EASIEST WAY TO LIGHT COAL!

Re: EASIEST WAY TO LIGHT COAL!

PostBy: I'm On Fire On: Mon Oct 08, 2012 6:37 am

I use Cowboy Coal, fatwood sticks and a match.


I lay the entire bag of charcoal in the stove, city the bag open, toss a handfull of fatwood on it and light the frayed ends of the paper. Within a few minutes I've got a hot fire.
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Re: EASIEST WAY TO LIGHT COAL!

PostBy: Lightning On: Mon Oct 08, 2012 7:52 am

The "wood like" lite charcol is definately the way to go. I put in a layer about 2-3 inches deep, soak with lighter fluid, let stand 5 minutes, ignite... After the charcol ashes over and is hot, start layering on coal, couple inches at a time with the ash pan door open.. This method has worked best for me :D I have a hand fed, using nut size...
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Re: EASIEST WAY TO LIGHT COAL!

PostBy: freetown fred On: Mon Oct 08, 2012 8:33 am

DITTO--there, that wasn't long winded on my part--thanx for the detailed summary lightning :D
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Re: EASIEST WAY TO LIGHT COAL!

PostBy: Lightning On: Mon Oct 08, 2012 10:04 am

Yeah Man Fred :) Lookin good partner!! 8-)
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Re: EASIEST WAY TO LIGHT COAL!

PostBy: 2001Sierra On: Fri Oct 12, 2012 10:57 pm

Here is my latest gadget for my stoker.
Add 1/2 sheet of crumbled newspaper, cup of crushed cowboy charcoal, 2 cups of coal. Light with torch in small hole in the bottom, turn on stove, wait 5 or so minutes, turn stove off knock steel cylinder into ash bucket for retrieval at next ash cleanout. Turn stove back on and you are in business.
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Re: EASIEST WAY TO LIGHT COAL!

PostBy: Ed.A On: Fri Oct 12, 2012 11:12 pm

2001Sierra wrote:Here is my latest gadget for my stoker.
Add 1/2 sheet of crumbled newspaper, cup of crushed cowboy charcoal, 2 cups of coal. Light with torch in small hole in the bottom, turn on stove, wait 5 or so minutes, turn stove off knock steel cylinder into ash bucket for retrieval at next ash cleanout. Turn stove back on and you are in business.



Way cool! I use a piece of old spring steel bent to a U , but yours looks wild. Very nice idea....thanks.
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Re: EASIEST WAY TO LIGHT COAL!

PostBy: Aldo8811 On: Sat Oct 13, 2012 9:29 am

Charcol and Mapp gas torch... tried the paper and charcol thing, worked ok most of the time... mapp gas torch has worked every time. Put the charcol on the tray,pile 5 or 6 on a little pile, break one into pieces if you want. hold the torch to it a few minutes then put a few handfuls of coal, i use rice, on top. turn her on and watch the temp gauge respond....
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Re: EASIEST WAY TO LIGHT COAL!

PostBy: davidmcbeth3 On: Sat Oct 13, 2012 2:31 pm

Benchkey wrote:HI: I've been burning Pea coal for 3 seasons and found an easy way to get my coal fire going. I lay in a bed of Pea coal then place wood pellets on top of it, followed by a sparse sprinkling of coal. Then I give the pellets a shot of liquid charcoal lighter fluid. Strike a match to it and shut the door. I make sure the bottom air intake is open and in 10 or so minutes I have a nice solid coal fire.

On the down side, there is sometimes a hint of the lighter fluid in the air, but that dissipates quickly.


I do about the same with the addition of a small amount of lump charcoal ... (I use heating oil v lighter fluid ... same effect I imagine).

Great minds think alike...
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Re: EASIEST WAY TO LIGHT COAL!

PostBy: LiftedAWDAstro On: Sat Oct 13, 2012 2:39 pm

I still use matchlight charcoal. Hit it with a torch for a few seconds, wait about 2 - 3 minutes and turn the combustion fan on. Once it's going good, I sprinkle some rice on it and turn the feed on by selecting heat and turning the t-stat up.
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Re: EASIEST WAY TO LIGHT COAL!

PostBy: traderfjp On: Sat Nov 03, 2012 12:21 am

Lump coal works best for me but I've been using pellets and they work even better. The lump coal is messy but not too terrible.
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Re: EASIEST WAY TO LIGHT COAL!

PostBy: ValterBorges On: Sat Nov 03, 2012 1:05 am

A layer of charcoal briquettes and a mist of citronella lamp oil on the coal works good then hit it with the heat gun.

On the S260 once you get a decent fire going in the pot with charcoal just turn on the fan and forget it.
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Re: EASIEST WAY TO LIGHT COAL!

PostBy: tikigeorge On: Mon Nov 05, 2012 9:34 pm

This is how I light my KA-6. I use easy light charcoal and crush it into small pieces. Use Map Gas torch to light that. Than add some coal,when that starts add some more. Don't forget to put the feed in neutral. Than when you have a good fire put it in gear and enjoy!
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Re: EASIEST WAY TO LIGHT COAL!

PostBy: Beeman On: Thu Nov 15, 2012 6:35 am

Build a wood fire, then pile on coal. One match.
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Re: EASIEST WAY TO LIGHT COAL!

PostBy: aa1bflyboy On: Wed Dec 19, 2012 10:51 pm

eberlintom wrote:I used my last 3 "mice" ............. Turn on the motors and in ten minutes all was hot and fully lit.


Mice, motors, and plugs... What kind of stoves are you guys running? Mine is a DS Stove, 1500 has no electric, no motor, no blower just two doors and a control dohicky in the back hooked to the air inlet control. I'm not sure I would want to hold a heat gun on high inside my stove. The charcoal idea seems like it might work. I'll be trying that one tomorrow. If that doesn't work I may call the guy who sold me the coal. Maybe it's my chimney.

Steve
Day 3 with fire still going out. :x
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Re: EASIEST WAY TO LIGHT COAL!

PostBy: Wood'nCoal On: Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:36 pm

On the boiler and the handfed: Newspaper and very dry wood scraps, preferably nice dry lumber. I get a nice roaring woodfire going and start adding coal a little at a time. Usually block the baro on the handfed first so I get the most draft possible. A vigorous wood fire gets the coal burning every time.

The flatbed stokers are tricky, when I had the Alaska lighting it was always an adventure. I used a U shaped piece of stovepipe to hold the fire on the grate until the coal got going, then I would knock the piece of metal off into the ashpan.
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