Raking coals.

[TheAardvark]

I use a "Pit Mitt" grilling glove. Think it was 10 bucks at Home Depot.

 

[TheAardvark]

I use a "Pit Mitt" grilling glove. Think it was 10 bucks at Home Depot.

 

[Grimlock13]

I tried your method last night and it was fantastic, as most of the coals are near the rear usually anyway. It was better on all fronts. Easier to just push all the hot coals in the back, easier to stack wood in the way I wanted and no smoke. Just left the door open a little until it caught and all way good.
Need to try it a few more times to really have full judgement on it but so far so good.

 

[Squisher]

No. Not at all. But I do like gloves similar to yours that are dipped in rubber on the fingers and palms for working w the saws, splitter and stacking. They are cheap and seem to last a relatively long time

Oddly enough I've never liked the rubber dipped gloves, a west coast thing I think. I always found them slippery when wet. Where would I find gloves like the ones you use? I'm assuming they're like a firemans glove or something? I don't recall ever seeing them in a store before?

 

[CenterTree]

I use a "Pit Mitt" grilling glove. Think it was 10 bucks at Home Depot.

I use the same ones. (black) I got them at the Depot a few years back on end-of-season clearance for $4.99.
They are some sort of silicon mixed/coated material I think. I like em cause they have a little bit longer length that covers my wrist also.
Plus they are AMBIDEXTROUS. Put em on either hand.

 

[baseroom]

My father in law was a steel worker at Bethlehem Steel. When they closed the plant years ago they gave away lots of stuff! he picked up five pairs of green gloves that go halfway up my arm! Love them

 

[David.Ervin]

I've only had the "hands on fire" problem reloading my northstar E-W. I rake the coals to the front because that's where the air comes in, but obviously that means more exposure to them on a reload. I'll do the same front-raking for the quad 4300, but it loads (typically) N-S, so I can just slide a log in without getting burned.

 

[David.Ervin]

I've only had the "hands on fire" problem reloading my northstar E-W. I rake the coals to the front because that's where the air comes in, but obviously that means more exposure to them on a reload. I'll do the same front-raking for the quad 4300, but it loads (typically) N-S, so I can just slide a log in without getting burned.

 

[BobUrban]

I am not sure where to purchase the gloves I am using. My neighbor gets them from the shop he works in and gave me a couple pair. They are very similar to the "Ov Glove" so you can go that route or research Kevlar/nomex online and I am sure you will find some.

They are as or more heat and fire proof than leather welder gloves, more flexible, don't shrink when subject to fire, don't stink at all and you can throw them in w your laundry and they come out like new.

 

[Squisher]

Yah they look pretty sweet. I'll have to ask one of my fire fighting buddies about them maybe? Ordering online unless I can find them within Canada is a pretty crappy option nowadays. More than likely if I can't find it locally I won't be getting my hands on, or in, them.

 

[FionaD]

A question to those of you who take your coals forward (or backwards, I guess) before reloading...

Do you rake just the top of the coals, leaving at least part of the bed of ashes behind, or do you rake everything forward, meaning that you're loading wood onto the bare floor of the stove at the back?

I'm just trying to get a sense of how raking coals to reload works in relation to the view that its a good thing to keep a decent bed of ashes on the floor of the stove..

 

[velvetfoot]

Coals only.

 

[Dillier23]

I rake everything, to the floor, if there's enough room.

 

[FionaD]

Raking only coals and leaving the ash behind is iffy with a grate, I find, as the ashes under the coals tend to mostly fall through to the ashpan whether I like it or not.

I've just been experimenting this week for the first time with raking coals forward. So farI've always just created an even bed of coals all over for a reload, thinking there would be little effect doing otherwise in my smaller stove, but since I'm now (finally, after 3 years!) burning gorgeous dry wood I'm finding it fires up really quick with rampant secondaries and I'm finding it hard to keep the ST temps below 650, even with only two or three splits in the stove. My set up has a very strong draft, especially as the outside temps fall, which I do need to do something about, but that's another story ... Anyway, I'm surprised so far t how much more controllable my burn has been if it rake all the coals forward and sit a larger split at the back.

I may try the raking the coals back thing too.. but one step at a time, I think... For now I'm chuffed with the results I'm getting, even though I can't see how I could keep much ash at the back after raking coals forward over a grate.

 

[HisTreeNut]

In my stove, if you rake the coals forward, they burn down better & more thoroughly. Coals left to the back tend to burn out instead of burn up. They do get quite hot being at the front, but the standard leather fireplace gloves seem to do just fine protecting the hands [as well as 25+ years of handling hot food for a living].
That being said, I have found something that works fairly well in my stove in terms of burning down ash & lighting up a reload. What I have been experimenting with once the coals have burned down some is an "ash log." I scoop the ash to the center in a pile a little smaller than the splits I am putting in, I stack the splits with small air gaps around the "ash log." I will use 3 or 4 splits and "balance the wood" placed on top so they fall to the center as they burn up.
Results so far: 1) The wood ignites faster and gets to the point where I can dial the air back faster. It creates a flame tunnel or vortex of some kind which ignites the wood even to the back of the stove. 2) The burn tubes kick in faster and we get quite the flame show as we dial it back. 3) The "ash log" glows red to orange and burns down the ash to a much finer powder [the wife noticed that as she was cleaning out the ash one day]. 4) We get another day or two of burning in before having to scoop the ash out. 5) There are a couple of cold zones in my stove that build up creosote. Since doing this, the stove is/has been burning the creosote off. Most of the build up is gone. 6) Heat...I seem to be getting more heat with less wood, which is always good.
I am lacking pictures right now as I have been at work since Thursday due to the weather passing through. Next time I do the "ash log", I will grab a pic or two and post them

 

[Lake Girl]

Ordering online unless I can find them within Canada

Not sure on the vender but here is an option: http://www.zorocanada.com/i/G2428264/?gclid=CPLl7--dxMoCFQ6SaQodoeAHJQ&gclsrc=aw.ds The gloves Hubby got for the fire dept on a "deal" run about $50 or better. The gloves they buy are also cut resistant for when they do vehicle extrication.

A pricier option:
https://www.acklandsgrainger.com/AG...play.do?item_code=BEM8814-09&searchClick=true

 

[BobUrban]

Actually the second pair is a value. The first ones. And I believe they are exactly what I am using. Are 28$ a piece!!

Fortunately I got mine for free. I may be to cheap to try them otherwise

 

[Squisher]

Hmm. That's what I'm thinking too. I might be a little cheap for those but I still would love to have a pair.

 

[HisTreeNut]

In my stove, if you rake the coals forward, they burn down better & more thoroughly. Coals left to the back tend to burn out instead of burn up. They do get quite hot being at the front, but the standard leather fireplace gloves seem to do just fine protecting the hands [as well as 25+ years of handling hot food for a living].
That being said, I have found something that works fairly well in my stove in terms of burning down ash & lighting up a reload. What I have been experimenting with once the coals have burned down some is an "ash log." I scoop the ash to the center in a pile a little smaller than the splits I am putting in, I stack the splits with small air gaps around the "ash log." I will use 3 or 4 splits and "balance the wood" placed on top so they fall to the center as they burn up.
Results so far: 1) The wood ignites faster and gets to the point where I can dial the air back faster. It creates a flame tunnel or vortex of some kind which ignites the wood even to the back of the stove. 2) The burn tubes kick in faster and we get quite the flame show as we dial it back. 3) The "ash log" glows red to orange and burns down the ash to a much finer powder [the wife noticed that as she was cleaning out the ash one day]. 4) We get another day or two of burning in before having to scoop the ash out. 5) There are a couple of cold zones in my stove that build up creosote. Since doing this, the stove is/has been burning the creosote off. Most of the build up is gone. 6) Heat...I seem to be getting more heat with less wood, which is always good.
I am lacking pictures right now as I have been at work since Thursday due to the weather passing through. Next time I do the "ash log", I will grab a pic or two and post them

Some pictures...not the best though but you can see the basic idea. the first is shortly after the reload and the second is after dialing the air back. Still learning the new interwebbery device & the camera on it.

 

[kennyp2339]

I rake just coals forward, leaving ash behind (1" of ash) directly on the fire brick acts as a good insulator. I then take the pile of coals and press the front of the hand rake down on them to compact them a little (i do this without really thinking about it) then load directly on top of that. Its a good process for me, also when cleaning the stove out, I rake all the coals to one side and clean the ash out to the bare brick, then simply rake everything even, then the coals forward, again leaving some ash behind.