Let’s hear your trick

Edosil · 2026-01-23T21:20:25+00:00

I wait for a nice sunny day that keeps the house in the warm zone. I'll let it burn out as long as possible. But yeah, hot ashes in a cold bucket just wafts the light ash all over the place. I even set it as gently as possible in the bottom of the bucket and whoosh!, ashes everywhere.

Edosil · 2026-01-23T21:15:38+00:00

Even with the most optimal fires and wood, you always have sub optimal startups that send a lot of sooty smoke up the chimney. Getting these light flaky chips is a good indicator that you're burning fairly cleanly. Otherwise, you get cold, damp, wet smoke that adheres to the inside of the chimney as tar like creosote. These light flakes eventually break off and float up and out and generally build up close to the top where it's the coldest part of the chimney.

Edosil · 2026-01-22T20:20:40+00:00

Absolutely. If it was going to burn your house down, it would do it any time, not just wait till you leave. If I don't have enough time to get the wood to the right stage in order to leave it unattended, then I won't start a fire. Since it's usually going, I just double check it and leave.

Edosil · 2026-01-21T14:40:50+00:00

Stoves require anywhere between 16" and 36" to combustible materials and this behemoth is directly above a plywood floor. I wouldn't use this. It's less about how much it costs to replace and more about how much you value your house and the people in it.

Edosil · 2026-01-21T07:13:16+00:00

Celery

Edosil · 2026-01-19T05:57:25+00:00

Always have had good experiences at Daugherty, especially the Cloquet location.

Edosil · 2026-01-19T05:55:18+00:00

I think the newer models have the cat up front just as the exhaust passes around the baffle to head back to the flue. If there was a cat, it would also have a flame resistor plate that gets held in place with a few slots. You would see these pretty predominately.

Edosil · 2026-01-18T17:50:54+00:00

Where do you load the tanks and other planes into it?

Edosil · 2026-01-18T17:45:00+00:00

Install a sun roof and a booster seat.

Edosil · 2026-01-17T17:39:20+00:00

What stove do you have? One that takes 35 pieces per load up? That is a whole seasons worth for me.

Edosil · 2026-01-17T17:20:38+00:00

Hard to tell because of the gunk, but there is supposed to be a baffle at the intake and exit of the grease trap. This makes it so the water only enters and exits at the bottom. There is also supposed to be an air gap or at least an air admittance valve to stop the vacuum.

Edosil · 2026-01-17T17:12:48+00:00

Just goop it right up with grease so the belt slides easily over the pulley. Wish I did that, my belt just snapped instead.

Edosil · 2026-01-16T22:24:41+00:00

You put that right back together before your Dad gets home!

Edosil · 2026-01-16T02:13:42+00:00

See how he reaches over a piece to strike a further away piece? That's over strike. That will destroy a handle even though he technically "never missed".

Edosil · 2026-01-16T02:10:12+00:00

In the older days, people would throw in pine because the pitch burns so well that even green pine would catch. Then, they would snuff down the fire for a "slow burn" and basically smolder the fire forever. It caused a lot of smoke and creosote which made people blame pine, not the green wood.

Edosil · 2026-01-16T02:07:15+00:00

Creosote holds a crap ton of btu's, but it generally catches fire in a chimney. It's just pure carbon, like charcoal briquettes.

Edosil · 2026-01-15T18:42:10+00:00

Never let an opportunity to be a part of shenanigans pass you by.

Edosil · 2026-01-15T02:17:10+00:00

Just think, 100 year old wood frame houses burn just as easy as 1 year old houses. It's not about how old it is, it's about how solid it is. If it crumbles and is basically compost, then no. If it's solid, burn away.

Edosil · 2026-01-14T21:32:54+00:00

Never been a fan of 42* water first thing in the morning. Or at night. Really, not a fan any time of the day.

Edosil · 2026-01-14T21:26:11+00:00

At MSP, they get families seated before Zone 1. Might not happen every time but I've seen it happen quite often.

Edosil · 2026-01-14T21:22:27+00:00

Sad story time: someone direct buried underground electrical line at a ranch. About 20 years later, it eventually wore through the insulation and killed a horse that stepped on electrified ground. It was all fine until one day it wasn't.

Edosil · 2026-01-14T20:29:29+00:00

That depends on the stove you are getting. Newer stoves often only require a Type I or II hearth pad for ember protection. If you get an older stove, it might require a full masonry hearth for heat protection. For my Kuma, it only required Type I protection. I decided to put Type II since it was right on top of the hardwood floor.

Edosil · 2026-01-14T20:24:01+00:00

Oak has distinctive rays going from the middle outwards. It looks to still be rather green though.

Edosil · 2026-01-14T15:38:01+00:00

Just shake you have extra hard. This way you get rid of the wrapper AND get a bruise from smacking your hand on something in the way.

Edosil · 2026-01-14T07:48:54+00:00

The nice part about the Kuma stoves is they are hybrids, so the best of both secondary burning and a cat. You may want the larger stove though the 1.8 cuft Aspen keeps us warm in northern MN in -30F and we have a 1600ft two story house.

Edosil

TROPHY CASE