Back From the Dead

I got home yesterday afternoon about 5 and felt pretty bad. I had a lot of joint pain, tired beyond belief, headache and just the general yucks. I have my vig2310 on the lowest idle I can get it and just add a little coal in the mornings and then knife the ash and add the night charge at around 6 PM or so. Well I felt so bad I just went straight to bed. Didn't touch the stove, didn't de-ash, nothing.

I woke up at 2:30 this morning felling better. Maybe I was just run down. Went downstairs and realized I don't see any glow from the stove.

I opened the top lid and there was a feeble glow in the center of the bed. OH NO!! I added one layer of coal all across the bed and let that cook for about 15 minutes. Then I carefully knifed the bed from below and cleared a lot of ash. I opened the ash pan door and let it sit.

An hour and 15 minutes later I looked over and I have dancing blue ladies in the center of the coal bed

As Dr. Victor Frankenstein yelled " It's alive!!!!"

Nice save Padre. Glad you're feelin better.

Close call.... good save! Most of us don't even own a second match!

Glad you're feeling better.

Rev,

Glad to here your on the mend. Now is the title of the thread about you or the fire........

waldo

Good save Rev. Glad to hear your feeling better !

Last year I learned that anytime I've been close to loosing the fire, pouring on some of the Tractor Supply Kimmels coal would bring it back faster. That coal lights easily and burns hot fairly quickly. It's almost as good as using dry kindling to save a fire.

I picked up some bags last week during a sale to keep on hand for "fire rescue".

Paul

Ok, after this mornings reload, I switched over to just Kimmel's nut that I picked up last week.

Seems to be as quick lighting as last years. The "snap, crackle and pop" phase is about half as long before the blue ladies start doing their thing (compared to the Blaschak bulk I've been using). And the ladies aren't quite as blue. There's some orange in the flames.

Heat output is good.

Yet to see how long it lasts and if it is the same red ash coal of last year.

FWIW, so far, it's acting much like last year's,.... which was better for bringing a near-dead fire than the bulk I get.

Paul

Ok now I'm pushing the envelope. Got home yesterday and felt pretty rough again. Wife was on the puter so I went up and layed on the bed. I dozed a bit and then realized that I didn't do the stove. If I didn't get up then and do it it wasn't going to get done. I decided to let it go. Got up at 6 this morning, came down and looked at the stove and it's still lit and simmering

It went 26 hours without tending, adding coal, or knifing it.

I love this stove but I better get to it because it's getting that pink glow again.

blrman,you sound like me, I woke in the wee hrs Mon a/m with a real bad migraine,didn't do anything to the stove,didn't get any shop work done (very little),stove was at 125* mon p/m ,opened the ash door,poked & sliced from below,left door open for 15 minutes till the flames took over,closed the ash door,threw more coal in,went to bed. Yesterday was a repeat except that by the afternoon I was able to get some work done.Last nite the stove was down to 125* again,poked & sliced from below,ash door open for 15 minutes till flames took over,threw more coal in,went to bed. Both mornings the house was warm @ 75*. A few more warm days to challenge keeping the stove going & then it will cool down to where the stove will be needed more. Get well,lots of folks are going to need your help with stoves & heating this winter.