How to make a good fire

[Dick Smith]

Pat asked

Has anyone any tips for making good use of wood ash from a stove?

I believe that you can dissolve it in water and mix it with mutton tallow to make a kind of grey soap with gritty bits in.

You can also mix it with urine (anybody's will do) and some chicken poo to make lye and use it to dissolve flesh off of hides - but be careful not to drink it. Oddly it is apparently used in thickening ice cream.

Some wood ash has good pozzolanic properties and can be used in making cement.

It is also used in making pottery glazes.

So it's a cornucopia of boundless opportunities!

[le bouffon]

Best thing to do would be to bring some logs in the the room with the fire and store them near to the fire for a couple of days or so(replace them when burnt)as this would help the logs dry out.Most wood supplies work out of doors,so if it rains the wood/logs tend to get wet but soon dry out.

[Apero]

Word of warning about leaving logs inside, we done that and noticed ants crawling out of some, so keep an eye out for the little buggers.

[Patmobile]

[quote user="Dicksmith"]Pat asked

Has anyone any tips for making good use of wood ash from a stove?

I believe that you can dissolve it in water and mix it with mutton tallow to make a kind of grey soap with gritty bits in.

You can also mix it with urine (anybody's will do) and some chicken poo to make lye and use it to dissolve flesh off of hides - but be careful not to drink it. Oddly it is apparently used in thickening ice cream.

Some wood ash has good pozzolanic properties and can be used in making cement.

It is also used in making pottery glazes.

So it's a cornucopia of boundless opportunities![/quote]

Funnily enough I thought it looked as if it might make my cement go further because it's such a fine cement-like dust.

Would anyone like to try my latest ice cream recipe?  I think it tastes a bit odd, but I may have misread Dick's instructions.  Was I supposed to mix it with pee and chicken shi-ite for the ice cream, or just for the hide-tanning stuff?

Patrick

[Simon]

I burn (Hornbeam) charme which makes a great fire, it burns hot and for long periods.  Though you may want to check this site out.

Regards

Simon

[redmike]

I am lucky that I have 2 rooms adjoining with french doors between and each room has an open fire. Until recently I only used one fire as the other chimney hadnt been swept for ages. Since I have had this done and opened up the other grate they draw off each other. I know that this isnt always possible to do but it shows the value of air to the fire. Also shows that getting your chimney swept is worth while.

I agree with those who have said leave the ash in - I always do now after a French neighbour told me to do it. Even though some falls through the grate I leave it on the fireplace floor. I only clean up when it gets too much!

I use wood from a woodshed so it is very dry. Some of it in fact is too dry and burns too quickly. I had some pear trees that I cut down and that burns well and slowly (good for leaving in when you are going out). I try to move wood indoors a day or so before it is required but yes you do have to watch out for creepy crawlies.

I use paper then kindling then 2 logs and wait until it is going well before putting 2 more logs on - always criss crossed (dont ask me why!).

Bottom line is experiment and enjoy - it is so much fun.

 

 

[Clare Comrie]

Take my advice, quit now,we kept the open smouldering variety for years.

Get a woodburner!  

[Rob G]

It seems this subject just goes on and one!

We're finally getting used to getting the ifre going, and keeping it

going well. What seems to work best for us is to get rid of the grate

and build the fire directly on the hearth. We use an "allume-buches"

firelighter block, a few bits of kindling and then put a couple of very

dry split logs on. Once it's going, we then add one or two more logs.

Key things we have found are that you need to have a good amount of

kindling, so that you end up with lots of red hot glowing cinders under

the logs; also that it periodically dies down and needs rearranging -

sometimes only a slight movement of the logs will lead to a nice

roaring fire again.

I'm sure woodburners are a lot easier, but we can't afford one at the

moment. Open fires may be more work, but they're a lot nicer too

(imho). There's just something about a roaring fire.....maybe I'm just

a closet pyromaniac!

Rob

[powerdesal]

A flat plate floor rather than a barred grate is best for a wood fire,

as someone early said, wood requires air across the surface wheras coal

/ coke needs air flowing up through the combustion from underneath.

When you remove the ash, leaving a bed behind, layer the ash on your

compost heap, its organic after all. When you turn your compost it wll

all mix in with the other rotted down veg and do your veggies a world

of good.

Ash is the best ( so I believe), there is an old poem about which woods

are good / bad etc but I can't remember where I saw it. Will google and

post if I find it.

[powerdesal]

Try this web page  www.the-tree.org.uk/TreeCultivation&Uses/Firewood/firewood.htm

[richyrich]

Was wondering if anyone could advise us on the safety of our fire place, We live on the middle floor of a chalet, and have a raised hearth( about 1 foot above the floor) made of concrete about 7cm thick. We use a grate, but are slightly concerned that the temperature of the concrete is becoming too hot and may subseqently crack  with devestating results. Any advice appreciated

[Rob G]

In theory, one would think that a fireplace is made for having a fire, so the materials and construction should be able to stand the temperature.

In reality, I suspect the only way you can be sure is to get a cheminée specialist to come and have a look. Will cost money of course, but the peace of mind may be worth it.

Rob

[Loiseau]

Re the concrete floor of the fireplace, I think you should get a large steel plaque (from a fireplace shop, or DIY place) to put flat on that, and another one (or a decorative fireback if you can afford it) for the vertical wall behind the fire.  Get some help carrying it upstairs though - they're jolly heavy!
We did once buy an old house where we enthusiastically lit a fire right away and, as the heat built up, a chunk of the stone on the back wall of the fireplace split off and flew across the room.  Since that experience, I would always have the steel plates at bottom and back.

Re building the fire and keeping it going, I always use crumpled newspaper and a "wigwam" of kindling with a few of my thinnest logs around the outside. The latter gradually catch and take over from the kindling, and then I can lie them down once they have got going.  I have some dumpy metal firedogs about 10cm tall max. I usually rest the main logs across these; as they burn, they fall into two pieces into the flames.  I am lucky in that the builder installed an "arrivée d'air" to the fireplace, so I can open that up to get a good draught to start the fire.

I have to admit that my "logs" aren't very thick though - about twice the thickness of a broom handle.  They are my neighbour's rejects; he uses the thick stuff for his woodburning stove and said that I could barrow away the rest as he was not going to use them.  It was handy, as up till now there seemed to be enough old wood left over from roofs that we had had replaced over the years, and I was beginning to think I was going to have to buy another decrepit house just so I would have some more firewood!  [:D]

Angela