The RPF Firewood Thread

[pcosmar]

I've never seen a wood stove like the center one pictured pcosmar. What type/brand is it? Man it is beautiful in design.

Sterling Oak. probably not UL approved,,,lol. Cast iron,,with stainless trim.

http://www.goodtimestove.com/compone...etail?Itemid=0

That one came with the house..

[tod evans]

"no open flames" does not mean "no UL listed wood stoves"

Free your mind and the rest will follow:

My insurance has absolutely nothing to do with freeing my mind or using UL approved anything...

A gas fired oven or water heater moves me to the higher bracket not just a woodstove..

We heated the farmhouse growing up with wood and I love wood heat but I love having insurance on my investment more..

[pcosmar]

That is a lot for one season.

UP winters are legendary. .

[phill4paul]

Sterling Oak. probably not UL approved,,,lol. Cast iron,,with stainless trim.

http://www.goodtimestove.com/compone...etail?Itemid=0

That one came with the house..

Thanks. I was able to make out "Ster..." in the picture and from there tracked it down. That is not only utility but an absolute work of art. No wonder they go for around 2k-3k. I haz the stove envy.

[pcosmar]

My insurance has absolutely nothing to do with freeing my mind or using UL approved anything...

A gas fired oven or water heater moves me to the higher bracket not just a woodstove..

We heated the farmhouse growing up with wood and I love wood heat but I love having insurance on my investment more..

Shop around.
I talked to several,, till Farmers insured me.

some wanted no indoor stoves,, one wanted me to take 2 out,, and were still high priced for one.

Farmers,,looked at the house,, and gave me a good deal. but I trust in God and due diligence,,not insurance.

[presence]

How big is your house? How many days are subzero? I generally start a fire in October and it never goes out till April or May.

On really cold days,, I have 2 burning.

1200sqft heated, half 16' cathedral. Another 400 or so kept at 50. I generally run constant fire October 15-April 15. Not sure how many days below zero, but our digital thermometer registered s -19F last year.

[presence]

A gas fired oven or water heater moves me to the higher bracket not just a woodstove..

bastards






I have a friend with an indoor saw mill; couple dozen employees. A wood boiler heats hydronic concrete slab off of scrap wood and millings. I'll ask about who's insuring him next time I see him.

[pcosmar]

OH Yeah,, This thread has not addressed,,

Clean Your Chimney

All stoves (and chimneys) create creosote.
I made a tool for mine,, works better than a brush.. But clean them regularly.
A chimney is basically a distillery,, and Creosote forms constantly.

[tod evans]

Shop around.
I talked to several,, till Farmers insured me.

some wanted no indoor stoves,, one wanted me to take 2 out,, and were still high priced for one.

Farmers,,looked at the house,, and gave me a good deal. but I trust in God and due diligence,,not insurance.

Believe me I've shopped, I review every year too when the astronomical policy comes due...

And I'm whining about coverage without the $6k additional!

It cost me far less to heat with electric for a couple months than $6K...

[pcosmar]

1200sqft heated, half 16' cathedral. Another 400 or so kept at 50. I generally run constant fire October 15-April 15. Not sure how many days below zero, but our digital thermometer registered s -19F last year.

mine is about 2100 sq ft. 4 bedroom,, 1 1/2 story. Temps depend on the winter.. but -20 is common (not every day thankfully)

[phill4paul]

OH Yeah,, This thread has not addressed,,

Clean Your Chimney

All stoves (and chimneys) create creosote.
I made a tool for mine,, works better than a brush.. But clean them regularly.
A chimney is basically a distillery,, and Creosote forms constantly.

Yes. I learned that lesson well after stoking the morning fire when I lived in Virginia. Thankfully, I had this product on hand and I cannot recommend them enough. They will extinquish a chimney fire in seconds. It was out before the fire department arrived on scene. A bonus, if you can call it that, is that my chimney was super clean after the fire.



http://chimfex.us/

Edit: Of note is that the fire department asked where I had gotten them. They thought they were the bees-knees. They usually just sprayed the fire suppressant in their fire extinguishers into a plastic sandwich baggie and dropped it down the chimney.

[presence]

OH Yeah,, This thread has not addressed,,

Clean Your Chimney

All stoves (and chimneys) create creosote.
I made a tool for mine,, works better than a brush.. But clean them regularly.
A chimney is basically a distillery,, and Creosote forms constantly.

I actually had a big reduction in creosote last year.... I had a triple wall uninsulated metal chimney above my roof line about 10 feet into the wind. I filled the annular space with vermiculite, and taped all the joints on the outer pipe with aluminum duct tape. I get a lot less creosote now.

I generally push 2 sticks of 1/2 pvc pipe up into my chimney and wiggle it around to knock off any big chunks once a month, then I brush the rest out with a traditional chimney brush.

I ran 1/2 copper to the top of my chimney, with a pinhole at the bottom so it doesn't hold water out in the cold. If I get a chimney fire... usually only happens when I'm tending the fire and keep the door open too long... I have a valve that I can turn on and it extinguishes my chimney from the top side with cold water.

[Origanalist]

OH Yeah,, This thread has not addressed,,

Clean Your Chimney

All stoves (and chimneys) create creosote.
I made a tool for mine,, works better than a brush.. But clean them regularly.
A chimney is basically a distillery,, and Creosote forms constantly.

Yes. I learned that lesson well after stoking the morning fire when I lived in Virginia. Thankfully, I had this product on hand and I cannot recommend them enough. They will extinquish a chimney fire in seconds. It was out before the fire department arrived on scene. A bonus, if you can call it that, is that my chimney was super clean after the fire.



http://chimfex.us/

Edit: Of note is that the fire department asked where I had gotten them. They thought they were the bees-knees. They usually just sprayed the fire suppressant in their fire extinguishers into a plastic sandwich baggie and dropped it down the chimney.

+ rep to both, except I repped the wrong post for pcosmar.

[pcosmar]

I made this tool out of an old slide hammer and some lawn mower blades.. It fits my chimney and clears it fast.
I run it down a few times a season..

I do need to change the rope though.. a Stainless cable would work better.

[Barrex]

wet wood will increase creosote production in your chimney... be careful w/ that and inspect 2x month

OR: If you live on a farm you dont and during winter you have free firework. Since it is wet and snow everywhere there is no risk of fire.(Houses here are made of stones and bricks and not wood).
What is the size (hole) of US chimneys that you have to inspect it 2x per month? We dont inspect ours at all and clean them once every few years.

I've never used anything but a 6lb maul. Axes tend to get stuck in the wood rather than ploughing through

Yea. I meant that. Other "technique" is raising axe with wood over your head and smashing it down so it hits blunt end (the one that is still sticking out). DANGER.

In the US, big insurance and big power have common interests. So big insurance says 2x or 3x home fire insurance cost for wood stoves in some areas forcing use of "safe" electric/gas/fuel oil heat. You can get around this by using an "outdoor wood boiler" and hydronic system.
http://www.insure.com/home-insurance...e-heating.html

I have a woodworking business on my property and one of the requirements of the insurance company is no open flames, even burning scrap (if caught) is grounds for them to invalidate the policy.
I can change companies but the difference in premiums is ridiculous, $6k year!
I inquired about outdoor boilers, in ground boilers and the carriers response was the same, no open flames..

Yea. I figured that. It has little to do with safety. It is about monopoly and restricted market (government doesnt allow anyone to start insurance company) and calculation of extra profit. They earn more money that way.

[presence]

Since it is wet and snow everywhere there is no risk of fire.(Houses here are made of stones and bricks and not wood).
What is the size (hole) of US chimneys that you have to inspect it 2x per month?

Few homes in the US are stone/brick construction... and those that are are generally facade over wood. Its difficult and expensive to pull permits to build anything in the US that does not have nominal 2"x4" or 2"x6" studded walls spaced 16" on center. You'll fight a 10 year legal battle trying to build a log or stone home from trees and stone on your own land in any incorporated US town.

Most chimneys in the US that I've run into are 6" single or double wall inside the home w/ 6" triple wall outside. Some stoves run on 8" pipe. Masonry chimneys with block and clay liner are few and far between in the states.


Typical US wood stove situation:






The chimney kits are about $650, qualify for homeowners insurance out of the box (UL listed), but generally suck (thin metal) and go bad in 10 - 15 years.


I have an old masonry chimney in my home that is not being used because the clay liner is shattered top to bottom. I'm going to re line it next year and relocate my boiler. I'll use automotive 6" ss diesel tailpipe/exhaust and fill the annular space between the masonry and steel w/ vermiculite. It should last forever and eliminate most of my creosote issues. The added perk is the room I'll be moving the boiler to has concrete floors walls and ceiling = excellent thermal mass.

[69360]

Why homeowners insurance? Required for a mortgage?

I don't bother with homeowners insurance. I accept the risk. My place is paid for and I can afford to replace it if needed. I wouldn't get car insurance either if it wasn't mandatory.

[Tod]

I stopped using my fireplace because it is in questionable condition. It never was efficient enough to heat the house anyway. If I start burning wood again, it will be in a Rocket Mass Heater.

I have one of those chainsaws ending in HL, used to have one of those junky green and black ones. Another good brand, according to my small engine mechanic nephew, is Husqvarna. (he actually likes them slightly better than stihl).

Tried the little dremel bits with no luck.

[presence]

Tried the little dremel bits with no luck.

???

How do you keep your chain sharp?

[Tod]

I take them to the shop where I bought the saw and they sharpen it with a large disc mounted on a stand kind of like a drill press, kind of like that one in the OP. Costs a couple bucks and they can sharpen a chain in just a couple minutes. I don't cut a whole lot of wood, so I don't need to do it often. If I did use the saw a lot, I'd figure out a way to do it myself.

[pcosmar]

???

How do you keep your chain sharp?

I use a file..with a guide. Takes a few minutes to dress it.

Oh,, and someone mentioned Husqvarna.and someone else Jonsared.
It depends on which color you prefer.. Red or orange.. They are exactly the same machine..

As are Sears Craftsman and Poulan. the only difference is plastic color and stickers.

Edit,,
Damn, Husky also owns PoulanPro. (whodathunkit)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Husqvarna_AB

[presence]

I take them to the shop where I bought the saw and they sharpen it with a large disc mounted on a stand kind of like a drill press, kind of like that one in the OP. Costs a couple bucks and they can sharpen a chain in just a couple minutes. I don't cut a whole lot of wood, so I don't need to do it often. If I did use the saw a lot, I'd figure out a way to do it myself.

On each tooth (on most decent brands of chain... oregon, stihl, craftsman, etc) there is a little engraved line near the back end of the tooth which gives you the angle to file the tooth to. Using that line and a rotary tool (with tip sized for YOUR chain pitch; 3/16, 7/32, etc.) you want to grind every tooth back until 1) you have a straight edge parallel with the engraving and 2) 2/3 of the dremel tip tucks under the tooth. 3) its sharp. Never grind the top side of the tooth, only the under side; and if there is any damage to the top edge... keep grinding from the underside until you cut back beyond the topside damage.

I use an "in and out" motion to keep wear on my dremel tips consistant; but I always maintain the same angle. Don't grind any one tooth for more than a 4 second count so it doesn't heat up; you might have to go around the chain 2 or 3 times if its really beat up. Too much heat will anneal the steel. I usually do all the teeth in one direction on the top of the bar, then all the teeth in the other direction on top of the bar.... then advance the chain and repeat.

There are three types of tips I've found, red abrasive, black abrasive, and diamond. I find the red abrasive cuts nice but wears out too fast and spindles down quickly to too small diameter. Black (oregon) lasts the longest but does slowly whittle down. The diamond wears out somewhere in the middle, but maintains its diameter best until all the diamond dust wears off.

I used to do the file thing... dremel is just so much faster and less labor intensive though when dealing with "dirty" commercial logs that have been dragged on the dirt and cause need for frequent resharpening. The one down side to dremel sharpening vs file is the need for safety glasses to keep the oily metal dust out of your eyes... I usually wear sunglasses though when cutting.

Another thing I do, which helps keep the blood pressure down... I have about a dozen blades and I make them all razor sharp every spring. This way whenever a blade gets beyond what a quick sharpening will turn back around (say I hit a nail in a tree)... I just take it off and put on a new one; and put the old one on a hook for sharpening day next spring.

[phill4paul]

I use a file..with a guide. Takes a few minutes to dress it.

Oh,, and someone mentioned Husqvarna.and someone else Jonsared.
It depends on which color you prefer.. Red or orange.. They are exactly the same machine..

As are Sears Craftsman and Poulan. the only difference is plastic color and stickers.

Same. But I do own a Dremel and an battery inverter. Might be worth checking out. Personally, I've always considered sharpening time as "beer break and a smoke" time and I don't know if I want to speed that process up.

[presence]

Well... I had a triaxle of logs delivered when I began this thread... its all chopped into firewood now 9 days later. Today = day of rest. Pile of firewood pieces chopped to 4" x 4" x 16" or less is about 40' long 10' wide at base and heaped 5' tall. Its going to sit where it is for a bit until I have time to stack it square. 6lb maul and 2 Stihl chainsaws still in good working order. Me = lost 6 lbs; arms a little thicker, abs a little tighter... overall very sore, a little blistered on the palms, and thankful for a day off.




Cost for winter on propane = 3300
Cost for winter on logs < 600

Savings = 2700

/9 days

= $300 daily for my labor


+ got to stay at home w/ family in the state forest


(not to mention tax implications had I earned the money to buy the propane)

[phill4paul]

Just a bump for relevance to what we have been discussing about chimney cleaning. It's finally gonna hit the 30 degrees in N.C. at night this week. I checked the chimney last month and it was still clean from last year. However, as the cold weather is now upon me I did the inside cleaning. The actual stove pipe and thimble. Sure enough the thimble was caked. Make sure your chimney inspection is thorough and have a safe and warm winter!

[pcosmar]

Today's project,, a little wood for the fire.. Getting to be that time of year.



Two truck loads.. The truck is fine till the snow flies,, then it's the "other truck".

[Icymudpuppy]

Nothing against Stihls, but I'm fond of Husqvarnas myself. The balance is better.

Here is what I have. a 372XPW 75cc with 32" bar.

[Icymudpuppy]

Another thing I do, which helps keep the blood pressure down... I have about a dozen blades and I make them all razor sharp every spring. This way whenever a blade gets beyond what a quick sharpening will turn back around (say I hit a nail in a tree)... I just take it off and put on a new one; and put the old one on a hook for sharpening day next spring.

I'm lazy. I have several chains that I do the same thing, but instead of sharpening them myself, I take them down to the local saw shop and they sharpen them all up in no time, and little money. My time is too valuable to bother with sharpening my own chains.

[presence]

Log truck arrives today. I'm kinda upset, I ordered it in July. Luckily I still have half a load split from last season.

$600

[tod evans]

Yesterday I helped out a friend and got to run a brand new Poulan 18" saw..

Didn't impress me one bit but it was light.