Top down fire lighting

[cobblerdave]

G'day
Trying to build a Boy Scout fire tepee inside on oven is no fun and they don't seem to work well.
The top down was described by a member of the American masonry heaters acc a number of years ago on the Forno bravo site is the best method I've come across. Unfortunately I can't find it now.




Build a flat raft of thicker sticks under the chimney in the entrance. A piece of newspaper as a wick. Build a log house of smaller stocks on the raft. Fill with firelighters, or paper towel soaked in cooking oil or even just screwed up newspaper. Add smaller twigs to the top.



And light




Being in the open air the fire gets a good go on and pre heats the chimney so it draws well. The smaller twigs and sticks will eventually light the bigger stuff.




Finally push the raft into the cold oven ( a garden rake will do). The fires got a good go on so it burns well even in a cold oven. The embers from the smaller sticks will fall on the log raft and light it to give you a good base to continue to fire your oven.

Regards dave

[nixie]

I used a similar idea when lighting my old oven, except I'd put chunkier logs on the bottom and build it right in the middle of the cooking floor. I then used a weed burner to light it.

Also seems to work when lighting coal fires in the house .

Untitled by nixie_me, on Flickr

[albacore]

Cobblerdave, I don't want to be a killjoy or sound like a know-it-all, but I would warn against using alcohol or meths for lighting fires, especially inside the oven. It really can be extremely dangerous stuff. There was an incident a few years ago when a pregnant woman suffered fatal burns when using it to light a barbeque.

[cobblerdave]

G'day
No, your not a killjoy, just pointed out the obvious, it's just thats world we live in nowadays.
I've removed the reference.
Regards dave

[cobblerdave]

G’day 
how long ago! Yes well. I’ll add a couple of pics they explain more. It’s still the same way I use the only diference is I use some crumpled kitchen paper soaked with a small amount of cooking oil.... light and it’s away