Easy Firestarter...

Silvercreek Farmer · #1 01/31/12, 10:12 AM

Our weather has been so warm seems like I am starting a new fire in the stove every day. I got a bunch of the compressed firelogs free several years ago and found that I could cut them up an make nice firestarters. No need for kindling, I just use some soft pine split logs to get my fire going before I add my hardwood. I started out just carving a piece off with a knife. It worked, but a lot of the block ended up crumbling, and I aways felt like I might cut myself due to the force required. This year I decided to try cutting them up on the band saw, it worked great! I have settled on cutting them in pieces about index finger size, then breaking that in half to make 2 starters. The broken edge lights easily, and the little piece burns long enough to get the fire going, faster and easier than paper/kindling. Only took about 5 minutes to cut up a whole log. Even if you had to buy the log, one would probably last an entire season at this rate. Nice for camping too.

am1too · #2 01/31/12, 10:40 AM

I use a rolled up paper grocery sack and small round wood. Rarely do I need more than a single match. Sometimes I use twigs. I gather them up in a grocery bag. Trees shed thousands of the every year.

kasilofhome · #3 01/31/12, 10:51 AM

I keep a box going and as life happens I put items in the box year round that make firestarter material.

Dryer lint, goes into a coffee can in the box
Dried (wood stove) citris peels go in to another coffee can
Junk mail goes in to the box
cardboard is cut into strips-boxes from any food produce store bought.
Racid oil is stored to use
bits of wax (stubs of birthday candles) go into a can.
the bits of wood that lands on to the tarp that the wood spliter sits on is gathered and boxed.
Woodheat is important to us.

If a can gets full it heads to the shed as with any box. Summer time is storing time for winter as there are fewer fires.

Marilyn · #4 01/31/12, 11:06 AM

I gather twigs and small branches throughout the yard and woods, keep them in a covered plastic trash can on/near the back porch. My thoughtful daughter gifted my husband with a huge box of fatwood Christmas 2011, we have barely made a dent in it; but after it has been consumed, we will return to making starters with lint and sawdust in cardboard egg cartons, wet down with melted candle wax from stubs and trimmings.

foxtrapper · #5 01/31/12, 01:28 PM

Been doing that with those fire logs as well, with a hatchet. And like you, I've found it effective and convenient.

Otherwise, some rolled up newspaper and standard small to large kindling has worked well enough over the years.

Keeping a tub of old bacon grease and the like is a handy booster for those times things don't want to start burning. Smear some on the wood and try again.

Oldcountryboy · #6 01/31/12, 09:13 PM

My fire starter consist of a cotton ball with vaseline smeared on it. Just set it slightly underneath the kindling and strike a match to it. That'th'th'the'that's all folks!

gone-a-milkin · #7 01/31/12, 09:28 PM

I have been keeping my stove just barely going for the last few days, rather than restart my fire.

Finally, I let it go out completely this morning.
Cleaned the glass on there, shovelled all the ashes out, and brought in a bundle of maple twigs on my way back from feeding the chickens.

I have gotten so spoiled with this airtight stove, I almost never have to chop kindling.
The kids have the hatchet out there somewhere, I dont even want to go look for it.

blooba · #8 02/01/12, 07:18 AM

I once knew this couple who made their own firestarter logs in those corn muffin tins shaped like an ear of corn.

Not sure of all the exact ingredients but i know it was sawdust,lard, and wax.

They raised pigs and sold firewood for the lard and sawdust. Bought the wax in big blocks. They sold these with the firewood and said they made almost as much on these as they did the firewood.

jwal10 · #9 02/01/12, 08:58 AM

I use pine cones. Free and easy, pick them up and let them dry....James

idigbeets · #10 02/01/12, 09:10 AM

Pine cones and straw for me.

familyman888 · #11 02/01/12, 08:57 PM

Trimmings from chopping!

flewism · #12 02/02/12, 01:33 AM

Splitter trash and noodles.

suitcase_sally · #13 02/02/12, 10:09 AM

A small handful of pine cones and a cotton ball soaked in kerosene. I have one of those pots that came with metal stick with a terra cotta thingy on the end. You fill the pot with kerosene and soak the thingy in it. I lost the 'thingy" so I just put cotton balls in the pot. This is a good use for kerosene that may be past it's prime for lamps.

big rockpile · #14 02/02/12, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gone-a-milkin

I have been keeping my stove just barely going for the last few days, rather than restart my fire.

Finally, I let it go out completely this morning.
Cleaned the glass on there, shovelled all the ashes out, and brought in a bundle of maple twigs on my way back from feeding the chickens.

I have gotten so spoiled with this airtight stove, I almost never have to chop kindling.
The kids have the hatchet out there somewhere, I dont even want to go look for it.

I did that when we completely heated with wood but I was worried about getting creosote build up in the Flue.

Bit ago I went in the other room asked my wife if we needed a fire? Then I looked at her,she was setting with a Heavy Coat on.I said that's stupid question

big rockpile

GrannyG · #15 02/02/12, 09:23 PM

DH gets a bucket full of sawdust, adds some turpentine and stirs it up...we keep it in a small metal can with lid, use a small dixie cup filled with it to start the fireplace. We keep the can outdoors....our can is the size of a popcorn tin...