Fire Dogs and rekindling a fire in the morning

[Phaestos]

Hey guys,

At the last Middlewood meet, Dave Bromley was so kind as to show me how to rekindle the fire in the morning by casting sparks from my ferro-rod onto the charred logs of the night before. Needless to say, as with everything I learn in Bushcraft, I was as giddy as a school kid after learning it. But my analytical mind couldn't sit and just enjoy the moment, so when I got home I immediately started scouring the web for information on why the charred carbon would light hours later. Maybe I'm searching incorrectly but I can't find any answers. In my understanding, the logs, at least the burnt section we were lighting, shouldn't have any energy left in it, yet it went to ember and we got the fire going.

My scientific mind is going crazy with curiosity! Help! Why the hell does this happen?!

Cheers,

 

[santaman2000]

I gotta ask; what does this have to do with fire dogs?

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

Chilli sticks. That's the answer my friend. If you we're to eat chilli sticks you would understand many more things.
Anyway I dunno mate, it's a strange one but really does work.

 

[lou1661]

Maybe it would help to think of it as charred wood, like char cloth. Linen won't light by a spark but accepts one well if charred.

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

Fire dogs is the term for the ends of charred logs from the previous nights fire. These take a spark readily and then can be used to reignite the fire.

 

[Elen Sentier]

Fire dogs are like a not-well-cooked form of charcoal. Spect you have BBQs, Santa, so think of it that way. If you can damp the fire down overnight then the dogs will hold embers overnight even. We used to do that when I was a kiddy, and damp down the old rayburn for the night too, I'm looking fwd to doing it again now ... Swallows and Amazons ahoy . Oh and see Dave's post on charcoal from this morning (I think).

 

[santaman2000]

Fire dogs are like a not-well-cooked form of charcoal. Spect you have BBQs, Santa, so think of it that way. If you can damp the fire down overnight then the dogs will hold embers overnight even. We used to do that when I was a kiddy, and damp down the old rayburn for the night too, I'm looking fwd to doing it again now ... Swallows and Amazons ahoy . Oh and see Dave's post on charcoal from this morning (I think).

Ah! Now I see, Over here "fire dogs" is what we call the two iron stands in the fireplace (andirons) that you stack the firewood across www.firebacks.net/firedogs-andirons.html

 

[copper_head]

Apparently it's too do with free radical particles in the burnt wood. What that means in English I don't know, but thats what uncle Ray says .

 

[santaman2000]

Apparently it's too do with free radical particles in the burnt wood. What that means in English I don't know, but thats what uncle Ray says .

I know we all want to free the radicals but please; lets not get the thread closed for politics

 

[Phaestos]

Ah! Now I see, Over here "fire dogs" is what we call the two iron stands in the fireplace (andirons) that you stack the firewood across www.firebacks.net/firedogs-andirons.html

That's all I was finding on the net. But I knew it meant something else. However it works, I love it!

 

[Stringmaker]

Ah! Now I see, Over here "fire dogs" is what we call the two iron stands in the fireplace (andirons) that you stack the firewood across www.firebacks.net/firedogs-andirons.html

Actually both terms are correct in UK English.

Just to confuse things.

 

[steve a]

Free radicals, start your research there.

 

[Keith_Beef]

What I used to do is bury the still burning wood under the ash before going to sleep a around midnight.

The following day, even as late as 17h00 or 19h00, I dig through the ashes with my hands, feeling my way to the heat. Put some kindling (doesn't even need to be as fine as tinder) on top, blow a couple of times, and the fire is alight again.

 

[ged]

...My scientific mind is going crazy with curiosity! Help! Why the hell does this happen?!

The black stuff is carbon. It burns. It isn't until that's all burned, and all you're left with is ash, that you've taken all the chemical energy that you're going to get out of the fuel in a fire.

 

[Elen Sentier]

That's what I did too, and you can do it in a stove, we used to add more wood or coal on top. In the morning, rake it apart a bit to add more air and Bob's your uncle

behind every creative woman there's usually a very talented cat ...

 

[Harvestman]

The black stuff is carbon. It burns. It isn't until that's all burned, and all you're left with is ash, that you've taken all the chemical energy that you're going to get out of the fuel in a fire.

I was trying to think of a nice clear way to say exactly this, but couldn't. Thank you.

 

[Teepee]

I believe its simply down to the dogs being very dry, they have been drying in the fire all night and ash is hydrophillic ( water loving) and forms a shield over the dogs to stop any condensation or damp that may get onto them. As they are usually still warm, condensation will not usually form anyway. Very dry quality charcoal will behave very similarly, my usual restuarant charcoal does.

Free radicals my ar.......