Wood Stoves

[Mabouya]

I was just looking at those. We'd definitely need something to sit on that wasn't a.) metal or 2.) stone. Like your chairs Caleb. Was also just looking at this guy's work.

https://www.fnfurniture.com/furniture?category=Outdoors

I'd get some all-weather pillows and have someone make me knockoffs of the FLW "Origami" chair:

https://www.idesign.wiki/origami-chair-1949/

https://origamijepan.blogspot.com/20...air-plans.html

"The chair was constructed out of only a single sheet 4 foot x 8 foot of plywood. It consists of a composition of geometric shapes: trapezoidal inner / outer side panels and triangular armrests and legs. Materials include (interior and exterior) cherry veneer plywood and fabric cushions; copper footboards."

[j44ke]

I'd get some all-weather pillows and have someone make me knockoffs of the FLW "Origami" chair:

https://www.idesign.wiki/origami-chair-1949/

https://origamijepan.blogspot.com/20...air-plans.html

"The chair was constructed out of only a single sheet 4 foot x 8 foot of plywood. It consists of a composition of geometric shapes: trapezoidal inner / outer side panels and triangular armrests and legs. Materials include (interior and exterior) cherry veneer plywood and fabric cushions; copper footboards."

Making it out of marine grade polyethylene sheet would be hilarious.

[thollandpe]

The design issue with that origami chair is the bending stress on that flat beaver tail sticking out the back. Not good for plywood, certainly too drastic for plastic.

[WFSTEKL]

The design issue with that origami chair is the bending stress on that flat beaver tail sticking out the back. Not good for plywood, certainly too drastic for plastic.

and my whisky glass would slide off the arm of that thing.

[Mabouya]

and my whisky glass would slide off the arm of that thing.

In that case, you get this:

[monadnocky]

I've had an odd phenomenon recently:

A neighbor up the street is re-doing the fencing around his horse paddocks (is that the right word for the pens the horses hang out in during the day?). 4x4 posts into the ground are pressure-treated, so the old ones are a no-go for burning. But the horizontal elements - they're 8x1 by 16 feet each - are being taken down and replaced with new ones - these make for fantastic burning in the Jotul. They burn very hot (perhaps a little too fast) and leave almost zero ash. I have a LOT of these now in my yard waiting to be skil-sawed up into useable size (big stove, so I can go 22 inches for each). Unfortunately, I can't really discern what type of wood it is - I'm 100% positive it's untreated, though (as in, nobody would use treated wood as the horses often gnaw on these rails, and that's why they need to be replaced after just a few years, because they're untreated).

Anyhoo, they're exhibiting some blue and green flames in the stove, the like of which I haven't seen before. Again, they're 100% not treated with anything, and I'm wondering why I'm seeing blue and green flames. High copper concentration in the area they grew up (in this case, from a sawmill nearby)? Have no idea. Odd.

[SlowPokePete]

I would guess it's Hemlock.

SPP

[monadnocky]

I would guess it's Hemlock.

SPP

That was my first stab - I do believe you are correct. Is hemlock known for burning colorful-ly?

[SlowPokePete]

That was my first stab - I do believe you are correct. Is hemlock known for burning colorful-ly?

That I don't know...but the "Horse" fence we had put up uses 16' long rough Hemlock, hence my guess.

SPP

[htwoopup]

I've had an odd phenomenon recently:

A neighbor up the street is re-doing the fencing around his horse paddocks (is that the right word for the pens the horses hang out in during the day?). 4x4 posts into the ground are pressure-treated, so the old ones are a no-go for burning. But the horizontal elements - they're 8x1 by 16 feet each - are being taken down and replaced with new ones - these make for fantastic burning in the Jotul. They burn very hot (perhaps a little too fast) and leave almost zero ash....

Out at the beach house, we burn old deck wood when the next town over replaces its boardwalks. Just take the nails out and saw them up. In our Hearthstone soapstone stove, we figured out how to make it not be as hot and as fast....we stack them directly on top of each other with no air between the wood like you would have with logs. Literally stack maybe a two foot tall by 23 inch long pile of 2x4’s. We put two of those stacks next to each other. Leave that on the grate with the embers from some kindling below the grate. We let the embers catch the stack a tad. Then we turn the air intake down pretty far. It will burn until about 4 in the morning that way and then because of the soapstone stove, the stove is still warm to the touch when we ramble out of bed in the morning.

[j44ke]

I've been told blue and green colors come from resins. So hemlock, cedar, spruce. Watch the soot content in your chimney. Not sure how clean those burn even if they burn hot and fast.

[j44ke]

Out at the beach house, we burn old deck wood when the next town over replaces its boardwalks. Just take the nails out and saw them up. In our Hearthstone soapstone stove, we figured out how to make it not be as hot and as fast....we stack them directly on top of each other with no air between the wood like you would have with logs. Literally stack maybe a two foot tall by 23 inch long pile of 2x4’s. We put two of those stacks next to each other. Leave that on the grate with the embers from some kindling below the grate. We let the embers catch the stack a tad. Then we turn the air intake down pretty far. It will burn until about 4 in the morning that way and then because of the soapstone stove, the stove is still warm to the touch when we ramble out of bed in the morning.

That's kind of genius. I gotta get that fire pit built this spring.

[monadnocky]

I've been told blue and green colors come from resins. So hemlock, cedar, spruce. Watch the soot content in your chimney. Not sure how clean those burn even if they burn hot and fast.

Ayup. The internet community seems kind of split (no pun intended) on the likelihood of flue buildup with properly aged softwoods - even pine. But the emphasis is on properly aged, of course.
Most years I get my flue professionally cleaned twice per year regardless. Overkill but it's cheap insurance, and I put a lot of sub-optimal wood up my woodstove flue.

[caleb]

When I woke up this morning, the temp was somewhere in the teens below zero. I think it'll be Monday afternoon before we're really above zero again. I nixed any thought of skiing this weekend.

Instead, I cleaned our chimney before starting a fire. I did it once last summer, but I know I hadn't gotten all the way to the top with the 24' kit. We've burned a little over two cords this winter, and I was having visions of creosote all over the place.

Fortunately, I ended up getting nothing more than about a tea cup full of fluffy grey ash out of the entire 26' chimney. Nothing flakey/black/shiny. This gives me some confirmation that we're burning cleanly and are fine just cleaning the flue once a year in the late spring when we clean out the stove for the season.

Also, on the topic of kindling and fire-starting, I've been experimenting with the top-down method a bit this winter, and I've been having good results.

For kindling, I've been taking a square split that's about 16" long and maybe 4"x4", and splitting it once into two 2x4" rectangles. I've been using the circular saw to then zip those splits into four square sections, and then split them down into rectangles that are about 2x2x4" with the axe. Cut up small like this, a box of kindling lasts a long time.

My top-down start is pretty simple. Lay two splits together as a base, and build a little log cabin of the kindling rectangles. Light a firestarter, and set it on top of the log cabin. Amazingly, it works.





Once it's going, I shut the door and go make coffee before coming back to throw a third split on top as the log cabin collapses. There's very little smoke, and it's always worked for me.

If anyone needs me today, I'll be here, in front of the fire.

[ides1056]

I've used a froe to split ash into kindling-sized pieces.

https://garrettwade.com/product/usa-...SABEgL_XfD_BwE

[j44ke]

When I woke up this morning, the temp was somewhere in the teens below zero. I think it'll be Monday afternoon before we're really above zero again. I nixed any thought of skiing this weekend.

Instead, I cleaned our chimney before starting a fire. I did it once last summer, but I know I hadn't gotten all the way to the top with the 24' kit. We've burned a little over two cords this winter, and I was having visions of creosote all over the place.

Fortunately, I ended up getting nothing more than about a tea cup full of fluffy grey ash out of the entire 26' chimney. Nothing flakey/black/shiny. This gives me some confirmation that we're burning cleanly and are fine just cleaning the flue once a year in the late spring when we clean out the stove for the season.

Also, on the topic of kindling and fire-starting, I've been experimenting with the top-down method a bit this winter, and I've been having good results.

For kindling, I've been taking a square split that's about 16" long and maybe 4"x4", and splitting it once into two 2x4" rectangles. I've been using the circular saw to then zip those splits into four square sections, and then split them down into rectangles that are about 2x2x4" with the axe. Cut up small like this, a box of kindling lasts a long time.

My top-down start is pretty simple. Lay two splits together as a base, and build a little log cabin of the kindling rectangles. Light a firestarter, and set it on top of the log cabin. Amazingly, it works.

...snip...

Once it's going, I shut the door and go make coffee before coming back to throw a third split on top as the log cabin collapses. There's very little smoke, and it's always worked for me.

If anyone needs me today, I'll be here, in front of the fire.

I am glad to see someone else using fire starters. I was using punky wood from one of the ash trees we cut down. And balled up newspaper. But I was grinding my teeth a bit cleaning out for the next fire. Looked awfully sooty. So I took my neighbor's advice and got some fire starts - as far as I can tell, cardboard mixed with paraffin. They definitely burn cleaner and get the hardwood going right away. So that's win win.

And I am going with good wood kindling, rather than the punky stuff. Again, burns cleaner and hotter I think. I haven't tried top-down. I put a couple fire starters in and build a stack over top, leaving some space to reach in with the match that I stick a piece of wood over after they are lit. I burn less wood getting things started and by feathering the flue I get things to burn longer too.

I've been using that Husqvarna to split things with but man it is 6.2lbs and killing me - elbows & shoulders ache. So I bought a small splitting axe from Gransfors Bruk. Head is roughly 2.5lbs. Feels like swinging a baseball bat and splits differently. The GB axe pops the wood apart before even traveling 1/2 the way through. The Husqvarna plows through the wood and literally breaks apart the log. No popping. Crusher. So each has its purpose, and I think I will be using the GB axe mostly, reserving the Husqvarna for the stubborn twisty demon tree bits.

[j44ke]

I've used a froe to split ash into kindling-sized pieces.

https://garrettwade.com/product/usa-...SABEgL_XfD_BwE

I've been using a hatchet instead of a froe. I can see the utility though. What’s one more tool?

[ides1056]

Hatchet works better, but it's hard to hurt yourself with a froe.

[caleb]

So I bought a small splitting axe from Gransfors Bruk. Head is roughly 2.5lbs. Feels like swinging a baseball bat and splits differently. The GB axe pops the wood apart before even traveling 1/2 the way through. The Husqvarna plows through the wood and literally breaks apart the log. No popping. Crusher. So each has its purpose, and I think I will be using the GB axe mostly, reserving the Husqvarna for the stubborn twisty demon tree bits.

I use the a Small Splitting Axe to make kindling too, although mostly because I have it around for canoeing. I choke up on the handle to use it one-handed, and it works okay that way.

I'd like to buy their Splitting Hatchet, but somehow it seems like overkill to get a $$$ hatchet for no purpose other than splitting kindling.



I should stop kidding myself, I'll probably get one for next winter.

[caleb]

Firewood season got started in earnest for me this weekend.

I bucked and split two medium (18-20" at the base) red oaks that came down over the past year. They came down in some thick brush with plenty of buckthorn, and I spent about as much time clearing brush so that I could work as I did bucking them up.



This stuff was so wet that I was actually getting sludge out of the cuts, and it would ooze moisture out of the fresh splits.





I'm sore from my forearms to my low back today, but there are at least three more red oaks like these that are down and ready to be cut up. I'll see how much I can get done before the bugs stop me.