2016-17 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK) Part 2

[Ashful]

The best thing I ever did was build a woodshed! I only keep 1 days supply inside at a time usually. It's always dry and 3 seasons stacked. It's never been easier!

I used to burn that much wood per month, in my Jotuls.

 

[Woody Stover]

Do you have a steel cat?

I have both a ceramic (less prone to clog) and a diesel-foil. I'm running the ceramic right now. I got the newer stainless combustor scoop for the stove. It has a screen over the front, so that catches some of the fly ash, better than the old cast iron scoop that had expanded metal instead of a screen. Every few months, when the stove is cold, I run a small brush over the screen to clear it.

 

[webby3650]

I have both a ceramic (less prone to clog) and a diesel-foil. I'm running the ceramic right now. I got the newer stainless combustor scoop for the stove. It has a screen over the front, so that catches some of the fly ash, better than the old cast iron scoop that had expanded metal instead of a screen. Every few months, when the stove is cold, I run a small brush over the screen to clear it.

The steel has a tendency to clog with ash because of the smaller passages.
Running on high for 20-30 minutes on each reload is not a necessity. It's not what clogs the cat either. I only run on high for an hour or so once a week, on occasion. I have no real set schedule with awesome results.
Clogged cats seem to be specific to steel cats.

 

[jetsam]

The steel has a tendency to clog with ash because of the smaller passages.
Running on high for 20-30 minutes on each reload is not a necessity. It's not what clogs the cat either. I only run on high for an hour or so once a week, on occasion. I have no real set schedule with awesome results.
Clogged cats seem to be specific to steel cats.

I wonder if you grounded the cat if that would be less true. Might be easily done on some stoves.

 

[Marshy]

Warmed up to -10dF here today, BK is running like it was built for this weather.

I know there are tons of folks here who love how their stove runs with a low tstat setting for days and days and days. Happy for them, I do that in shoulder season myself and like it.

Just a friendly reminder the stove can run at wide open throttle for days on end if you can feed it. I think next winter I'll see how many days running I can keep the cat in the active zone, 30 days continuous should be easy, 60 days continuous will take some planning on my part but I think I can do it. My Ashford 30 is proving to be quite the 500# gorilla with an efficient convection deck, clean stack plume and lovely output.

I wonder if I can do 90 days in a row continuously active cat from 11-15-17 to 02-15-18. Likely I will falter rather than the stove.

The problem becomes emptying the ashes from the firebox. Even if you have the ash pan you'll roast you hands trying to empty the firebox is is in the active zone. I have nice welding gloves but when they start smoking you move your ass. I prefer to wait for the coals to burn down then I can take the ash forward and out the coals in the back while I empty it. I get 2-3 ash pans a week.

 

[Woody Stover]

The problem becomes emptying the ashes from the firebox. Even if you have the ash pan you'll roast you hands trying to empty the firebox is is in the active zone. I have nice welding gloves but when they start smoking you move your ass. I prefer to wait for the coals to burn down then I can take the ash forward and out the coals in the back while I empty it. I get 2-3 ash pans a week.

Two words...ash grate.

 

[rwhite]

I wonder if you grounded the cat if that would be less true. Might be easily done on some stoves.

That's a very interesting thought. Not sure of the coating but platinum is often used in catalytic converter. It's on the scale of polyester for its ability to attract electrons. It would be easy to ground if the cat probe was long enough to make contact with the cat. Or a metal fiber gasket. Sounds like a worthy experiment.

 

[Ashful]

The problem becomes emptying the ashes from the firebox. Even if you have the ash pan you'll roast you hands trying to empty the firebox is is in the active zone. I have nice welding gloves but when they start smoking you move your ass. I prefer to wait for the coals to burn down then I can take the ash forward and out the coals in the back while I empty it. I get 2-3 ash pans a week.

I hear you on the smoking gloves, but if you're getting 2 - 3 pans per week, you're throwing away unused fuel. This is one of the down-sides of the ash plug system, but it can be managed.

Get a long ash rake. Long enough that your hand is outside the firebox when the rake hits the back wall. This will save your hands and your gloves. Then, if you're having trouble keeping coals out of the pan when you rake, buy a 4" round iron drain grate, and drop it in place of the plug when you're raking ash. This will ensure only ash drops into the pan, never coals or wood chunks.

 

[BKVP]

Plugged with creo, or just fly ash?
What? A sub-12-hr. burn? I hope Niko doesn't take offense. Actually, it looks like it's pretty cold out there today...
BTW, you can hover on your user name, click 'signature,' and add your stove make and model.
Open layout? Good insulation and sealing? How many sq.ft?
We've seen some user feedback to that effect...

I'm back...sorry for delay in responding. I often get 12 hour burns on 24lbs of wood. I could only fit 24lbs because I need to empty that son of a gun!

The old house in 2850 square feet. As for R Value, let me answer that question by saying I do not need a mail box.....the mailman can drop it through the slot in the door...all four sides

We are in the midst of a complete remodel. Pulled all wood siding off the back of the house. Laminated 2 x 6's to all the 2 x 4's, put R34 in walls, OSB then Hardiplank cement siding. Back rooms are all very warm and the sheet rock has not even been hung yet. # more sides of home to go!

 

[georgepds]

Well ran my Ashford on pretty much high all weekend. Besides walking around in my underwear because temps were around 30 and the house was over 75. No smell to report. Well the only smell there was, was from the paint curing some more from the longer heat cycles. I can get down to about 5 on the dial without a smell. I am burning softwood so the best I am getting is maybe 7 hours on a box of wood right now.

Hopefully one day I will be able to run the stove lower but for this winter I am going to just make do and only burn on weekends and colder snaps.

 

[georgepds]

Well ...Besides walking around in my underwear because temps were around 30 and the house was over 75. ....

Like they say about installations...it did not happen unless there's pictures

 

[Marshy]

Two words...ash grate.

What do you use? Pics?

I hear you on the smoking gloves, but if you're getting 2 - 3 pans per week, you're throwing away unused fuel. This is one of the down-sides of the ash plug system, but it can be managed.

Get a long ash rake. Long enough that your hand is outside the firebox when the rake hits the back wall. This will save your hands and your gloves. Then, if you're having trouble keeping coals out of the pan when you rake, buy a 4" round iron drain grate, and drop it in place of the plug when you're raking ash. This will ensure only ash drops into the pan, never coals or wood chunks.

I have a long poker made from 1/2" bar with a 3-4" hook on the end. I keep my hand outside the edge of door but while raking the coals around once they are at the front of the box it gets enough radiation heat to get then hot and they can start smoking. Happens more commonly when I'm trying to load a large amount of wood and need to reach into the box.

Im not throwing away fuel, it might be on the order of 1% of the fuel loaded, insignificant IMO. I think unless you have seen the ash I'm throwing out you are making a large assumption. I don't scrape clean the entire firebox and throw the coals out with the ash, I rake the coal out of the ash and keep them in the corner of the firebox. Some get thrown out but they are the size of pennies at that point. I'm not sifting the ash just to keep those, it takes enough time to do a fair job raking them. At some point it's a diminishing return. It's stuff that would fall through any ash grate I believe. Remember, I'm probably burning on averaging 250lbs a wood a day. I am interested in the drain grate you speak of, do you have a pic?

 

[jetsam]

I'm back...sorry for delay in responding. I often get 12 hour burns on 24lbs of wood. I could only fit 24lbs because I need to empty that son of a gun!

The old house in 2850 square feet. As for R Value, let me answer that question by saying I do not need a mail box.....the mailman can drop it through the slot in the door...all four sides

We are in the midst of a complete remodel. Pulled all wood siding off the back of the house. Laminated 2 x 6's to all the 2 x 4's, put R34 in walls, OSB then Hardiplank cement siding. Back rooms are all very warm and the sheet rock has not even been hung yet. # more sides of home to go!

I was going to ask where the housewrap/foam board were, but 2x10/R34.... Never mind!

While you are ripping up exterior walls, you may want to put a couple extra windows in the room with that King.

Hardieplank is nice stuff. Be careful with it during install as the edges can chip, but it's really pretty tough. Good choice if you live in forest fire country, too.

 

[Highbeam]

Oops, I mighta got ahead of myself, assuming it was a creo plug. Fly ash plug would make sense for Poindexter, if he's running the air open, with flame, sucking up a lot of ash dust. Might have happened to you as well, running with the thermostat on high for 20-30 minutes on a reload with the bypass closed, as the manual decrees (wording by Hb.) Thankfully, for us Woodstock guys this wood-wasting, cat-plugging, time-wasting step is not necessary.

Another guy trying to put words in my mouth to pick a fight. I have never used the word decrees in my life. I don't even know if it is a word.

 

[kennyp2339]

Another guy trying to put words in my mouth to pick a fight. I have never used the word decrees in my life. I don't even know if it is a word.

Don't worry, I almost half tempted to buy a Woodstock and run one for a year to shut this guy up, his ill-advised ramblings are starting to wear on me. Its almost like we're in high school and fighting about ford's vs Chevy's

 

[Highbeam]

Don't worry, I almost half tempted to buy a Woodstock and run one for a year to shut this guy up, his ill-advised ramblings are starting to wear on me. Its almost like we're in high school and fighting about ford's vs Chevy's

This is a bk performance thread. Not a compare your Woodstock to bk thread. We all love threads that compare the two because both brands make awesome stuff but this ain't it.

I would love to trade my nc30 for an IS. See how much top end the hybrid really has.

 

[Woody Stover]

What do you use? Pics?

I use the Keystone listed in my sig.
This is a pic of the AS grate, but you get the idea:
View attachment 194175

Another guy trying to put words in my mouth to pick a fight. I have never used the word decrees in my life. I don't even know if it is a word.

There's another guy, too? Got a link? Actually, not trying to pick a fight at all. That's why I put the winky-head after it, just a little good-natured ribbing. Sheesh, lighten up. But the way you're constantly talking about "The manual tells us this, the manual tells us that," you make it sound like it's your bible. I've looked at it; It's not written very well, not that informative, and it's full of typos...as expected. And 'decree' is a word...you can look it up on the internet.

Don't worry, I almost half tempted to buy a Woodstock and run one for a year to shut this guy up, his ill-advised ramblings are starting to wear on me. Its almost like we're in high school and fighting about ford's vs Chevy's

It's not you I'm talking to....you already spent your money. Just trying to provide a little balance for a few newbs that might stumble into this fan club due to the high post count. BTW, good analogy about the cars; Chevy was always more reliable, and easier to work on. "Glass retainer brackets and bolts under the door gasket" kind of thing.... Working on a Ford, it wouldn't be long until you were saying "WTF were they thinking?" Looked like a racket to support the dealer. You work on a Toyota, and you're saying "Now this is more like it!" ....usually.

 

[lsucet]

I use the Keystone listed in my sig

Hey Woody, How big is the area that you are heating with that stove? What is your average wood usage? How many hrs on a load when cold ( e.g. teens and under )? what is the average stove top or overall temp?

I will like to know those details if you don't mind.

 

[jetsam]

30 degrees and all's well.

Thanks, BK!

 

[BKVP]

Congratulations to all NE wood burners!

 

[webby3650]

I use the Keystone listed in my sig.
This is a pic of the AS grate, but you get the idea:
View attachment 194175

There's another guy, too? Got a link? Actually, not trying to pick a fight at all. That's why I put the winky-head after it, just a little good-natured ribbing. Sheesh, lighten up. But the way you're constantly talking about "The manual tells us this, the manual tells us that," you make it sound like it's your bible. I've looked at it; It's not written very well, not that informative, and it's full of typos...as expected. And 'decree' is a word...you can look it up on the internet.
It's not you I'm talking to....you already spent your money. Just trying to provide a little balance for a few newbs that might stumble into this fan club due to the high post count. BTW, good analogy about the cars; Chevy was always more reliable, and easier to work on. "Glass retainer brackets and bolts under the door gasket" kind of thing.... Working on a Ford, it wouldn't be long until you were saying "WTF were they thinking?" Looked like a racket to support the dealer. You work on a Toyota, and you're saying "Now this is more like it!" ....usually.

So you think that you need to interrupt all these BK fans talking up their stoves in the BK thread by claiming your Woodstock is superior? You think your stove is superior but seem offended when someone thinks their stove is superior. I just don't get all this back and forth. Ohh, almost forgot.

I've never seen so many people on here that are so quick to offend or be offended as of lately. It's hard for me to stay interested because of this. It's just not so fun anymore.

 

[BrotherBart]

I've never seen so many people on here that are so quick to offend or be offended as of lately. It's hard for me to stay interested because of this. It's just not so fun anymore.

My stove can whip your stove.

 

[webby3650]

My stove can whip your stove.

Nunt uh!

 

[jetsam]

My stove can whip your stove.

I am going to need some parameters to assess your claim.

Will the stoves be placed into a ring so we can wait for them to start attacking each other, or will one stove be dropped onto the other from a height, or what?

(Gonna be hard to predict a winner either way.)

 

[Gotrek]

If there is whipping involved I just want to watch... is there a safe word?