Is Burning Coal A Hobby?

AdkCoal wrote:It started out as a way to save money and be warmer but I think (and my wife would agree) that it has become an obsession.

http://www.homecoal.net

Yup, a new obsession for me too. BTW, that's quite a neat website you have there.

AdkCoal wrote:It started out as a way to save money and be warmer but I think (and my wife would agree) that it has become an obsession.

In January I plan on buying 4 data loggers and the assoicated analysis software.


And yes, my wife has suggested that professional help would be well advised.

http://www.homecoal.net

Hmmmm........sounds liek something I'd like to do if I had the spare cash.........was looking at the HOBO brand of data loggers and the Boxcar software to go with it. Hobo makes some coold ata loggers and you can find them in USA Blue Book and Ben Medows catalog.

There are $25 four port data acquisition units available from:

http://www.dataq.com/index.html

Optional software gets the captured data into an Excel spreed sheet file format. Once in Excel you can use it's equation calculation methods to analyze that data any way you want. You will need some electronics design experience to make low cost thermisters into temperature probes.

When the guys at work get together to plan an "intervention"... it's gone way beyond hobby. I talk about my recent installation more than anything else. Of course, I'm still trying to work out the bugs and have found a wealth of information on this forum.

I'm still burning a little oil but soon... very soon... I'm cutting the ties (cuffs) with OPEC.

And besides... we do all these things... 'cause we can... Isn't it great to live in America!

Signed,
Proud American Redneck

You'll really know things are getting bad when you call in sick to work due to stove separation anxiety. Time for intervention is when you work at home and call the office from in front of the stove and say you can't make it today.
And now when the whole family always knows where to find me I think its time to put a couple more stoves in, strategically located throughout the house so as not to be so predictable.
All the strange looks am getting when people walk by the stove and see me always sitting there is starting to make me think something is wrong with everyone.
Nothing is wrong with me I can still pull my self away from the stove long enough to check the form or go fill my coal bucket I'm OK. All I'm asking as that nobody step on my pillow when warming themselves by the stove. that's not unreasonable is it.
"Hay don't touch that stove I've got it under control"!!
"Yes dear it is necessary to watch the stove until blue flames are dancing on all the the fresh coal"
"I can Come back to it in 5 minutes are you crazy"
"I'm starting to think you need help hun you keep obsessing over how much time I spend with the stove"

Very funny Pete!

I put my cement mixer and a snowblower out in the cold under a blue tarp to make room for a pile of coal in a shed. I made a coal bin in another shed, losing room for a truck. I sometimes burn coal alone. I habitually lie down on the floor to poke ashes. I look at pictures of coal stoves on the internet. I spent 15 minutes at Home Despot deciding on a new knob for my ash door handle. I have what I think are interesting pieces of coal on bookcase shelves and windowsills. When people that know me see me all they say is "COAL!" And I spend a lot of time at the nepacrossroads. I look down on woodstoves as primitive, when just last winter I was heating with wood. But I can quit any time I want! I am not a coalaholic.

OK, you passed the initiation. Your In. If my wife read your post and it wasn't signed, she would swear I wrote it.

Now that my middle daughter & her husband have a TLC2000 (which she wont let her husband near! ) She & I finally have a topic of conversation we both enjoy! She is a mini coalaholic but won't join this forum out of spite@!

Much more than a hobby

Ashcat wrote:Much more than a hobby

Now that is definately crossing the line!!
Mark

As long as that's a water bed......

Ashcat wrote:Much more than a hobby

I can hear Barry White playing in the background.

Coal burning is a hobby and more; it's a way of life. The coal stove is the first thing I check in the morning and the last thing I do before hitting my pillow. I’m already planning steps to take over the summer that will improve my coal stove’s performance next year and it’s not even February yet. Playing attention to the little things will pay off in the fall. First on my list is getting to the breakers in June or July to buy a better quality of coal for less. Thanks for all the great information everyone provides on the forum! Lisa

For me it all started many years ago with that Boy Scout Jamboree at Camp Delmont. Kids representing Troops from all over the state.There we were all lined up with a few pieces of dry firewood,our scout approved Plumb hatchet and exactly one single solitary strike anywhere match.All of it was on the ground in front of us Whistle blew and you struck it.The first kid to boil water in their cook gear won the contest. I never forgot the excitement of competition and the fun we all had.Coal burning is a carryover. With coal it is somewhat the same thing.With the Boy Scouts all the power to win was resting on the skill to handle just one match. With coal we can win over opec,beat the elements [add comfort to our family living],win over the banking system [save some dollars along the way],and have some fun while we are at it. I still have to use one single match in the fall to make it a challange. No torches allowed in my competition,but this Coal tending competeition is one contest where every single one of us is a winner!! Even though there was never a Merit Badge for coalburning,it is the Boy Scout Way I tell ya!!! regards, Mike