Anyone else using bellows to relight when they reload?

[Happy Stacker]

A few years ago when I was having trouble getting my fire to catch and was out of kindling with a major storm going on, something on my wall caught my eye. Great grandpa's homemade bellows just hanging there. Took about 30 seconds of pumping before the glowing coals ignited the new load and now this is my go to tool to almost instantly get my wood flaming fast.

As a kid I can always remember those bellows beside our open fireplace but never remember my parents using them. I think my great grandpa would be happy to see his 120 year old bellows at work once more...

 

[Happy Stacker]

 

[wisewelding]

A few years ago when I was having trouble getting my fire to catch and was out of kindling with a major storm going on, something on my wall caught my eye. Great grandpa's homemade bellows just hanging there. Took about 30 seconds of pumping before the glowing coals ignited the new load and now this is my go to tool to almost instantly get my wood flaming fast.

As a kid I can always remember those bellows beside our open fireplace but never remember my parents using them. I think my great grandpa would be happy to see his 120 year old bellows at work once more...

I would if I had one... I blow in a pipe a few inches from my mouth to catch more oxygen to re light. Or a hair dryer. ..

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

A few years ago when I was having trouble getting my fire to catch and was out of kindling with a major storm going on, something on my wall caught my eye. Great grandpa's homemade bellows just hanging there. Took about 30 seconds of pumping before the glowing coals ignited the new load and now this is my go to tool to almost instantly get my wood flaming fast.

As a kid I can always remember those bellows beside our open fireplace but never remember my parents using them. I think my great grandpa would be happy to see his 120 year old bellows at work once more...

Yep, works great, nice and useful accessory.

 

[trailrated]

I use one when needed. Good to have around.

 

[xman23]

They were everywhere back in the day. I wonder if they were used when everyone had a coal stove. With modern day fire starters, and my propane torch I don't find myself blowing on the coals.

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

My wife uses one when she is running the stove. Good tool.

 

[HomeinPA]

I don't have one but haven't needed one. If all I have are some embers I open both air intakes, throw some misc. bark and scraps on after pulling coals forward and then push the door shut but don't latch it. Creates the same effect and eventually the stuff catches then the door is latched after it gets going.

Always good to keep the old stuff around though. Never know when it'll come in handy. At least that's what I'm telling my kids (as I get older).

 

[Doc C]

I've never had an issue relighting a stove. Lots of draft and good wood. Just chuck it on, Crack the door until it pops then close her up.

 

[Woody Stover]

push the door shut but don't latch it.

Yep, that will get my stove flaming in a hurry. Disclaimer; DO NOT leave the stove unattended when the door is unlatched.

 

[bholler]

Nope if i leave it to long and it doesnt take right off i use a torch. I am lazy lol.

 

[Rearscreen]

2 months ago I was hired to move to a tag sale facility, hoity toity contents from a house which just happened to be across from Martha Stewarts. I am a proud owner, for the first time in my long woodstove career, the finest bellows made. What a difference. The drone is pretty cool too.

 

[Tar12]

Never had the need for bellows...at the start of the heating season if I need to restart a fire I use Rutland Safe-Lie starter...I burn 24/7 and there is always a bed of coals and dry seasoned wood on hand once I start burning for the year...

 

[Woody Stover]

the finest bellows made

It's not that we don't believe you, but some pics would be nice.

 

[Rearscreen]

Just sort of kidding as it resided in Martha's neighborhood, but it is nice. Pictures would never do it justice as the 14k gold inlay would blind you. I'll add a pic. The last bellows I physically touched was in Saudi Arabia. Get this. There is a saying "What happens in the desert stays in the desert." So, since in the outskirts of Riyadh there is no water but plenty of beach, people go out, at night and park their cars in no particular sandspace. They take precious sticks of wood and create a fire. They use a metal cast contraption with a handle, squirrel cage fan, and a gear increase to the fan speed. Totally funky. They added a patina green to make it even funkier. They sold these at the convenience store. What did they do in the desert on their beach blanket around the fire in Saudi Arabia where liquor is illegal?

 

[Dantheman300z]

I use this when I am down to just a few coals. Got it at a local craft/festival this past year.

 

[XmasTreefarmer]

Well I'll jump on the bellows bandwagon. With our original 1978 VC Defiant we do a lot of restarts with minimal coals. If I catch it soon enough, nice dry splits will catch right away, but sometimes I'm down to just a few coals. Time to decide - start from scratch with paper and kindling or put some kindling on those few coals and get out the bellows. I'll often chose the bellows. It will ignite that kindling on almost no coals in just a few strokes.

And then there's the nostalgia factor - that's my dad's old bellows that he used on the fireplace when I was a kid back in the 60's. And I have the fun of my grandkids call it, "the puffer"! Sometimes when I'm reloading the stove, the kids will say, "Grandpa can we use the puffer?" Even if I really don't need it, I'll put some wood on and then get them in there using it and when that wood catches I get a, "Wow" from them. Heating with wood is such a rich experience in so many ways.

 

[TheIndian]

Got my Dad a bellows this past Christmas for his fireplace...the best investment ever made. The thing works amazing...pumping the air onto the fire is like throwing gasoline on it! Works great...I highly recommend.