vmi1983 wrote:I am about ready to install the Large round Godin. Since the grate is off-axis, towards the fire-door, how in the heck, do you remove the ash rear and sides?
It would seem to me I would have to shovel out the ash back of the front grate. That would require the door to be open, right?
To Be honest with you Godin Users, I am a bit
confusedOr say I use the poker under and up through the grate and remove the ash, what about all the remaing ash in the bottom rear? Does the ash somehow tumble
forward onto that undersized grate. My guess is that it could not
You know, I would really appreciate if a kind person would upload a video or step by step procedure on maintaing a Godin. I have read every post on NEPA and as I see it,
one must open the Grate access door and use a small shovel or tool to remove the ash, right? Given the small grate and limited access to the rear of the stove my experience
tells me the stove would become ash-bound.
The other ideathat has popped in my head, is PERHAPS, the fire (majority fire/ash) must be pulled forward onto the grate BEFORE recharging, trying not to disturb the fire so much,( this would require a flat sided tool long enough to extend easily from the top-loading door)
then shake down the excess ash and load staggered fresh coal into the rear of the cylinder. I am told in the Godin, coal burn pattern is front-to-rear.
I don't know?
Thanks
Hey VMI,
You won't have to poke from under the grate.
I can't up load a video at this time. Maybe this weekend???? I'd have to make one first
but if you are willing to wait I could prolly do it.I have the Oval and it's the same deal, yes when you shake it down you shovel out the ashes that the pan doesn't sit under. Not a huge deal for me since it's my first coal stove.
The rear of my stove seem throws more heat and it's usually an inch or two above the front door. Well with the air inlet there in front would be cause for the cooler temps.
Like I said I had only one bad experience with opening the grate so I don't do it. Yes the ash does accumulate somewhat just behind the front grate.
I can give you a short version of what I do while tending.
1) Slide a butterknife between the top cast lid and the upper stove lip, not too big of a gap, but it creates an overfire draft and prevents puffback while adding coal or opening the front door with my particular piping and setup. I've found it to be tried and true for my setup so that's what I do. If I don't I can almost guaruntee a puffback. Usually the lid, occasionally thru the front grate.
2) open door and gently poke thru the front grate slots. Watch for falling ash and coals. Leave some ash on the bottom grates. Close the front door and shake until I don't feel the friction of falling ash, watching so the front doesn't totally fill with bright embers. When poking I pull the pan partially out a few inches to catch the ash coming out of the front. The pan when pulled out will catch almost all of the ash. Try not to poke around too much thru hot embers. Poke all the way in a few times. I don't worry too much about disturbing this section since there should be plenty more on top. Let some fall as you poke but not too much.
3) repeat the poke, close door and shake (step 2) until there are glowing embers front and an inch or two from the bottom grate. If you feel crunchy hard coals stop poking there and go a little lower.
4) Remove pan from from the stove, bump it up against the stove's ceramic ash catch and shovel it out into the pan. It's easy to shovel clean where the pan will go. As far as any other areas I just get the substantial amounts of ash. Not that big of a deal to have it sterile in there and waste time w the door open, just get most of it and clear out well for the pan.
5) Replace pan, close door, fill to bottom of exhaust (or a little less)
6) close top lid still using the butterknife for a gap and wait about 15 minutes till the coal warms up.
7) remove butterknife, close both lids.
Yeah Gotta Love the Butterknife but it works
Just a sidenote: When poking I start low at each slot and work up , as you run along the bottom grate/shaker you will see a lot of fine ash fall. You will always end up with some ash forming right at the window. Makes sense I guess, that's the first to get room temp air. Don;t worry about 'Moving' the burn to the front of the grate, it will fall from above as you poke the ash.
This is just what I do. I can accomplish the whole thing in about 5 minutes or so (plus the fifteen minute wait after adding coal) and do it when I wake up and an hour or 2 before I go to sleep. (times vary greatly)
There are probably some here that don't poke it at all or have rituals that are much different, but I've found that without poking through the front, my stove just eventually clogs up with ash.
Hope This Helped Some.
Joe
