Light Your Harman Mark I II III in 15 Minutes... Here's How

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guysnydr
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Posts: 51
Joined: Sat. Jan. 09, 2016 2:39 pm
Location: Williamsport PA
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman Super Magnum
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Previous stove - Harman Mark III
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Oil Fired Forced Hot Air

Post by guysnydr » Sun. Jan. 10, 2016 10:47 am

I am new to this site and have found a lot really good info! Thought maybe I would try to give back a little.

I see the subject of lighting a coal stove has been hit on pretty hard, but nonetheless, I thought I would share how I light my Harman Mark III in only about 10 -15 minutes or so and with only about 10 or12 pieces of small kindling. I am sure this would work fine on other brand hand fired stoves as well.

Here's what has worked for me for many years.

Cut off a piece or two of regular old 2x4 about 6 inches long and split into roughly 1 inch squares or so (exact size doesn't matter much). Any wood would work, I just usually use fur or pine 2x4's, or whatever I have laying around.

#1 Start by adding a nice perimeter of coal "around" the inside of the firebox (a few inches thick), leaving the center open to the grates.

#2 Add a sheet or two of wrinkled newspaper to the open grates in the center and place three or 4 of your kindling sticks on top of the paper and push them down to flatten the paper so everything sits fairly flat. Place the sticks an inch or two apart, then continue adding another row of wood in the opposite direction, then another row in the opposite direction of the last row - you are basically building something that looks like a "slat", build that up three to four rows high, whatever you prefer.

#3 Open your firebox door and light the paper.

#4 Once you hear some good snapping and popping of the wood and are sure it is lit well, start filling in the area all "around" the wood and
coal so coal is built up around the "slat" you just built. This centralizes the bulk of your air draft right through your wood and will almost
act like a forge, heating things quickly and intensely.

#5 Shut your firebox door and let the wood flare up a little so it is burning well - sometimes this only takes 20 seconds or so. Once the wood
is burning well, then get a small stove shovel full of coal and sprinkle on top of the wood, being careful not to get the coal too thick that
the flames can't find their way through.

#7 Shut the firebox door and things will begin flaring up nicely through the wood. Things go quickly from here so just sit tight and open the
firebox door when needed and continue sprinkling coal around the hottest flame areas being careful not to add too much, as you want
the flames to shoot up through the coal. Shut the door again and continue drizzling coal around the hottest spots as it continues to flare
up.

In no time you will have coal burning, once you have a good bed of red coal burning then just tend and add coal accordingly from there. It's easy and goes quickly! And you don't need a lot of wood, just a small bundle of kindling will do it!

Once you've done it this way a time or two and get the hang of it, you will use this method every time!

Of course - NEVER walk away from your stove for more than a few minutes during this process when your ash door is open!! We don't want to melt your stove down! ;)

Hope this helps someone out. Thanks.

Guy Snyder
- from the northern woods of PA!

 
franco b
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Post by franco b » Sun. Jan. 10, 2016 10:56 am

Good system. I like that the perimeter is covered with coal to maintain that forge like fire in the middle. Also good for re-start of a fire with old coal pushed to sides and new fire in middle.

 
titleist1
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Post by titleist1 » Sun. Jan. 10, 2016 11:02 am

Welcome to the forum!!

Good system for new coal burners or someone that has trouble lighting up to try out, thanks for sharing!

I wonder if covering the grates with newspaper before putting the coal on the perimeter (leaving that middle open as you do) would help increase the blowtorch airflow in the middle. I wonder as the paper burned out from the middle under the coal if it may help the perimeter coal light up faster.

Just something fun to experiment with if I ever light up the Mark III again. :)

 
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lsayre
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Joined: Wed. Nov. 23, 2005 9:17 pm
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Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS S130 Coal Gun
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Anthracite Pea
Other Heating: Resistance Boiler (13.5 KW), ComfortMax 75

Post by lsayre » Sun. Jan. 10, 2016 11:05 am

I just printed it out for future reference.


 
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joeq
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: G111, Southard Robertson

Post by joeq » Sun. Jan. 10, 2016 12:06 pm

Another welcome Mr.Snyder. Thanx for posting. You must know there's a thread on peoples stoves titled "pictures of your stove"(?)
We sure would love to see yours in action. Enjoy surfing. :)

 
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Rich W.
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Joined: Tue. Nov. 26, 2013 10:29 pm
Location: Newport County, Rhode Island
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vermont Castings Vigilant Multi-Fuel (coal for me); Vermont Castings Vigilant 2310 in the shop
Coal Size/Type: Nut
Other Heating: System 2000 Oil Burner; VC Resolute Woodstove (sold) Jotul 8 Woodstove (sold)

Post by Rich W. » Sun. Jan. 10, 2016 3:02 pm

I wish I had read this in 2013 when I started burning black rocks! I got a lot of good advice from this site, but until last year did not consider the benefit of blocking airflow on the perimeter and concentrating it in the middle of the grate where my wood was. What you describe is what I eventually figured out, and I am sure that your excellent post will help future rookies!

 
guysnydr
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Posts: 51
Joined: Sat. Jan. 09, 2016 2:39 pm
Location: Williamsport PA
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman Super Magnum
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Previous stove - Harman Mark III
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Oil Fired Forced Hot Air

Post by guysnydr » Sun. Jan. 10, 2016 5:53 pm

franco b wrote:Good system. I like that the perimeter is covered with coal to maintain that forge like fire in the middle. Also good for re-start of a fire with old coal pushed to sides and new fire in middle.
Yes, I have used same method to restart. Just remove some ash out of the center and build the fire same way. Works good.

 
guysnydr
Member
Posts: 51
Joined: Sat. Jan. 09, 2016 2:39 pm
Location: Williamsport PA
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman Super Magnum
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Previous stove - Harman Mark III
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Oil Fired Forced Hot Air

Post by guysnydr » Sun. Jan. 10, 2016 5:55 pm

joeq wrote:Another welcome Mr.Snyder. Thanx for posting. You must know there's a thread on peoples stoves titled "pictures of your stove"(?)
We sure would love to see yours in action. Enjoy surfing. :)
I did not see that actually! I will check it out and put a pic on there when I get a chance. She isn't fancy, but she sure does work!


 
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joeq
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Post by joeq » Sun. Jan. 10, 2016 6:38 pm

We don't care about fancy. Just "proof"! :lol: (Kidding)

 
guysnydr
Member
Posts: 51
Joined: Sat. Jan. 09, 2016 2:39 pm
Location: Williamsport PA
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman Super Magnum
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Previous stove - Harman Mark III
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Oil Fired Forced Hot Air

Post by guysnydr » Tue. Jan. 19, 2016 4:54 pm

titleist1 wrote:Welcome to the forum!!

Good system for new coal burners or someone that has trouble lighting up to try out, thanks for sharing!

I wonder if covering the grates with newspaper before putting the coal on the perimeter (leaving that middle open as you do) would help increase the blowtorch airflow in the middle. I wonder as the paper burned out from the middle under the coal if it may help the perimeter coal light up faster.

Just something fun to experiment with if I ever light up the Mark III again. :)
Titleist,
I experimented with your idea about completely covering the grates with newspaper, then adding the perimeter of coal. It worked very well and I think I noticed an increase in draft in the center - which resulted in a hotter flame. Just MAKE SURE you tear out the center section of the paper completely and don't depend on the paper to burn out on it's own once you light it. That was a mistake! I tried it that way and it was counterproductive and didn't burn well. Had the start over but once I tore the center section out and restarted it, it took off like crazy. I think it's worth it!

Good suggestion!

 
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davidmcbeth3
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Coal Size/Type: nut/pea/anthra

Post by davidmcbeth3 » Tue. Jan. 19, 2016 5:42 pm

I do something similar but will pellets and w/o paper.... 1 bag of pellets lasts about 3-4 yrs.

Your method likely produces similar results. Anyway that works is a good way !

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