Is This Acceptable

To keep from having an explosion on a hand fed stove would this be ok or does it create a problem I'm not seeing? When you go to shakedown and reload can I take some of the burning coal and move it into a pile that would be level with a full load (or slightly higher) . I always have 1/2 -3/4 of a box of burning coal after a shakedown. I would just use the top area and make a pile then fill in around it to full level. That way there's an area of burning coal exposed to stop a poss BOOM! Is that considered banking?

Waswood wrote:To keep from having an explosion on a hand fed stove would this be ok or does it create a problem I'm not seeing? When you go to shakedown and reload can I take some of the burning coal and move it into a pile that would be level with a full load (or slightly higher) . I always have 1/2 -3/4 of a box of burning coal after a shakedown. I would just use the top area and make a pile then fill in around it to full level. That way there's an area of burning coal exposed to stop a poss BOOM! Is that considered banking?

To avoid build up of gasses, open your MPD for a couple of minutes to vent after you load. It is that simple. Banking means not to make a sloped coal bank, commonly misunderstood, but rather means really piling it up in a heap to hold the fire long term.

Sounds like you are talking about banking.
I got the link below from Berlin here on this website...

Ky Speedracer wrote:Sounds like you are talking about banking.
I got the link below from Berlin here on this website...

Interesting. I did not see the word "banking" in that article, did I miss it? I learned about bankin from Larry Trainer. It is more or less corrrectly explained here: http://vogelzang.com/index.php?route=information/page&post=158
It has been is use for a long time in the context of camp fires.

Yes, banking the coal will definitely reduce the possibility of a puff back.

Ky Speedracer wrote:Sounds like you are talking about banking.
I got the link below from Berlin here on this website...

Yes that's exactly what I'm referring to . Whatever it's called . Thanks

lobsterman wrote:

Ky Speedracer wrote:Sounds like you are talking about banking.
I got the link below from Berlin here on this website...

Interesting. I did not see the word "banking" in that article, did I miss it? I learned about bankin from Larry Trainer. It is more or less corrrectly explained here: http://vogelzang.com/index.php?route=information/page&post=158
It has been is use for a long time in the context of camp fires.

I guess banking is different than what I'm was referring to . Although if you bank it I would expect it would help with extra coal at reload time to push up in a pile .

Yes, no problem making a mound of hot burning coals. I've done that very same thing with a hopper fed stove. Rake hot coals out from under the hopper. Then fill the hopper all the way up. The hot coals you pulled out from under the hopper will ignite the gasses from the fresh batch of coal you just dumped in.

Your both correct.

Banking a fire (both wood and coal) can be covering it with ash to slow and extend the burn time, and/or, reduce the heat output when not needing as much heat.

Or it can be to push the burning coals into a bank, or mound and put fresh coal up against it rather than on top of it. That's done to both prevent puff backs and extend the burn time as the pile burns sideways rather than the faster way of upward.

Paul

Thanks fellas, I tried this yesterday as well as this morning and it worked great. The new coal ignited quickly with a portion of the old hot coal pushed up in a pile . I think I will be using this method since it cuts back on reloading time.

I'll bet that's easier to do in a furnace, than a round and deep pot. After shaking down a long burn, my leftover chunks are deep at the bottom. But these guys woke me up to loading fresh coal "before" shaking down, and letting them heat up to lessen the recovery time.
I guess in your case, to prevent puffbacks, I think someone mentioned always keeping some exposed burning coals, and not totally covering them with new stuff, and adding some secondary air, to prevent one.

Some fireboxes just have to have it. I had an old handfired with a long, deep V shaped firebox. It was a pain in the butt if not banked, outfires and puffbacks galore. Taught me a lesson I'll never forget, hence the Axeman!

Reading some other post it seems if you leave the air going to fresh coal it recovers and has flames in about 10 min? Mine certainly doesn't recover that fast if I cover it with fresh coal. I bet it's more like 30 min b4 I get flames with ash pan and glass door open . Since this "banking" method looks like it's working for me I'm going to stick with it.