HELP aggressive chicken

[abwsco]

ROFCWL at the vision of your OH Christian DH who was a bit non plussed at the idea keeps putting extra logs on it. I think he's trying to recreate a bonfire

[Christian]

Watch out. The pyro bug doesn't take long!

[abwsco]

Watch out. The pyro bug doesn't take long!

 

The hissing and spitting and flames are strangely tempting

 

Daft log basket question - is yours a rectangular shape. I was looking at a round one but then wondered if rectangular would be better as I'd get more in and could also sort it out to hardwood on one side and softwood on the other and kindling in the middle or is that a bit obsessive

[Christian]

Not obsessive at all (says the man who has been banned from WH Smiths for rearranging the cards and envelopes into some kind of order)

 

Ours is round and fits well into the alcove by the fire. We keep newspapers, dustpan and brush etc, down the side.

[abwsco]

You're not are you!

 

Um, our alcoves are both filled up with furniture although we've room for soemthing by one of the settees.

[Aunty e]

We have a dinky log basket by the fire, but I have two small Hol boxes from Ikea (about 50cm square) in our living room which are filled with logs regularly, and then we top up the basket once or twice a day from that. It takes about 3-4 ikea bags of logs from the shed to fill the two boxes and the basket, and if the fire is going all day, we can easily burn through two or three baskets of wood. We have a mixture of softwood and hardwood, but I've not been able to explain to OH which is which yet - man doesn't know his trees. Anyway, if I have a few nice chunks of hardwood, we chuck them in when the fire's really going and they last for ages.

 

We're actually reaching the point where we can see the sides of the woodshed Might have to buy some more wood, haven't had to do that since January last year! It was a well spent £120, even if we did have to move it from the drive.

[abwsco]

Thanks Aunty e

 

DH set and lit the fire before I was in tonight but he's not set it up properly Used all softwood and about two pieces of kindling but worse than that he didn't empty the ash pan first

[abwsco]

His fire starting skills are so pants that it went out about half an hour ago when I was busy elsewhere. He'd also fallen asleep

[Charlottechicken]

Wood burns better on a bed of ash and coal burns better on a basket

 

Maybe it went out because it ran out of fuel, wood burns fast

[abwsco]

Thanks Claire Will take us a few goes I think to get right.

[Christian]

Agreed. There is a knack to building a good fire. OH says I use too much kindling, but them again, he doesn't ever chop any The kindling fairy does it all and leaves it in a wooden trunk by the back door

 

I have at least 3 fires before cleaning out the ash pan. It burns better with ash in there.

[Egluntyne]

We have two open fires. Both baxi grates.

 

I put layers of paper, firelighters and kindling and small amounts of coal. (Smokeless). As the flames take hold I build up the coal so that it covers everything, but with plenty of gaps for the air to circulate. I rarely have a failure.

 

Him Indoors on the other hand, layers everything up and then lobs a bucket full of coal on top and smothers everything. He then spends half an hour cursing and stomping about, putting newspapers across the opening. This is where a fascinating paper that he reads called the Catholic Herald comes in handy. It is a broadsheet and does the job nicely. Tabloids aren't big enough evidently. It is one of the only things it is good for. That and toilet training pets.

 

Nine times out of ten the paper will catch fire and either get sucked up the chimney and float over the rooftops of Sheffield, causing people to ring the radio stations with reports of UFO's or will flutter about the sitting room, leaving ash and swear words in it's wake.

 

I love an open fire. It is well worth the work (done my way ) and the mess. (It is mucky). If the fires are lit, it changes the whole atmosphere in the house in a way that I can't describe, and keeps the bedrooms above lovely and warm.

 

[abwsco]

LOL's at the description of your DH Egluntyne

 

Perhaps I should have taken pictures of how bad it was. He'd lobbed in four of the biggest slabs of tree trunk that would fit in the fire and used a couple of pieces of kindling Perhaps it was a deliberate ploy so I'll do it from now on-lol

[Egluntyne]

Perhaps it was a deliberate ploy so I'll do it from now on-lol

 

Almost certainly I'd say.

 

It will be your best bet in the long run.

[Daphne]

Also chuckling at Egluntyne's Exploits here

 

I have made myself fire monitor. Its the only way to go I find.......because other people invariably do it wrong, and he knows who he is

[Lesley]

I just taught my OH how to light the fire properly He's brilliant at it now and I can just sit back and look at it

[abwsco]

Well, we've managed to keep the fire going since I put it on mid morning but can't believe how much coal and wood I've used. Never though of that Anyone got any plans for an outdoor log store I can build next year.

[Christian]

You definitely need a log store!

 

We were lucky. Our next door neighbour is a whizz with wood and can do amazing things with old pallets. When we moved in, we have the fencing replaced and offered him all the off cuts. I came back from a 3 day trip at work to find a massive log store on the drive that he built for us

 

He uses old pallets as a base as they are pretty strong. Worth keeping an eye out for them, as prebuilt log stores are quite expensive.

 

Am loving Egluntyne's description above!

[The Dogmother]

Egluntyne, you just had The Boy and I in fits of laughter at that description, he asks if you've been at the cooking sherry *snorts*

 

I grew up with open fires in all rooms (we had no heating) when I was little, so am a dab hand at starting them up and clearing out. Egluntyne's method above is the same one as I use.

 

I now have a stove in the living room and wouldn't swap it for an open fire; it is far more efficient at keeping this old and drafty house warm. The Boy grew up with a Rayburn so is well used to solid fuel burners and is a total genius at starting and nursing it; it's his job when he visits.

 

I've never had to pay for wood, and use so little coal (stove nuts) that the cost is negligible. I have a wonderful woodpile at the end of the garden, built from old pallets. I reckon there's enough wood on there to last 2 winters!

[abwsco]

Told DH about the wood store and he reminded me he can get pallets from work for free However, he is asking as they are all open on the front and have spaces between the wood on the sides what do you cover them up with to keep them dry. Ta

[Christian]

Use the pallet(s) as a base so there is air flow underneath and more wood to make the sides and roof.

 

 

Next door neighbour used left over gravel board (around £10 for 5 planks) and featheredge to make ours.

[The Dogmother]

It needs a good airflow to keep the wood drying, so the gaps in the pallets will keep the air going underneath. Just a plain pile on top of that with a tarp over the top will suffice.

[Olly]

I howled with laughter at your description, Egluntyne!

 

Aviaries4U were offering a log store, but it was quite expensive. All you need is something to keep the logs off the ground, sides to contain them, and a roof to stop them getting rained on directly - just wood will do, it doesn't have to be waterproof. I'm lucky enough to have a garage to keep mine in, but outdoors it will be ok. Anyway if you're anything like me, the flat roof will soon have plant-pots or something stood on it!

 

In my experience you can't have too much kindling. I wish a kindling fairy lived here!

[Daphne]

Ours has stout posts at each corner and 2 at the front at 6ft intervals to support the roof as it is about 20 ft long It was made before we arrived - I'm guessing the corner posts are driven in using metposts at the base. Then we use pallets on the floor, we have a corrugated tin roof on a slight slope and some sort of wood planks (maybe gavel boards like Christian's but I don't know what they look like!) for the back and sides (but they don't reach right down to the floor, 6 inch gap all round for airflow I guess). We would never have attempted anything so amitious - in fact the wood store could almost double up as a WIR! As well as this enormous store we have 2 other smaller piles near the house - one is under an overhanging roof on a shed, the other one is just under a tarp - both are fine, although sometimes wind and rain get under the tarp.

 

Regarding wood use - open fires are hungry. The trick is to scavenge as much wood as poss (eg at the tip, from neighbours/family, skips, decorating jobs). But you will also need to get to know log providers, you want seasoned wood. Buy as early as you can and store yourself for next winter. On the fire we use pressed sawdust cakes (local sawmill) as cheap fillers - to get it going along with the kindling/paper kindling and to lob on indiscriminately. I use my driest wood after the kindling to get it going, then when I know its fine I either put on huge bits which will take some burning or less mature bits which will also take some burning - both slow the fire's hunger! The heavier the wood the more sap it has in it - ie the less seasoned. Massive bits can be feather-light and they will burn fast so its a juggling act. I'm not experienced with coal use so can't offer any advice there.

 

Ooops sorry for the novel

[abwsco]

Thnak you everyone and thanks for the pic Christian