You will keep a much more even fire
by keeping the damper down, just allowing draught enough to allow free
combustion; more than this is a waste of heat.
Get all out of the coal you can, and save all you get. Learn the little
points that half the engineers never think of.
WOOD
You will find wood quite different in some respects, but the good points
you have learned will be useful now. Fire quick and often, but unlike
coal, you must keep your fire box full. Place your wood as loosely as
possible. I mean by this, place in all directions to allow the draft to
pass freely through it. Keep adding a couple sticks as fast as there is
room for it; don't disturb the under sticks. Use short wood and fire
close to the door. When firing with wood I would advise you to keep
your screen down. There is much more danger of setting fire with wood
than with coal.
If you are in a dangerous place, owing to the wind and the surroundings,
don't hesitate to state your fears to the man for whom you are
threshing. He is not supposed to know the danger as well as you, and
if, after your advice, he says go ahead, you have placed the
responsibility on him; but even after you have done this, it sometimes
shows a good head to refuse to fire with wood, especially when you are
required to fire with old rails, which is a common fuel in a timbered
country.
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