Midnightmom Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 Came across this vid on YT about the "correct" way to build a fire in your woodstove. I don't have one, but when we did have a fireplace once upon a time, we built a fire the "traditional" way - from kindling up. Did you know about this method? Have you tried it since watching the vid? What's your conclusion - will this be your new way of fire building? 1 Quote Link to comment
Jeepers Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 Oh Lawsy. I hope he has completed his family. Notice his axe at 4:15. " I almost hit the ground." That's not all you almost hit. Note to self, don't sit down while chopping wood. Anyway... We used to make fire starters like that many years ago. It works great. Then I discovered fat wood and for whatever reason I stopped making them. I used cheap candles from the Dollar Tree. Something else I use are pinecones to help to keep the fire going when I'm getting it started. I get them free. I have a couple of nice trees staked out and gather them in a basket I have sitting on hearth. The Amish use corn cobs soaked and dried in kerosene. I got a big bag full of them but after I put them in a basket on the hearth, I decided they were too pretty to burn so I didn't soak them. Some are yellow and some are red. But I have them handy if I need them. Most egg cartons are Styrofoam now. This is a good reminder to start saving the paper ones again. I don't have a fire place at the Indy house. . When G'son is finished with the playroom area I want to extend the wall out a few yards and have a wood burning stove put in. They are sooo much more efficient than a fireplace though not quite as pretty. 1 Quote Link to comment
kappydell Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 its sooooo cute when someone rediscovers something...... 1 1 Quote Link to comment
Jeepers Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 We also used to use empty toilet paper tubes stuffed with dryer lint and wax. 2 Quote Link to comment
Midnightmom Posted March 12, 2021 Author Share Posted March 12, 2021 13 hours ago, Jeepers said: Oh Lawsy. I hope he has completed his family. Notice his axe at 4:15. " I almost hit the ground." That's not all you almost hit. Note to self, don't sit down while chopping wood. Anyway... I saw that too. There were several times when I thought he might lose a finger or two! I guess his "excitement" overcame his common sense! Quote We used to make fire starters like that many years ago. It works great. Then I discovered fat wood and for whatever reason I stopped making them. I used cheap candles from the Dollar Tree. Something else I use are pinecones to help to keep the fire going when I'm getting it started. I get them free. I have a couple of nice trees staked out and gather them in a basket I have sitting on hearth. The Amish use corn cobs soaked and dried in kerosene. I got a big bag full of them but after I put them in a basket on the hearth, I decided they were too pretty to burn so I didn't soak them. Some are yellow and some are red. But I have them handy if I need them. My grandmother used to make these for use in starting the BBQ when we went camping. During Y2K I discovered another method of firestarting similar to the Amish method. You soak a pumice stone in kerosene and use them to start the fire. The good thing about this method is that they are not "consumed" by the fire and are therefore re-usable. And, you can buy them at "dollar" type stores! 2 Quote Link to comment
Jeepers Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 (edited) I never heard of using a pumice stone. I was looking up fire pits. I don't have one of those either. Well I do but it sits under some pine trees so it has to go. They warn not to use anything inside a fire pit except marble rocks or lava rocks. The reason is because they hold moisture and can explode. My fire place insert has regulation fire bricks in it. I was going to buy a few of them {can't remember what for now) but when I saw the price I changed my mind. I used to use lava rocks in my grill. I think the grease from meat dripping down on them helped to keep the fire going? I don't have a grill either. Edited March 13, 2021 by Jeepers It posted too soon 1 Quote Link to comment
Littlesister Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 I have a fireplace and had been thinking after getting the fireplace inspected and repaired, putting a wood burning stove insert. But not sure about it yet. Depends on price. I have a couple of the scouring sticks and didn't know about using them for fire starters. I will be remembering that one. I do save the dryer lint as we have a firepit on patio and I use the dryer lent for fire starters for that. I like the way he did the wood but please no sitting down while cutting wood. Your family would be done for sure. 2 Quote Link to comment
Jeepers Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 A stove or insert is so much more efficient than a fireplace. A fireplace can suck the heat from your furnace right up the chimney. Of course a fire place is better than nothing. My insert looks nice especially with a fire in it and fits in snug but when it's cold outside that cast iron gets very cold, even with the dampers all closed. Kind of like having a refrigerator in the room with the door open. And cold air comes in through the fireplace chimney all around the outside of the insert. In the winter when it's freezing, I usually light a fire just to keep the insert warm and to help the cold from leaking in. It has two glass doors so it's really easy to load. Don't get me wrong, I really like a fireplace especially for emergency use. A great prep item! An insert is even better to have for efficiency. But what I'd really like is a free standing stove. Lehman's has some beautiful stoves. They always have some lit even in the summer. You can feel the heat as soon as you walk down in the room. But they are way out of my price range. $$$$ 1 Quote Link to comment
Littlesister Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 Jeepers I agree with you about the fireplace sucking the heat out of house. You have to have a barn fire in it to keep that from happening. We haven't used ours now in a couple of years or more because it is no longer safe to do so. The fireplace is on an outside wall. Wonder what it would cost to just take it out instead of the big repairs to fix it and then having a free standing wood stove put in. I have seen the stoves at Leman's and they are very expensive. Out of my price range for sure. And since I would have to have one shipped from that store, I don't even want to know the cost of that. Would have to check out local places for one. The fireplace is up in the air till I get a repair price. Quote Link to comment
Jeepers Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 Same here on the shipping from Ohio to Indiana. Plus the installation fee. It would probably take 4 guys just to lift it. I'd have to go local too. Mine is on hold also for a number of reasons. The Indy house is pretty much an open floor plan. One outside wall is where a couch has to sit in front of and the other outside wall is in the play/toy room. That house needs a LOT of work before I can afford extras. I bought it for the acre and location not so much for the house. 1 Quote Link to comment
Midnightmom Posted March 15, 2021 Author Share Posted March 15, 2021 I will admit up front that I did not click any links or look for any sales info, but this "woodstove" looks quite interesting. (Vid is from 2017) 2 Quote Link to comment
Midnightmom Posted March 15, 2021 Author Share Posted March 15, 2021 Sign into Amazon with your favorite affiliate "Mr. Heater F232000 MH9BX Buddy 4,000-9,000-BTU Indoor-Safe Portable Propane Radiant Heater, Red-Black" https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Mr.+Heater+F232000+MH9BX+Buddy+4%2C000-9%2C000-BTU+Indoor-Safe+Portable+Propane+Radiant+Heater%2C+Red-Black&ref=nb_sb_noss 2 Quote Link to comment
Jeepers Posted March 15, 2021 Share Posted March 15, 2021 Every time I see something, I think about using it in the detached garage for heat to keep from freezing to death. Then I remember that there is a wall gas heater mounted on the wall out there. I know it works because son started it up one of the first times he was out there. I don't even know if there is a fan on it. Either way it would heat a garage nicely. That garage must have been a man cave because The seller was very proud of how well it is insulated. Even the attic. Hope the house is as well insulated. 2 Quote Link to comment
Littlesister Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 Jeepers, I also have a natural gas wall gas heater in garage. Mine has a fan on it and without the fan to blow that heat out, it doesn't warm up the garage as well, but does take the chill off of the garage. If I decide to stay here I am going to insulate the garage much better than it is now. The large garage door is fully insulated. Midnightmom, I like that heater. That would be a great backup. Might just check into that when I get things straight around here. 2 Quote Link to comment
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