2018-19 Blaze King Performance Thread Part 2 (Everything BK)

[charger4406]

Just went out to check and even with the secondaries I'm still getting smoke.

 

[Woody Stover]

I’d rather not mess with anything that big if I can keep from it but I have a similar sized white oak that uprooted and fell into one of the fields I need to get started on.

Can't pass that up. White Oak is the King of all Firewoods.

Maple gets half credit as a hardwood, along with sassafras

Soft Maple, yes, about like Sass. But Hard (Sugar) Maple seems about like Red Oak to me, maybe a little better.

 

[charger4406]

The cat for the ashford from firecat does not seem to have the tabs
like the original, this would seem to make removing the cat in the
future problematic, does anyone have experience with their cats
and would the condar be a better choice.

 

[Ashful]

Those logs make your JD look like a toy.

Yeah, chit goes wrong fast, when handling 6300 lb. logs with 2000 lb. tractors. I debated skidding that one whole, but decided to cut it to two segments of 7.5' (2600 lb.), and the butt as a final 3' length. Even then they can tip the tractor fast, if they roll on uneven ground.

I feel for you. I’d rather not mess with anything that big if I can keep from it but I have a similar sized white oak that uprooted and fell into one of the fields I need to get started on.

This one had been sitting on the ground at church awhile. A few people ahead of me had said they wanted it, but no one was getting to it fast. There's another much bigger ash, which must be > 40" diameter x 40 feet of straight trunk, which I was going to grab. Unfortunately, one of the other guys came in and cut the entire length of it to rounds, which makes it completely useless to me. No way I'm moving rounds, anymore.

... and it's not off-topic, begreen... they'll be burned in BK Ashford 30's, circa 2022.

 

[BKVP]

Cats purring right along..
.

 

[jetsam]

I had an oak like that a couple years ago. It made me want a hydraulic log lift on my splitter.

I use the fiskars for stuff that big, unless it's all gnarly. Makes my back much happier. Splitter still gets the gnarly stuff.

 

[jetsam]

Cats purring right along...View attachment 238205

Is that the 10 year old, full time burning supercat?

 

[maple1]

There's another much bigger ash, which must be > 40" diameter x 40 feet of straight trunk, which I was going to grab. Unfortunately, one of the other guys came in and cut the entire length of it to rounds, which makes it completely useless to me. No way I'm moving rounds, anymore.

Geez, half the work is done. I'd roll my splitter right up beside those & toss splits right off it into my trailer.

 

[BKVP]

Is that the 10 year old, full time burning supercat?

No sir. I am running a proprietary combustor. Long before the public is offered something, we beta test. It is a ceramic substrate but has special application of metals.

 

[Diabel]

Cats purring right along...View attachment 238205

That is very bright. I can never get my ceramic cat to glow that bright. All I get is that dull orange glow when I turn the stove down. I have tried with dry hemlock and dry hard maple, same results. I am not complaining, just saying.

 

[kennyp2339]

Still on my original cat but I guess I need a replacement now,
last night I reloaded after 16hrs and got the stove up to temp
then charred the load as usual but this time when I dial back the
stat the cat prob went down right along with it.
I gave it a bath in sept, '17 after it had degraded some, but this is different,
has anyone have their cat just give up like that.

Yes... also take a look at the flame shield, as the cat dies off you will start to notice a lot more fly ash on the shield

 

[MissMac]

It worked great! It reduced coals about twice as effectively as just taking forward.

So you’re just raking everything forward, and placing one good split E-W behind it to burn them down? I stirred my coals up, raked them forward and then ran a load of jack pine on them, however i still have lots left buried deep. Think I might try your approach, only instead of a NEILS i’ll use a Pj split.

 

[moresnow]

No sir. I am running a proprietary combustor. Long before the public is offered something, we beta test. It is a ceramic substrate but has special application of metals.

Hmmmmm. Certainly somebody else independent should be testing one of those elsewhere as verification...…. Incase you run out of volunteers!

 

[charger4406]

Yes... also take a look at the flame shield, as the cat dies off you will start to notice a lot more fly ash on the shield

thanks kenny I will take a look when things cool down a little.

 

[BKVP]

Hmmmmm. Certainly somebody else independent should be testing one of those elsewhere as verification...…. Incase you run out of volunteers!

There are a few beta testers out there running it for us.....

 

[Ashful]

Geez, half the work is done. I'd roll my splitter right up beside those & toss splits right off it into my trailer.

Yeah, I can see that working. But I have a system that works better for me:

1. Buck tree to 15 foot lengths (or longest possible multiple of 18” that’s under 16 feet).

2. Drag onto my tandem trailer with winch mounted on trailer.

3. Drive home, drag off trailer into pile with my tractor.

4. When I have time to split, park my splitter next to my stacks, drag the log to the splitter, buck into rounds, and stack it right off the splitter.

To each his own, but it’d be tough for me to devote time to splitting away from home, and then I’d have to unload a trailer full of splits onto a stack. I can’t imagine that being faster than the system I have going, here.

 

[BKVP]

So you’re just raking everything forward, and placing one good split E-W behind it to burn them down? I stirred my coals up, raked them forward and then ran a load of jack pine on them, however i still have lots left buried deep. Think I might try your approach, only instead of a NEILS i’ll use a Pj split.

Not behind, but on top of. I built a coal rake with a 3' handle. I posted a picture years ago. I rake all the way down to the brick. Build a huge pile in front of door. Then load a NIELS East.West and it burn sooooo hot it cooks the coals down to ash!

 

[showrguy]

There are a few beta testers out there running it for us.....

Where do I sign up to be a beta tester ??

 

[Dieselhead]

Where do I sign up to be a beta tester ??

X2! Since I missed out on the socks and all.... I did get 2nd place for my pup in front of the stove contest a couple years back though

 

[charger4406]

I just ordered a new cat from firecat (applied ceramics) and in the
conformation email they wrote most combustors ship in 5-7 days,
hoping they ship sooner than that
Ryan723, you wrote that you received yours in a couple of days, hope mine arrives as quickly.
how do you like the new cat after 2 months, is it comparable to
the original?

 

[darktower007]

Bummer... Zero NIEL dealers near Tennessee... and they won’t ship. Looks like I’m stuck with crumbly eco logs from tractor supply if I want to supplement my soso wood.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jetsam]

No sir. I am running a proprietary combustor. Long before the public is offered something, we beta test. It is a ceramic substrate but has special application of metals.

Arr! Super Cat for my Super King! The good news just keeps rolling in!

You should get those guys who regularly run thermocouples and logging software to beta the new cats...

 

[BKVP]

Where do I sign up to be a beta tester ??

I'll put you on designated reserve list.

 

[BKVP]

X2! Since I missed out on the socks and all.... I did get 2nd place for my pup in front of the stove contest a couple years back though

Ditto...designated reserve list.

 

[zvholk]

How much should I expect to pay for a new cat when I need one?
I’m new to a catalytic stove