Fire starter debate

[Patrick62]

Colorful Colorado

Where we experience the orange glow of a chimney fire often enough. We burn a LOT of pine here. There are not a lot of options.

Also: I learned that the human being is nine times more susceptible to rumor than it is to fact. As correctly stated, temperature is the key. Keep it HOT

As for "firestarter", consider what I have used:
cardboard/paper
twigs and splitter splatter (little chunks)
Used motor oil
Paint thinner
WD 40 (lubes the damper on the way by)
Propane
Oxy/acetylene
Compressed air
Plastic bottles and other burnable stuff

Feel free to print this out and hand it to your BIL.

 

[Dalmatian90]

I don't do much woodwork, so I don't have much of that for kindling.

Found a guy with a roadside stand, he must either work at a cabinetry shop or for someone who supplies wood to cabinet makers. Pieces are a nice mix from veneer strips to trim to the 3/4" x 1/2" or so pieces you use on the inside corners of cabinets.

Sells a good size bundle for $4, and a bundle lasts me about a month if I'm having to re-light the stove every day. Best four bucks I spend

Of course after reading the pine cone post, tightwad me may take a garbage can out to under some of the big white pines in my woods next fall!

 

[isaaccarlson]

WD-40 is more of a rust inhibitor than lube....but at least your chimney won't rust

:agree2:use what you have. PAM cooking spray uses butane for propellant so it works wonders!!!!

 

[bytehoven]

This probably does not need to be said, but just avoid burning pressure treated lumber or scrap as well as plywood due to the chemicals.

We also use the grandma fire starter approach, so we keep a bin for twigs and I have the kids go around the yard to collect twigs. Once the twigs are all gone for the season, I just splinter up enough small stuff when splitting to fill the twig bin.

I keep my log lengths to 12" and usually split them into 1/6s or 1/8s, which don't take much to get going.

I keep a few boxes of smaller fire starter bricks incase I'd ever have to burn wet wood in an emergency.

 

[Walt41]

The best fire starter is a carefully cut, split and well seasoned BIL, all the hot air really cranks things up.

Well said, him and his Honda Civic!

 

[wkpoor]

Whaaaat? Thats plain crazy. Worrying about buildup from something that burns only a couple of minutes.
That is about as ridiculous as a guy at work was having a small cook fire outside last fall and a neighbor cam over and asked if he was concerned about his carbon footprint. Heheheheheh jeeeze!!!

 

[Walt41]

Whaaaat? Thats plain crazy. Worrying about buildup from something that burns only a couple of minutes.
That is about as ridiculous as a guy at work was having a small cook fire outside last fall and a neighbor cam over and asked if he was concerned about his carbon footprint. Heheheheheh jeeeze!!!

My brother is like 6' 8" and 330 ish, mabye the neighbor would like to discuss carbon footprints with him sometime.

 

[jburlingham]

I don't do much woodwork, so I don't have much of that for kindling.

Found a guy with a roadside stand, he must either work at a cabinetry shop or for someone who supplies wood to cabinet makers. Pieces are a nice mix from veneer strips to trim to the 3/4" x 1/2" or so pieces you use on the inside corners of cabinets.

Sells a good size bundle for $4, and a bundle lasts me about a month if I'm having to re-light the stove every day. Best four bucks I spend

Of course after reading the pine cone post, tightwad me may take a garbage can out to under some of the big white pines in my woods next fall!

Pine cones burn wonderfully, its like having kindling soaked with diesel fuel. they burn hot, and the are free.

 

[max2cam]

Dead balsam branches with the (brown) needles still attached burn wonderfully hot, like gasoline, and make starting fires easy.

 

[gtstang462002]

During the days when I am here all I burn is 2X. There is a truss company up the road from me that will drop is off by the truckload for free. I keep the box full and the house warm with it. Here is a picture of this years 2X piles.

 

[woodbooga]

Few years ago was a big year for burning construction scraps as a friend had a major renovation done, and my scroungerly ways saved him from having to pay the demo fee at the dump.

Most years, I use small white pine splits from tops left behind at a neighbors woodlot. What don't sell as campwood to the flatlanders gets turned into this:

6 pieces crisscrossed on 3 balled up sections of broadsheet newsprint gets us going, with the read draft slid over to kindle. Toss in a few more sticks of pine. Then some of the hardwood woofah biscuitwood from behind the kinlin pile sets up a nice blaze ready for some of the good heatin' wood. By that point, the back draft gets slid from kindle to bake.

Last chimney cleaning, there was no creosote - and just enough of the fluffy soot to get a 2-man minstrel show get into character.

 

[adamc]

No debate.

Napalm. It's reliable, gets hot fast and no creosote worries. :angry2:

In all seriousness, I really like the fatwood sticks I get from local big box stores. They burn long enough that small kindling is not required and because of their shape, they can ignite several pieces of firewood at once if they are oriented perpendicular to the firewood.

When starting a new fire, I do try to use small pieces that are bark free so that it gets hot fast and burns clean.

Adam

 

[job247]

I have an englander model 28 IC indoor wood stove and I use twisted up newspaper with dry woodbark or twigs with a big wad of lint from the clothes dryer screen in front of the paper. The dryer lint lights like gas and starts the rest of it burning pretty good.

 

[woodbooga]

Why do some twist newsprint? Knowing some do, a while back I tried it instead of crumpled up newsballs. Took more time and didn't seem to work any better.

 

[job247]

Think it was one of those things I picked up from when I was a kid watching dad build a fire. He use to twist up the newspaper and I guess I do it out of habit. I like how twisted up paper lays between the logs with the kindling on top but as you said wadded up would work just as good.

 

[sly13]

Left over coals usually. Sticks and newspaper, fire starters (if on sale) whatever. Were all just after one thing ... a fire. Use what you like and smile and nod to the "genius" BIL.

 

[rmount]

I use split 1" lumber over newspaper, the add logs after a couple of minutes. When we renovated I saved all the unpainted wood, all interior walls were originally 1" plank. Had my daughter cut a bunch of it into 12" lengths. I now have just over a cord of 110 year old kindling. Should be enough for the rest of my life.

 

[Walt41]

I just picked up about sixty 2x12 hem fir cutoffs, they burn amazing mixed with some oak rounds that I had sitting around. Next time BIL is around I am going to tell him that I am giving up on logs and will be exclusively burning cutoffs, can't wait!

 

[Dalmatian90]

Left over coals usually.

This could go in Woodbooga's philosophical ax thread, but if there's enough coals you just use your normal firewood, you're not starting a fire. And it's the same fire. Heck, even if use paper & kindling, if I don't strike a match or lighter it's still the same fire, not starting one!

 

[stihlaficionado]

I appreciate all the responses, I was half thinking to load up every piece of scrap cutoff from today and swing by his place and drop em!
I agree with you guys that his chimney needs a cleaning, mabye he needs fiber LOL

fat lighter for me, newpaper, some twigs.

Extended families are a constant source of PITA's as well as amusement...