated with petroleum jellie work very well with a fire steel and striker.

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                          • #14
                            Absolutely, Jayson. I'm just trying to plan ahead for a time when those handy items are no longer available.

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