My Log Burner...

supergt · 27 Mar 2013 at 19:18

looks awesome.

How much does this cost to run?

Martynt74 · 2 May 2013 at 14:59

Spit said:
Using the Rothenberger to light the fire. 30 seconds with this bad boy and were off

Bit of a thread revival, but how long do the gas cannisters last on these things? We've got into a habit of buying those readyligh logs for our fire due to sheer ease but its pretty expensive when you use it often.

Nightglow · 2 May 2013 at 20:02

Marvt74 said:
Bit of a thread revival, but how long do the gas cannisters last on these things? We've got into a habit of buying those readyligh logs for our fire due to sheer ease but its pretty expensive when you use it often.

Brilliant torch for fire lighting, got one, used one at my last place, only took barely a minute to get fire going, I was still using one cartridge 12 months later.
Propane Gas Cylinder 400gm £7:82p @ Tool Station, but a Turbo Torch can be expensive, cheapest one in Tool Staion is nearly £40, but it can use MAP-Plus or Propane gas.

Of course there are cheaper blow lamps available, but cartridges are more expensive ,£6 for a 350 gram one.

Martynt74 · 3 May 2013 at 09:32

I was actually looking at the Rothenberger above, as you say they're not too cheap but they sure look handy.

I assume the logic is the same as a blow torch in that you turn it on to set the gas and then use a lighter to ignite the flame or does it have built in sparks?

Nightglow · 3 May 2013 at 10:36

Marvt74 said:
I was actually looking at the Rothenberger above, as you say they're not too cheap but they sure look handy.

I assume the logic is the same as a blow torch in that you turn it on to set the gas and then use a lighter to ignite the flame or does it have built in sparks?

Has piezo ignition, so you never need a lighter, & can use the torch in any position.
Also Gas cylinder Support Stand is useful, as it's stops torch falling over.

Martynt74 · 3 May 2013 at 10:44

Superb, I’ll look into those then. Do you have any thoughts as to whether the Rothenberger at around £55ish is any better than the one you mentioned from Tool Station?

Or if theres another you reccommend?

McMav · 19 Jun 2013 at 08:52

Thread bump. Still a work in progress but it's mainly decorating to be finished. Ended up with a Dunsley Highlander 5 stove nice and easy to light, only done a few small fires so far to cue the paint but it does chuck out the heat. Plan is to finish the painting/skirting in next week or so once wee fellah is away to see his aunt at start of summer holidays. Then all good for the winter

Nightglow · 19 Jun 2013 at 09:05

Marvt74 said:
Superb, I’ll look into those then. Do you have any thoughts as to whether the Rothenberger at around £55ish is any better than the one you mentioned from Tool Station?

Or if theres another you reccommend?

Sorry I missed this

, never bother spending the extra for Rothenberger items,
this at at £40 is what I have, still does the job perfectly, plus I have my favourite bernzomatic quickfire torch, which I got it off the bay new for £18.

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Piezo+Ignition+Turbo+Torch/p36574

I use propane for fire lighting & mapp gas for plumbing, so much faster.

McMav · 19 Jun 2013 at 21:47

I use newspaper and dry kindling plus a match :-)

Martynt74 · 23 Oct 2013 at 13:51

Nightglow said:
Sorry I missed this, never bother spending the extra for Rothenberger items,
this at at £40 is what I have, still does the job perfectly, plus I have my favourite bernzomatic quickfire torch, which I got it off the bay new for £18.

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Piezo+Ignition+Turbo+Torch/p36574

I use propane for fire lighting & mapp gas for plumbing, so much faster.

Well took me long enough but i've just ordered that torch. Went for MapGas, don't know if it makes a difference but for the sake of a few quid it seemed hotter so my logic is it'll be quicker!

Nightglow · 23 Oct 2013 at 14:11

Marvt74 said:
Well took me long enough but i've just ordered that torch. Went for MapGas, don't know if it makes a difference but for the sake of a few quid it seemed hotter so my logic is it'll be quicker!

Mapp Gas burns hotter about 2927 degrees Centgrade, compared to propane at 1950 degrees Centgrade, pointless buying it for fire lighting, just use the cheaper propane in the blue or red canisters.

Mapp Gas is usually used for soldering in brazing plumbing,etc, much better hotter, so you solder much quicker.

Martynt74 · 23 Oct 2013 at 14:15

Oh well. Don't suppose it'll hinder my fire lighting will it?

DXP55 · 24 Oct 2013 at 20:16

Had log burners for years and this is picture from last house

cat loved it - Clearview with back boiler - fed 5 rads and room at 15ftx27ft was 84f at times.

Sold and downsized to bungalow so fitted another log burner.

Have a new cat now and she likes it just as much as our last cat.

Learning lessons from previous fit's the new one now is in a metal box - had it fabricated to fit hole - this way any lining around fire won't crack - burn of fall off.

We were told by fire supplier that as we had clay liners 8" round we didn't need flue lining -- Wrong!!!!! he never took into account cowboy builder in early 70's - they installed liners upside down which meant any moisture that ran down came through joins and down outside of chimney in loft and eventually down chimney breast in lounge -- had to knock it all out above fire and install SS flue liner.

Wood supply has now dried up as every man and his dog is after it so burn anything and everything - old kitchen unit's are good - at moment we can get pine off cut's from fence manufacturer for 30 quid a ton - bit expensive as it used to be a 5'er - get a few trailer loads all through summer and stack it undercover - it's now dry and burns well.

dave

Nightglow · 24 Oct 2013 at 20:40

DXP55: Look on Freecycle always free pallets, etc , & always look in skips, loads of wood here on the skips, but i don't have a log burner.

Stretch · 24 Oct 2013 at 20:51

DXP55 said:
Had log burners for years and this is picture from last house

cat loved it - Clearview with back boiler - fed 5 rads and room at 15ftx27ft was 84f at times.

Sold and downsized to bungalow so fitted another log burner.

Have a new cat now and she likes it just as much as our last cat.

Learning lessons from previous fit's the new one now is in a metal box - had it fabricated to fit hole - this way any lining around fire won't crack - burn of fall off.

We were told by fire supplier that as we had clay liners 8" round we didn't need flue lining -- Wrong!!!!! he never took into account cowboy builder in early 70's - they installed liners upside down which meant any moisture that ran down came through joins and down outside of chimney in loft and eventually down chimney breast in lounge -- had to knock it all out above fire and install SS flue liner.

Wood supply has now dried up as every man and his dog is after it so burn anything and everything - old kitchen unit's are good - at moment we can get pine off cut's from fence manufacturer for 30 quid a ton - bit expensive as it used to be a 5'er - get a few trailer loads all through summer and stack it undercover - it's now dry and burns well.

dave

Where did you get your surround ("metal box") DXP55?

Nightglow · 24 Oct 2013 at 21:05

It's easy to have a metal box custom fabricated, just look on Yell for metal fabricators, or architectural metal workers.

DXP55 · 24 Oct 2013 at 22:20

I have mate from near old house who is a metal fabricator - I knocked out old fire right back to original opening - measured it up and had box made 25mm smaller on sides - I had angle iron welded on to form the front surround so it touched brickwork then it was plastered around. - With fireplace so small you loose some heat into room and wished I had knocked out a lot more of chimney breast - improved heat output by having sheet of metal cut to fit in back of box but 3" shorter then spaced it out from back and leaving gap top and bottom -- this then created airflow under fire and around back of sheet and it came out along underside of box - Not only that but wall on other side of fire was now cool - before it was very hot to touch as heat transfered from box into brickwork even though I put vermiculite between box and brickwork.

Nightglow.

days of stripping pallets are long gone - too old for that game and out in stick's there is no such thing as spare wood/timber - it never hit's bottom of skip before it's gone.

Dave

Martynt74 · 25 Oct 2013 at 10:27

Got my Quick Fire torch last night. Was a bit worried setting it up as never used anything like it before and had worries of it exploding!

I struggled to light the logs with it though. All it seemed to do was char the outer layer of the log but not ignite. Is there a knack to it? The logs are bone dry so can't see that being the problem.

Only thing i'm thinking is that i'm using an open fire rather than a log burner but i wouldnt have thought that'd make a difference?

Also on a safety note, the packaging said to always disconnect the gas from the lighter when not in use. Is this advisable (baring in mind it'll be used a few times a month) or is it perfectly safe to leave it connected?

the_r_sole · 25 Oct 2013 at 10:34

if you have any old timber clad houses near by, keep an eye on them, one near me was getting re-roofed recently and I managed to snag 3 rubble sacks of cedar shingles, which are great for getting the fire going...
this is mine in place...

Nightglow · 25 Oct 2013 at 10:37

You need kindling & paper to start a fire, & gradually build it up until you can add the logs

I always remove the cartridge, less chance of accidentally turning it on,& have gas leaking & igniting, also it's top heavy torch, so there is risk of damaging the torch or canister, I have a mapp canister here, which has bent screw valve as a result of falling off the bench.

Might also affect the seals in the torch leaving it permanently attached.