Citizen, WOFT, Moine, and JoshE;

Thanks to all of you.

I suspect the problem was, I wasn't getting the fire hot enough before trying to "tip it over" as it were. <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Also, as Moine pointed out, fireplaces are designed to keep the fire going - plus, my father had a big grate which lifted the logs a few inches off the floor and allowed a good flow of fresh air from underneath. I don't have access to a home fireplace (except an electric one, which doesn't count); I've been practising in a local city park which has barbeque pits, so naturally the same techniques wouldn't work. (Isn't hindsight wonderful? ) I tried getting the logs to lie on top of one another, figuring at least the top one would keep burning, but it kept collapsing on me.

I probably would have had better success in maintaining a fire if I'd built it on top of the barbeque grill, rather than try to get it going underneath.

But what about building one in a wood stove? I guess the real trick there is to have the fire pre-built so you don't have to adjust it once it starts burning.