Dealing with Bad Wood

[begreen]

"I have a Heritage soapstone"

 

[gyrfalcon]

How do you know it's a modern stove?

Maybe because he said so?

 

[billb3]

Trying to burn wet wood is frustrating. It's almost a waste of what will become good wood.

Burning pallets is a lot of work
Burning blocks isn't exactly cheap, but they should get you by

 

[Stella]

So why mention it to a person struggling with bad wood in a modern stove? It's a bad idea. There's a big difference between a stove in one's house and a trash burner outdoors.

begreen, I have a confession to make. Like most people here, I start my fire with a little left over olive oil on the newspaper to help it along, followed by pine cones. Yes, the glass goes get brownish but only at the edges and I clean it off every day with damp paper towel and the palest ash. One taverna owner here starts his stove with an olive twig dipped in a mixture of ash and olive oil which he keeps in a corner of the room in a plastic jug. Certainly seems to work!

 

[rijim]

Any chemical option could, and more often than not, will have consequences; burning wood with high moisture content will most like cause cresote buildup; if the amount of moisture limits the burn temperatures. Any suppliers of kiln dried wood around you? It is a little pricey but 1/2 cord may allow you to burn that and use the dry heat and a fan to dry your existing supply and mix in a little at a time.

 

[Cross Cut Saw]

Lots of people have used chemical accelerants, take this guy for instance:
http://bangordailynews.com/2012/11/11/news/augusta/gasoline-used-in-woodstove-blamed-for-fire-burns/

I wouldn't recommend it...

Once enough of those gasses build up in the box and ignite you'll have built yourself a pretty good bomb...

 

[jazzbiker]

Thanks again. I am talking about the Duraflame variety of starter, certainly not gasoline. JDP1152, I appreciate the offer of a moisture meter ! and all the suggestions. I like the idea of banging two together to hear the tone. We're all musicians here . I'll start making room for some better wood while mine dries out.
Thanks,