Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73134
Frontier Stove, first use.
Stove
Used the Frontier stove for the first time on Friday & Saturday of the Ice Fest. I hadn't got the fittings for it to be totally in the annexe of the tent as wanted to see how it went first.
Using it on Friday was no problems. It lit fairly easily and was fed on pine strips from old pallets, plus some larger sections though they didn't burn as well. It was a coldish day with a nice breeze which helped the draw. Stove was plenty hot enough on top for cooking, especially with the top plate off, and to brew up coffee.
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What I did find is that the wood at the rear part of the stove didn't want to burn, it became more and more difficult to get the longer sections of wood in, even though they were still a good 5 - 10cm shorter than the stove. This was shown to be the case as when I emptied the stove out there was a lot of unburnt wood, and even some paper, at the flue end of the stove.
At the end of the day and once the stove had cooled for a couple of hours I took the flue sections of and noticed that the lower baffle section was partially choked with tar like substance from the pine I was burning. I dug this out & didn't think of it any further.
On the Saturday I lit the stove and it was a struggle from the off. There was no wind at all and the smoke struggled to leave the flue. The wood was only just burning at the very front of the stove, nothing was burning further back. Also most of the smoke was coming out of the front of the stove and everything in the front part of the tent stank. To try & sort this out I took the flue sections off, reduced the height and generally messed around with the setup to no avail. I was generally blaming the lack of wind and narrow flue, the latter based on the sight of Woody's stove (larger flue) pumping out the heat. I eventually looked at the baffle section of the flue and it was choked virtually solid with tar/gunk. I cleaned that out & used a thin bit of wood to scrape off the hardened gunk off the flue wall then put it back, also checked all the other sections and they were clear.
Stove now burned as it did on Friday, flue was drawing and smoke was now as it should have been, pouring out of the top of the flue. But still the wood at the back wasn't burning as seen when trying to feed in longer sections and when I dumped the cold ash in the dumpster next day. Again there was even blackened paper in there along with unburnt (only charred) wood sections. When I stopped feeding the stove and it had cooled down a bit I took the flue down and looked at the baffle flue section and it was well gunked up again.
Through the w/end was thinking about whether the stove would work with the fitting kit and used "internally". Whilst it would would have been nice for heat, I'd have been smoked out with the flue blocking after a few hours. Also if I took the flue apart to clean it I'd fill the tent with smoke in no time flat. Plus taking it apart when it's hot and in the tent would be very tricky, especially with just me doing it. Would I go to the hassle & cost of the internal kit? Doubt it.
Next big trip where I'm looking to take it is the NE Finland bash in July. Then I'd just put it outside the tent as a cooking stove & focal point, to quote Grand Designs. The only down side is even in the crate I've got it's still pretty smelly and I'll be sleeping in the car for a fair number of nights. Still thinking "do I/don't I" take it or not.
Obviously I could have been doing something wrong but it was a lot of frustration trying to get it running properly on Saturday. Not sure what my conclusion is but thinking of it less of a winter trip use stove than a summer use stove, sat in front of it whilst watching the world go by.
PS I know most of the above issues has been coz I was using pine, I have some birch that I can try to see if that is better but most of the wood I use is softwood and was hoping just to use that.
21st Jan 2016 12:05 pm
wiggs
Member Since: 03 Sep 2006
Location: Manchester
Posts: 14372
Not trying to be funny Del .. But you were burning some shi*ty wood !!
I only use dried logs in mine and there is nothing left when it's burnt out apart from ash .. And I don't have a flue blocking issue
Old floor boards with years of varnish and paint are always going to block the flue !G4 Gone ...but not forgotten
21st Jan 2016 12:13 pm
blue meanie D3 Decade
Member Since: 04 Aug 2005
Location: Newbury
Posts: 6861
you should never burn 'old pallets' for anything interior heat-wise or remotely food related due to the various lethal chemicals used to treat them over the years and also whatever other hideous things might have spilled on them and soaked in when they have been in use.and theeeeennn......???
21st Jan 2016 12:18 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73134
You have a good point, never thought of that.
21st Jan 2016 12:25 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73134
wiggs wrote:
Not trying to be funny Del .. But you were burning some shi*ty wood !!
Conclusion I'm coming to but the stuff I burnt on the stove was nail & paint free as I knew I was going to be cooking on it. It was well dried and was mostly roofing joists along with pallet bits, dried in my garage since last winter. Birch might be the best way forward, will try some by running the stove for a few hours on it to see what it's like. I do have some oak flooring in the garage but SWMBO's banned me from touching it.
21st Jan 2016 12:30 pm
SN
Member Since: 03 Jan 2006
Location: Romiley
Posts: 13710
but Derek has a garage full of this stuff - are you saying he can only burn this on a fire in the open air?Steve N | 21MY Defender | 08MY Discovery 3 (history) | 06MY Discovery 3 (ancient history)
21st Jan 2016 12:34 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73134
Most of that's destined for the log burner oop Norf, where most of the wood we burn is pine anyway. Apart from the oak flooring. Log burner burns it all pretty hot so not worried re treated pallets, timbers etc. T'internet views vary from don't put anything bar untouched hardwood in there to anything goes. We don't put painted stuff in there, or mdf, plywood "chunkboard" etc.
As you saw my Helsport ran non stop fro Friday evening to Sunday morning, it too has a smaller flue tat the Wildo Woody has, ( I used to have one)
after using some pallet type wood as kindling, all I burnt were dry logs and a small amount of Peat overnight to smoulder and keep the fire in, when I tipped out the fire on pack up all I got was a fine powered ash
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21st Jan 2016 2:05 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
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Sounds like it.
21st Jan 2016 2:20 pm
wiggs
Member Since: 03 Sep 2006
Location: Manchester
Posts: 14372
this is your flue on the first picture ... Look at the cack running out of the flue
You don't get that from good wood !G4 Gone ...but not forgotten
21st Jan 2016 2:32 pm
Landy_andy
Member Since: 05 May 2013
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 676
Never had any issues with mine, and even find the complete opposite, that the stove top next to the flue exit is the hottest point, and where I tend to cook.
Andy.
21st Jan 2016 2:58 pm
Iguana
Member Since: 14 Oct 2013
Location: 'Sunny' Zomerset
Posts: 9424
Was going to get one of these, then I saw Del's at the weekend and all the issues he had now his report and I thought "hmmmmmmmm Perhaps not then"
But......based on the C P he put in it, I think I'll get one ordered once Pay has turned up Iggy/Ieuan
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21st Jan 2016 3:34 pm
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26779
Del, I was watching you trying to get it going, and I know I didn't say anything at the time, but I reckon you were over stuffing it and blocking the airflow. This accompanied with the tarry wood would have caused creosote to condense in the colder flue, and then your in a viscous circle.
I'm sure you know, good fire is all about airflow. The fact that you were getting no burn at the back means only the fuel at the front that was getting air was burning.
Sending white smoke signals that you have elected a new pope is not good! A hot fire has little smoke.
I would try again, with decent wood, and not much of it.
21st Jan 2016 3:44 pm
Landy_andy
Member Since: 05 May 2013
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 676
Very much agree Gareth. Ours only smokes at the start, once going well, it is pretty much smoke free.
21st Jan 2016 3:50 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73134
I was quite pleased with the "we've elected a Pope bit"!!
Yep, deffo crap wood and operator error. Will source some good wood for next outing and not overstuff. Got plenty of birch oop norf, plus a few bits of apple, so will get that brought down next time I have an empty car. Also my folks have just got a log burner and have lots of lovely kiln dried logs, might appropriate a "few" next time I visit.
I did notice Woody's flue was shimmering with heat but no smoke, I naturally assumed it was just about running out!!
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you should 
wood is the issue her Del 
