Lighting and Maintaining a coal fire

 
franco b
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Post by franco b » Tue. Oct. 08, 2019 11:44 am

Nice pictures. The hopper will determine the depth of the coal bed, so definitely be sure to keep some coal in there. The grate openings look a little too large for pea coal, which otherwise would work well at that depth., which look to me about six inches. Check with a ruler from bottom of hopper to grate..

With a cold start just throw a piece of crumpled paper in to check if the draft pulls the smoke in right away.


 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Tue. Oct. 08, 2019 1:26 pm

H, how bout a couple pix through the big door??? PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

 
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Hrdnox1
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Post by Hrdnox1 » Tue. Oct. 08, 2019 1:31 pm

freetown fred wrote:
Tue. Oct. 08, 2019 1:26 pm
H, how bout a couple pix through the big door??? PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL
With or Without fire?

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Tue. Oct. 08, 2019 1:33 pm

without---------------- :)

 
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Hrdnox1
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Post by Hrdnox1 » Tue. Oct. 08, 2019 1:44 pm

Feel free to zoom in, I'll be more than happy to take more pictures after I dump the unburned coal..maybe tomorrow night or this weekend.

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franco b
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Coal Size/Type: nut and pea

Post by franco b » Tue. Oct. 08, 2019 4:48 pm

Don't dump the unburned coal. Shake down well and drag a trowel through the bed and shake down again. Then hollow out the middle down to the grate and put in 3 or 4 crumpled sheets of paper plus a half dozen lumps of charcoal and light. Leave ash door open and add coal when charcoal is well lit. The fire will spread to the unburned part.

Add coal in layers until up to hopper, then continue to add in the hopper.

 
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Post by CapeCoaler » Wed. Oct. 09, 2019 1:32 am

LOL...
Let him get the first fire goin'...
First...
Then start to play...
I remember the first few starts...
LOL...
Now, sure startin a fire with last years ash and coal still on the grates...
Didn't even make a hole to the grates...
Threw the lump charcoal on top with some starter gel...
Threw a bunch of coal on top...
then let it simmer for 3 days...
No shake down for 3 days...
Now it is going to rain and cold for 4 days...
Open ash door on stove it looked dead...
Could even hold your hand on the stove...
Had flame in 20 minutes...
Just trust the Black rocks and follow the instructions...


 
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Hrdnox1
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Post by Hrdnox1 » Wed. Oct. 09, 2019 11:49 am

Fred,
Here you go.. I had some time between basketball practices to mess around with the stove.

Franco,
I thought that at one point. The one picture has a giant hole and I thought 🤔 I wonder if I fill it with lump and gel if it would catch? But ultimately like Capecoaler said I think I need to master getting my first fire before playing around and getting all fancy with tricks to light it up.

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Last edited by Hrdnox1 on Wed. Oct. 09, 2019 12:48 pm, edited 2 times in total.

 
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Post by Hrdnox1 » Wed. Oct. 09, 2019 12:02 pm

Franco,
This may help someone at some point.
Not sure if there is a place to put these but here is the manual for a Hand Fired Alaska Kodiak Stove.

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franco b
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Post by franco b » Wed. Oct. 09, 2019 1:14 pm

If after establishing a full depth fire, it still dies, then draft has to be suspect.

 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Wed. Oct. 09, 2019 1:51 pm

H, Not sure I understand that partial view of "the hole"???

Can you get another 'shot' of that hole in full frame?

Using what coal is left over is just fine, but rattle out any ash so the air isn't too restricted to get things ripping.

There will be no fire where there is no air. :)

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Wed. Oct. 09, 2019 5:46 pm

H, that lump & gel theory is a crap shoot--best to clean out & start from scratch--I repeat--1 bag of self light briquettes--has worked for me for 10 yrs & I remain in the 1 match club .>)

 
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Post by CapeCoaler » Wed. Oct. 09, 2019 6:41 pm

Where is the center grate...
When first starting on the learning curve...
eliminate variables as much as possible...
Dump the old coal...
Start with all new coal...
Did you find some bags of Blashack The "Santa Coal"...

 
CapeCoaler
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Post by CapeCoaler » Wed. Oct. 09, 2019 6:46 pm

I'm with ya on that FF...
For the New to Coal guys though...
It is a clean out and start with an empty grate...
I love the lump charcoal and gel...
Cover the grate, a squirt of gel...
Then I boy scout it...
Quick blast with the propane torch...
No Match Club...
LOL...
Briquettes or Lump...
The next grate debate...
LOL...

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Wed. Oct. 09, 2019 8:50 pm

Boy Scout it indeed C--:)


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