Coalpail.com Forum

My first fire:
I installed the sheet metal dam on the end of the grate. Then I placed one of the lighter bags that came with my Leisure Line on the grate next to the dam. I filled the grate and covered the bag with coal. I lit the bag and turned on the comb. blower. and set my coal-trol at 75*. Then I waited and waited and waited. The fire filled the grate about 4" wide. I then plugged in the feed motor. The feed rate went to 99%. I let it run like this for about 20 minutes then pulled the dam. The room temp went to 85* and filled the house with smoke from the paint. Was 64* when I started.(smoke detectors are loud) Coal-Trol is set at 68* and feed rate is running at 30%. The feed motor and circulating fan were unplugged when I started. Everything is up and running and smoke has cleared. The whole process was very easy.

The easiest way for me to start my stoker is, you know the old charcoal lighters looks like a big loop that you plug in? You put the lighter underneath a small pile of coal, close the door, plug it in wait 30 minutes. put the timer on! Don't get too impatient! unplug, take it out, start up the stocker. Works every time! They still sell them at lowes for about 10 dollars

How do you plug in the electric lighter, then shut the door? Do you mean rest the door on the wire?

This must make shutting the stove on/off much easier. This time of year is tricky. Some nights cold enough for the stove to run on low; days can be warm/cold within the same day.

the door is not closed tight, The cord is sticking out of the door. I can still close the door, but not tight. Try it they work great!

Well fellows,I for 1 can tell you what did'nt work for me. I figured that with all this econnomic crisis and all that (me being the self proclaimed genius that I am) would make my own starters.i took press board. cut it into small squares about 1-2 inches. dropp'em in a karosene bath inside a coffee can.......... (yes a metal 1 <<<<< genius ya know) then dropped a handful of them on the grate and lite her up. well it was about 45 degrees outside give or take a couple degrees.Now ......that burnt good.however there was not enough draft to carry out the smoke from the karosene.Well me being new to this and all I opened the door to inquire what was takin so long with my fire. needless to say If anyone ever needs and good black cloud of smoke rushing out the front of thier stove...........well you can tell'em "i got'ch yer back" and direct them accordingly.
NO THANKS required for this here handy piece of information that has been bestode upon ya'll. Just sleep better knowing what not to do.............................

I KNOW I DO.LOL
I did however close the door and threw the propane torch to the stove pipe above the stove and it drawed the smoke out. As for the starters I'm perfecting those.

I'd love to find the recipe to make my own coal mice. Those suckers really burn hot and fast.

MAGNESIUM DUST YOU CAN BUY IT ON EBAY IN SMALL QUANTITIES. THEY ALSO SELL STARTERS. (COTTON BALLS FILLED WITH THE DUST. HAVENT CHECKED THE PRICE LATELY LUMP COAL WORKS FINE FOR ME JUST GET ENOUGH TO LAST THE WINTER. I HEAR IT IS HARD TO FIND IN THE DEAD OF THE WINTER. YOU DONT WANT ANYMORE

I ordered some coal mice a couple weeks ago and still have not heard anything from them, even after a couple of emails.

I called yesterday and the guy who makes the firestarters just came out of the hospital and is behind. I was told 2 weeks.

Thanks Trader, I did mean to look up their number and give them a call. I have a long list

First time I started a coal fire was Sunday. I tried to buy coal mice. The fireplace store was out of stock. I bought road flares cut them into about 2" sections. Took 3 pieces of road flare, added some pieces of 2 X 4 X 1/2 cut on my chop saw. Put all of this in paper, wrapped and tied the paper into a bundle. I put it in the stoker and lit it up. It worked great. I'll admit I was a little hesitant taking a hacksaw to the road flare but it all worked out fine. I plan on making up 6 or so of these in case of outfires.

A PVC cutter works great to cut road flares, lot cleaner than a Hacksaw. They look like garden shears, but have a ratchet built into the handle.

Used them to cut Dynamite for fishing when we were kids.

BK

This is the answer to my question as to where is my order of these starters.... ugh. I guess I gonna have to go the the local shop for a few even if the guy there is a tool.

traderfjp wrote:I called yesterday and the guy who makes the firestarters just came out of the hospital and is behind. I was told 2 weeks.

i lit my stoker last night. tried the fire starting disks. same material as the fire starting logs pretty much. lit one, got it going a little, dropped it in, put some hardwood splits on, got it going, put a few handfulls of coal on, turned the combustion fan on, and added coal as it burnt. worked great

seems i'm 1 up on ya'll ...............heck all-ya'll got fire............ <<<<<<<<< the only 1 wif smoke ...lol