Lit the Crane 404 First Fie

One match hard wood kiln dried I sinned and paid 2.78 for a bundle of kiln dried and used half. Got the stove top up to 500 and stack 575 0n the probe and 275 on the magnetic. Have 12 lbs. of Kimmels in and sounding like rice krispies and sprinkling away and keeping visible flames showing. Will it burn orange like wood to start and crackle? Draft .06 ash door 2 inches open stack probe 650 stove top 550 and every scoop of Kimmels seems to take off in minute. When do the blue flames start if they don't as long a s warm I really don't care. Have a box fan in the window and another open to get paint fumes out. As soon as plenty of orange flame I add a scoop and has to work as boiler died and spent time getting the coal going supposed to be 27F tonight so has become real import and a man on a mission.

Spinners on ash door 1 1/2 turns open and door closed as stack got to 750F with damper at 1/2 closed top 600F Flames still in the front with alst scoop and will let that take off before more. Sore wish the wood di not crap up the glass so can not see if I left flames or not to light gases and get a bit antsy opening the door incase they did not light. Don't need the bang and crap everywhere. Going to go outside and see if it smokes of smells.

Keeping the glass or mica clean is why some many of us are using charcoal and lighter fluid to start the fire. Lowes had sales on double bags of Kingsford for the price of one. Might still be going on ????

The Tractor Supply Kimmel's will light faster and tends to run hotter then Blaschak, or other "white ash" anthracite. That can make it tougher to keep the fire in check.

Use less primary air.

After the snap, crackle and pops stop, you can cut back on the secondary air too, but don't cut it all off. And, never add so much coal that you can't see flames through the coal bed - then you won't get "bang and crap". Coal is the opposite of wood. It relies more on primary, not so much on secondary air, but it needs some to keep the blue ladies dancing.

Then experiment with how closed the MPD will go without slowing the fire. Like a turbo system, it's not all just about the intake system. Increasing the exhaust restriction can also help limit how "fast" the stove goes. Use enough MPD and you won't go past red line !!!!

Paul

In no hurry dumped another half scoop in the center plenty of orange and blue flames. Now an hour or two later the house 85 in the sunroom where the stove is with a box fan on high blowing cold air off the floor in living room into sunroom to try and cool it off. Stack 600 on the probe and 275 on magnetic house is boxer shorts warm. Air turned down to 1/2 turn open and waiting for new coal to light but burning side has blue flames from top to bottom of coal to top of stove.

Always leave 1/3 uncovered and let it cat before adding more loos like a full load is 40 lbs. Damper fully closed and still pulling .05 primary air is 1/2 turn open on both. One sheet of paper towel and glass clean. Coal is lighting all across and when done will take a pic of coal burning *censored*. LOL...

I am impressed this really is set it and forget it. Still 600 on the stove top draft still .05 still cooking along with blue flames though fewer and coal bed dropped about an inch. Is there a downside to every now and then add a scoop if in the house to keep it topped off rather than let it burn down and have to catch and save it? The whole house is toasty warm and the fact the furnace / boiler no working is much less of a stress. So far so simple a cave man can do it and have all the help and hours of reading to thank for a warm house and initial success. It just goes and goes with no sign of slowing down like wood. The initial load 40 lbs.

ddahlgren wrote:I am impressed this really is set it and forget it. Still 600 on the stove top draft still .05 still cooking along with blue flames though fewer and coal bed dropped about an inch. Is there a downside to every now and then add a scoop if in the house to keep it topped off rather than let it burn down and have to catch and save it? The whole house is toasty warm and the fact the furnace / boiler no working is much less of a stress. So far so simple a cave man can do it and have all the help and hours of reading to thank for a warm house and initial success. It just goes and goes with no sign of slowing down like wood. The initial load 40 lbs.

You just started,. The real test comes when reloading and clearing ash for about 3 days.

DCrane I would like to thank you and your Dad for the bone numbing warm in this house I have never been this happy with wood. Added a scoop for what burned and took right off the Kimmels stuff just wants to burn. Seems to run between 550 and 600 went down to 550 with a fresh scoop of coal on the right side but 3 minutes later big blue fl ames so all is good and soon back to 600. Tomorrows job is buy a humidifier and order another ton of coal to make it 4.5 tons this is better than sliced bread! Here is a pic of a warm house and 15 hours into my first one match light off.

Does the heat off the stove make every pic look terrible and blurry Can't get a sharp pic.

I've never had any trouble taking pictures of a coal fire. Maybe you need to clean the lens or change some settings?

Stove looks great, enjoy the heat.

Some cameras don't focus well on hot glowing embers. My Nikon pocket digitals included. I suspect hot fire can throw off the infrared focusing at times.

If I use the "portrait" or "macro" settings, it does better, but still not 100% of the time. I usually have to shoot several pix to make sure I get a clear one.

Paul

Can't you put a kettle, or pot of water, on the stove top and use that heat to humidify ?

Paul

Buy a humidifier ???? Put a BIG kettle of water on the stove top & enjoy free humidification !!!!! Enjoy your Crane 404 coal burning,heat making machine with the bone warming heat,we sure are enjoying ours. I typed b4 Sunny Boy but he posted b4 me.

ddahlgren wrote:...Is there a downside to every now and then add a scoop if in the house to keep it topped off rather than let it burn down and have to catch and save it? ....

There is no problem with that at all as long as you remember to de-ash on a regular schedule. I add coal to keep my stove topped off during the day or evening. I do a de-ash first thing in the morning and before I go to bed. If it's running hard I might de-ash three times just to make sure it keeps putting out tip top.

I find that if I add as I go then it doesn't knock the heat output down so much as if I did a full recharge. some will say that it's overkill but I'm warm, Momma is warm, and the cat is warm.

Ok 15 to16 hours into this stove top 550 after added 4 scoops about 20 lbs. mounded in the center slightly above fire box. I went back and forth left side let it catch the right then left etc. letting new coal catch before adding more. Went outside not the slightest smell or smoke of any kind. If you could not see a little heat coming off the chimney you would never know it is running.

I am wondering what to do as only added around 20 lbs. this morning and all glowing bright orange. I am not really sure of what to do if anything at all as have absorbed the concept of just let it be a coal fire and don't molest it is no good reason. All I have done so far is during the evening added a scoop if room for it and walked away to let it catch. Stove top 575 to 600 stack 500 on probe but need to make a shield to go under it to block radiant heat as suspect a false reading as the magnetic one just above it is 160 and generally reads half of what is inside Oh draft 0.05 below MPD and primary air 1/2 turn open on both. I am thinking I have too much draft but might be wrong as flying blind here with loads of questions and zero experience..

I was thinking about giving it a couple of pokes to make sure not hollow inside then a quick shake and just let it be. Does this make sense?