Multi Match Club. Who's in?
How did I miss this thread. The old Monticello sits cold as I listen to the Mr. Heater rattle away consuming ng to heat the place. Funny how I get tired at night and neglect to tend the firepot... also have a habit of letting the coal fire burn with too much air. The new smaller fire box still gets ash-bound if I don't tend to it and let the whole mass of coal get lit. I've built a couple of wood fires on top of the whole ash-bound mess and dropped the coal ash down through the ash grate as the wood fire catches. Then I can add coal and keep the fire going if I want to. Usually easier to just retrieve a few unburned lumps, dump the ash and clear the grate; and start over. I've been using "bum charcoal" - cut up pallets to start fires with. Always lots of nails left in the ash with this technique; so I toss the ash in the woods for future archaeologists to find. I saw a fitting you can get on Ebay to fill your disposable propane torch off your 20lb bar-b-Q tank, but too cheap to spend the $17. Took a barbeque tank regulator apart and might fit it to an old propane torch to accomplish the same thing. A little reluctant with that experiment...
I start a fresh fire with cardboard underneath wood, and stick the torch up through the grate from the ash door to light it.
I start a fresh fire with cardboard underneath wood, and stick the torch up through the grate from the ash door to light it.
i'll be in the multi-match (propane torch) club by wed or thurs. it's already 65* today and supposed to be just as warm tomorrow so I turned off the stoker this morning to save a few buckets.
this will give me a chance to try the kindling can method of lighting up!
this will give me a chance to try the kindling can method of lighting up!
- michaelanthony
- Member
- Posts: 4550
- Joined: Sat. Nov. 22, 2008 10:42 pm
- Location: millinocket,me.
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vigilant 2310, gold marc box stove
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Gold Marc Independence
- Baseburners & Antiques: Home Sparkle 12
- Coal Size/Type: 'nut
- Other Heating: Fujitsu mini split, FHA oil furnace
[quote="mr1precision"
I'm sorry michaelanthony, you let that fire go out. You see, this club has standards and we can't raise them just for you. That fire had to go out because you did something wrong or had a failure. You are not in the club. Keep trying![/quote]
Give me time, give me time, eggsellent..( rolling hands )..eggsellent...
I'm sorry michaelanthony, you let that fire go out. You see, this club has standards and we can't raise them just for you. That fire had to go out because you did something wrong or had a failure. You are not in the club. Keep trying![/quote]
Give me time, give me time, eggsellent..( rolling hands )..eggsellent...
- michaelanthony
- Member
- Posts: 4550
- Joined: Sat. Nov. 22, 2008 10:42 pm
- Location: millinocket,me.
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vigilant 2310, gold marc box stove
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Gold Marc Independence
- Baseburners & Antiques: Home Sparkle 12
- Coal Size/Type: 'nut
- Other Heating: Fujitsu mini split, FHA oil furnace
I've been running on one grate the last week, lost a bolt to the ash pan and must have dumped it, so the stove has been on the rag, gentle shakes but absolutely no poking. Well this morning I was a little eager ( yah know how it is when you first wake up ) and put the poker right too her and.......... killed it, now waiting too cool so I can clean out and replace the bolt.
- mr1precision
- Member
- Posts: 1100
- Joined: Mon. Oct. 13, 2008 6:54 pm
- Location: Boylston Ma.
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman-Anderson AA-130
I've had several more out fires in the last month due to high temps and low coal in the bin. I didnt want to brag but....
- Lightning
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 14659
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 16, 2011 9:51 am
- Location: Olean, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
- Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite
Well so far I'm still on my second match
I've been burning for about 7 weeks so far without mishap
I am planning a shut down for flue pipe cleaning here soon though....
I've been burning for about 7 weeks so far without mishap
I am planning a shut down for flue pipe cleaning here soon though....
- 2001Sierra
- Member
- Posts: 2211
- Joined: Wed. May. 20, 2009 8:09 am
- Location: Wynantskill NY, 10 miles from Albany
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 90 Chimney vent
- Coal Size/Type: Rice
- Other Heating: Buderus Oil Boiler 3115-34
Power outage last weekend 36 hours, who knew generator would run out of gas once, and shutting Coal-trol down while refrigerator was getting happy with new power source the fire would go out Nothing like REALLY SICK bride waking you up at 5 AM and saying fire is out
One match club is over rated
One match club is over rated
- mr1precision
- Member
- Posts: 1100
- Joined: Mon. Oct. 13, 2008 6:54 pm
- Location: Boylston Ma.
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman-Anderson AA-130
WELCOME TO THE DARK SIDE!2001Sierra wrote:Power outage last weekend 36 hours, who knew generator would run out of gas once, and shutting Coal-trol down while refrigerator was getting happy with new power source the fire would go out Nothing like REALLY SICK bride waking you up at 5 AM and saying fire is out
One match club is over rated
- I'm On Fire
- Member
- Posts: 3918
- Joined: Thu. Jun. 10, 2010 9:34 am
- Location: Vernon, New Jersey
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machines DS-1600 Hot Air Circulator
I've been out of the one match club since I shut down in late October because of warm temps. I'll be shutting the stove down in a few days to do some maintenance. I've got those anti-explosion louvre's to put in and the motor on my draft inducer just went; there's a reason why they tell you to mount it level...it's so it doesn't cook the bearing in it...which is exactly what I did, so I need to shut down to replace that.
-
- Member
- Posts: 485
- Joined: Sat. Feb. 05, 2011 1:10 pm
- Location: Bucks county, Pa.
matches are for patient people. the blow torch + sterno gel = several matches.
- mr1precision
- Member
- Posts: 1100
- Joined: Mon. Oct. 13, 2008 6:54 pm
- Location: Boylston Ma.
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman-Anderson AA-130
Hey all! No offence but when I start my AA-130 (soon) I'm gonna bust out out of this crappy club! Stay tuned....
- anthony7812
- Member
- Posts: 5141
- Joined: Sat. Mar. 12, 2011 2:04 pm
- Location: Colley,Pennsylvania
- Stoker Coal Boiler: VanWert VA 400
- Coal Size/Type: Buck/Anthracite
I enjoy tossin an extra match or 3 in a year. If I see a good 2 or 3 day stretch in the 50's im lighten up.
-
- Member
- Posts: 264
- Joined: Thu. Apr. 14, 2011 12:13 pm
- Location: Springville, NY
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker Koker controlled with CoalTrol
I almost joined the multi-match club the first day this season. Didn't feed enough coal with the coal trol minimum setting when I first lit it so I almost lost my initial lighting. Once I noticed the impending out fire, there was just a pinky finger tip worth of glow on my grates so I fed full bore till there was a couple inches of fresh coal over the grates and the glow was just enough to ignite the entire width. Haven't looked back since.