What is the best way to lay a coal fire?

Question

I always go (from bottom:
- little bit of coal
- loosly scrumpled paper
- LOTS of sticks
- Coal

But, it never seems to light perfect.
Which is the best way?
And don't suggest petrol please!

Answer 1

From the base:
A fire grate (with no ash underneath)
Tightly scrunched paper
Sticks laid in a grid (do three layers in opposite directions)
Coal (but only enough to cover the sicks to start off)

Light the paper, the sicks should light next then the coal and bingo! If not, cheat and try putting firlighters between the sticks. Good luck and don't burn yourself!

Answer 2

in the bottom of the grate, lay newspaper which has been twisted. use about 6 sheets. Next place your firewood on this in a criss cross shape. Don't be mean with the forewood. Place small lumps of coal on the wood, about a shovel full to start., then light paper. Guarenteed!!!

Answer 3

roll your paper into sticks...
then add some small kindling
and small pieces of coal...

then my nan would enclose the whole of the fireplace with an opened newspaper to cause it to draw air... hey presto fire...

add more wood or coal...

and this would be around 45 years ago...

Answer 4

I couldn't light mine unless I used fire lighters with all of the above

Answer 5

Oh! About this..... :). I would likely to help much as I done it very many times to my barbeque. This is how I done.
1st. I spread a thinny layer of hard and big coal on the bottom
2nd. I put some old newspaper on the top of the coal
3rd. The news paper is half soak with old unused cooking oil. This is the important thing to make the fire lasting in burning the coal into red.
4th. Buried and gather whole of the other coals onto the top layer of the newspaper making a medium huge mountain of the coal. Don't cover the newspaper at all. Give some space for air to get into the burning too. Make some "tails" of the newspaper for lightening up a first fire.
5th. Make sure the "gather" is in a mountain shape. Hehe! :).
6th. Pour some old unused cooking oil all over the mountain. Make sure it doesn't wet much.
7th. Burn the tail. And let the burning happenning as big as it be but not so big, ok. :). It should like burning the fire in the camp site but it doesn't require branches or any leaves. The fire is just suit enough for getting the red hot coal.
8th. If the fire getting low, spread some oil that I mention for continuosly burning the coal. If the burning getting bigger spread some water to control them. Its takes for moment to see all of the coal turning into whole red. But for me, if the coal is already turning into red for majority of them then I already have what I need to barbeque. :).
9th. After the coal turning red, spread it whole over the area. Make sure to put the fire off by using some water. Don't "wash" the fire but "sprinkle" some of the water to maintain it. Just have the very hot red coal to cook or barbeque.
10th. Lastly.... You get the red hot coal for cooking / barbeque / something else.....

Answer 6

Hi.
Let there be fire !
You have some goodly anwers to which is tricky add much further useful comment.
However, do remove the old ash from under the grate 1st, The usual plenty of scringed up newspaper, a goodly about of well dried sticks laid across each other (old floorboards & skirting boards from a builder mak for splinid), then just enough smaller bits of coal to get it nicely going., then the bigger bits as required.

I have open fires at home, a kitchen range, and a pot-belly stove on the narrowboat - all lit in the same manner.

Also avoid the old trick of holding a sheet of newspaper ocross, and opening up the vents at the bottom if possible.
OK if you have say, been out for a while to return ro a dimal glimmer in the grate, but I have had this method or re-kindling to result in quickly chucking the flaming shett onto the fire. Remove it if it appears to be going brown in the middle.

Logs ? Splendid items when you use the right wood of the right type & size for the fire. Not as much thermal energy as coal,
A small chainsaw at work, and store them in a log-shed or lean-to, and used last years logs if the timber is fresh.
Avoid fruit & conifer tree timber, as it will clog up he chimneys with its' high sap contents.
This can be used to your advantage in Autumn, though
An interesting method for avoiding the services of a chimney-sweep by buning perhaps apple tree logs for a while, get a stonker of a fire going, then throw plenty of burning newspaper up the chimney. The whole issue igites the soot / goo mixture, and the updaught sends it all flying out of the chimney-pots in an spectacular & alarming fashion. No mess indoors.
Worth having a peep outside at this spectacle !
(A trick learned from my Geordie Grandmother)

Oh, perhaps irrelevant to you, but keep eyes peeled for dicarded fence posts etc, when cruising the waterways. A free and almost inexhaustable supply of fine timber. A stock of this on the roof will last all winter.I sort of invented rough & ready barbeques when living in the mid East with a ring of stons around a sand crater, the triangular bark from palm trees with the furry bits for kindling, and an old air-conditioner grill on top. I did not understand heavy expensive gas-driven items on a beach. No need !

Forgive ... I have digressed somewhat from your original question, such are Sunday afternoons I suppose.

Keep warm, and all the best.

Bob.