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[kc]

I am fairly new to stove fires in general and I am still pending firing up my OWB -- hopefully in the next week or so.   We moved into our current house over a year ago and burned a fireplace insert stove last winter and I remember having a lot of trouble starting fires with straight oak.   I had about 1/2 cord of well seasoned maple so what I learned was when starting a fire I would use a couple of sticks of maple under the oak.  My issue this year is I have practically all oak in my wood piles.   The maple is gone and I do have one pile of green pine but otherwise all oak.    Maybe it won't be much of an issue burning my oak in the OWB in that maybe the fires will rarely go out like they did pretty often with the insert stove.   But do you guys have any tricks to share for starting fires with harder-to-start wood?

kc

[fryedaddy]

You will find that after your initial fire you shouldn't have to start another from scratch as long
as you either through your ash every week - two weeks for coals and remove the ash.
Some people remove the ash daily, some weekly, some longer but you should have enough
materials left to start another.

I keep a propane torch around that has an electric trigger to start mine and save a small
amount of cardboard 2-3 shoebox size to start fire from scratch. My dad gathers pine cones
before winter and swears by them. Use starting material, stack kindling on top let it get started
then throw in oak. Smaller pieces first then larger pieces next.

It's simplified a little but nothing major to it.

I'm not sure where you are located but you will want to get your fire going SOON!!!
Your stove could freeze if it's not started soon.

[Homerglide]

I too am a pine cone user. One good sized white pine drops enough for the entire winter and I strike a match once per day in my current setup.

[AirForcePOL]

Fryedaddy is right on.  The fire shouldn't go out but it does happen sometimes.   

[Yooper]

Keep the oak dry.  I've been trying to burn some that sat on the ground.  It was very red and heavy.  Hey!  I said to myself, "This stuff is so heavy it will burn like coal!"  Wrong!  The wood was wet.  I can get it to burn, but it puts out very little heat and of course it won't dry in Winter.  The smoke from this wet stuff is pure white,......all steam.

I learned my lesson.  I will try to keep those logs out of the mud.

[kc]

I am still installing my OWF and haven't filled it yet so no danger of it freezing.   I had to work today but am off the next 3 and I am hopeful I can finish up the install and get her started.    It is definitely timely.

Last year when starting a fire in my fireplace insert I too used cardboard and I also made some kindling strips from pine which were smaller pieces that I would put on top of the burning cardboard followed by the maple and then oak.   Much like I expect with the OWF if there were coals just adding oak worked.  I will also have to try the pine cone method.   My woods are mostly pine / oak so no shortage of those two.

Also I can relate to the wet wood.   One reason I think the oak last year was harder to start was that we moved into the house in the summer and most of the oak I cut - although on the ground - I did in the fall so it didn't have ample time to season.   Plus I simply covered with tarps which helped but didn't keep the wood totally dry.  Still using tarps this season but I cut most of the oak last spring so it should be well seasoned this year.   My next project will be a wood shed next to the OWF so I can retire the tarps.   One thing at a time.   

I am totally looking forward to firing up the OWF.   We just started using the insert and it will be nice to take the smoke and mess out of the house plus heat the whole house.

kc

[AirForcePOL]

Kc, hope you get your owb installed soon.  I know what you mean about the tarps, I was just cussing mine tonight when I was trying to dig out a few logs.  I'm having a hard time talkin the old lady into letting me build a shed 

[MattyNH]

Oh man you gotta build a shed...It will make life much easier..Screw tarps..

[kc]

AirForcePOL - I know what you mean about talking the old lady into agreement.   It took me a while to get there and we are at her terms of "it has to be cute".   I am not a "cute" guy when it comes to building so it will be an interesting adventure but I figure onces it is up - cute or not - it won't come down...

kc

[AirForcePOL]

I've priced a few kits at menards and its probably going to run me around $1800 for a decent sized shed.  I still need to buy a trailer too which I think will come first.

[jerkash]

I found this used carport and it works great!!

[AirForcePOL]

I like the carport idea I just don't know if it would hold up at my house.  My house is surrounded by cornfields and it can get crazy windy here. 

[fryedaddy]

a shed is a must if your going to keep feeding these things.

My stove is installed in an enclosed building and I stack my wood in there but I would rather
use my heated space. Hopefully the misses will allow me to build a shed this year.

[kc]

intheoaks - Baby steps it is!  I have been tinkering with my setup for just over a month now and although close won't make my goal of firing her up during the holidays.   HE installed in furnace, underground and in-house pex insulated and run, stove is hooked up but still need to hook up all of the inside plumbing which I will be working on new years's day.  Still haven't done the thermostat yet either so I guess next week end will be the christening.   You got that right on being pulled in all directions.   I'm not worried about a wood shed for now but it will be a spring project.   I have a lot to learn with burning my new stove and will have to keep that aquastat idea in mind as I get tuned into keeping a fire going.  This site has been amazing for knowledge transfer.   I am marginally handy and along with my wife's and occasional help from my son I have installed this thing all on my own.   Pretty darned good feeling!

kc

[hoardac]

I use one of those weed burning torches attached to a 20 lb tank. It will start any wood in two minutes or less.