How to Light a Hand Fired Coal Stove

wnyjim wrote:This works every time. Saves time too especially when you need to get things going. Harbor freight..around $20 bucks.

That's how I light the wood. Only mines just a soldering torch. My father-in-law uses a weed burner for his BBQ rig.

I want to thank you all for this thread, it contains a wealth of information. I will be getting my new coal burner sometime in the spring and am very happy to have found this site. Thanks again.

Starting The Stanley Argand-Video Just click on the link to the left to watch.

I decided to move these videos over to this thread. I probably should have posted them here anyway. Any questions, feel free to ask. If I can't assist you there are many helping hands here with friendly advice. So ask away, even though it is presently Springtime right now.

Bump! time for starting the fire....

Razzler wrote:Bump! time for starting the fire....

Don't forget a 6 pack!!!

I lit mine 2 weeks ago and haven't shut it down yet..getting snow this week here.

i use map gas with the long hose tip, i use my fireplace shovel, stick it in the middle of my coal pile, put the nozzle from the map gas under neath the shovel and in ten min. i got a pile started,

Bottle of whiskey moves things along just a bit quicker!

I'm just thinking out loud : WOW this thread is still going! Like the Energizer bunny ...... after a trip to C O L U M B I A ...

I figured I'd toss in my 2 fifths worth .... I musta missed this one back in '08!

I put one layer of charcoal ... nothin' fancy ... just Kingsford ... the company that Henry Ford spawned .... & douse it with lighter fluid. I use quite a bit, because I hate doing it twice ... & it will always burn if you over do it. Light the charcoal in the 4 corners of the stove, then one in the middle (that's my method .... any flame position will do ), then open/close the ash door so as to keep the fire under control -- if you leave it wide open, you'll have flames all the way out the pipe into the chimney. Once the charcoal seems to be burning well -- some whitish coloring on the edges which turns red when I open the ash door wide -- I shovel on a layer of coal ....... wait till that catches, then another .. and another ...... Wait .. I was talking about whiskey .... where the hell am I ?????

Oh yeah .... when those HOT blue ladies start dancin' away, fill it to the brim ...... and when you think you can't fit any more (handfired) toss in another couple shovelfulls .....

& enjoy the warmth!

Same method I use Smitty except I use Matchlight. After the initial 3 week frustrating learning period I have had a good fire going for over a month and a half now.

17 miles southeast of the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg is Prichards distillery in Kelso TN. Good whisky and some of the best Rum's in the world.

http://www.prichardsdistillery.com/

This the liquor forum, right?

LOL!

You are one lucky son of a gun! You are dead-center in the promised land of distilleries!!

ROAD TRIP!!!!

This is my first season with a hand fed coal stove. I have the Harman Mark II Stove. I use what has been told to me by many as the best hard coal there is called Blaschak. I use the Pea size. My biggest problem is maintaining a fire while I am at work. It is 9 hours from time I leave till I return. Dealer said I should get a min of 12 hours. When I come home it is either too low to get it going again or has just a little red and a lot of burnt coal to the sides. Not sure if it is all ash or if it is unburnt coal as it is gray shale in color. I know I have excellent draft as it roars when I can be home and attend to it. In fact usually it is too hot(87) in my place when I fire it up. My dealer said I have my draft knob that is on the ash door open too much and then showed me it should be only turned like 1.5 turns from closed. I think I tried this once and fire went out as probably too low but then I think maybe I banked the fire too early before having a hot enough fire. He says hard coal needs very little draft. I am tired of rebuilding and about ready to sell the thing. What am I doing wrong here? Thanks

Wow .. how hammered was I during those last 2 posts! I don't even remember posting!

Anyway .... uffbros, you should start another thread with your question so it gets seen. It's sort of hidden here .... & this one is just for tips on how to light her up. You'll get a better response.

Thanks.

thanks for all this info.. guess he's going to use a log starter haha, hopefully our house doesn't fill up with smoke anymore....

coal cracker SE wrote:haha.. we cannot get ours going correctly, he is giving up and just turning it into a pure wood stove apparently..

what's the problem???