Is my stove getting too much air?

Greetings. I recently moved into a house with a fireplace insert that has been converted into a free standing stove. It's and old stove, but well built. The stove has an ash pan with the air vents in the pan. The grate is cast iron with 3/8 inch holes. I cannot get a good bed of coals. My wood is partially dry. Can I be getting too much air? How can I get a layer of ash on a grate with all those holes? Do I really need a layer of ash?

Doesn't sound like the trouble is too much air (that would tend to cause the stove to be too hot and use up all the wood too quickly).

Sounds like not being dry is what's ailing you. Green wood will cause all kinds of misbehavior. If you've got any possible way to burn dryer wood, that's a good first step.

+1

if the wood sizzles at the ends when you put it on the stove it is way too wet. My stove has bigger holes than that and it soon develops a bed of ash from clean.