Log Stove Hints: save time & money

John Vander

Extend your stove's burning time by mixing green Sawtooth Oak with other dried woods. Get the fire going, and when the stove heats to about 250degC, add some green Sawtooth Oak. High calorie output! Fire goes alot longer and saves dried firewood.

For a quick clean, cram a piece of newspaper into the chimney and set it alight. The sudden draft will blast the rubbish out the top. (Don't forget to remove the chimney top though!) (This method is just a quick time saver and does not substitute for a proper clean from time to time.)

Instead of spending alot of money on glass cleaner, take some of the ash from the stove and apply it to a piece of newspaper. Use this to wipe the glass. Works well!

Stove sealers are expensive. Using tailpipe sealant like Gungum works just as well to seal leaks.

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"What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself." Abraham Lincoln

Glen Poulton

I'm liking the glass cleaner idea. Will test it out.

John Vander

You won't be dissapointed.

__________________
"What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself." Abraham Lincoln

Paul Toivonen

I have used ash to clean the glass for some time now.
It works much better than specific glass cleaners.
I get a wet rag, dip that in the ash and wipe over glass.
Must be the composition and water act to break down the resin?
What other green woods could be used in place of sawtooth oak?

John Vander

Here in Japan, as far as I know, Sawtooth is the only green wood you can use. If there is others I'd like to know too! Yeah, the ash idea was given to me by an old Japanese lady. You learn alot from these old folk! By the way, here's another tip: Sometimes you add wood to the stove, but there seems to be a lack of heat, resulting in alot of smoke. Get yourself some dried bamboo (You can cut some in the hot season and let it dry out before winter). Add a couple of pieces of bamboo to the fire. Major calories! It boosts the heat incredibly. Don't add too much, it's strong! Make sure to split the bamboo before you put it into the fire. Bamboo needs to be opened up. The air pockets inside can cause one hell on an explosion. (Very bad for the cat sitting in front of the stove...heart attack.)

The black soot from the chimney can be used too. Rub it into wood to make it insect resistant, like the wooden frame of a house that is prone to termites.

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"What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself." Abraham Lincoln

John Vander

Log Stove Safety Tip: Check for charcoaling of timber in your roof near the chimney(where the chimney passes straight through the roof). This could spontaneously combust and result in a roof fire. Low temp. fires cause alot of resin to build up in the chimney, resulting in a chimney fire. The overheating will set the roof on fire too.

Construction tip: When setting up your stove, make the distance of the chimney from where it leaves the stove to where it makes the first bend at least one meter. This creates a propper up-draft that ensures good fire.

__________________
"What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself." Abraham Lincoln

John Vander

Cooking on the Japanese Daruma stove.

__________________
"What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself." Abraham Lincoln