branchbuzzer
Undiagnosed
Waste not, want not!
Fire Starters
- Thread starter jdc123
- Start date
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Waste not, want not!
There are many different ways of processing/purifying paraffin wax. Note that one can still purchase food grade paraffin wax. It's still in many chocolate recipes today.
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Dieselbreath
ArboristSite Lurker
I save up the lint from the dryer and when I have enough place it in an empty egg carton and add melted candle wax from old discarded candles. When cool, just tear the egg carton apart. Burns a long time. Totally free and recycles also.
WidowMaker
Addicted to ArboristSite
Noddles and a few pieces of splitter trash...good to go...
branchbuzzer
Undiagnosed
Well, sort of. You did have to buy the candles originally to get the wax, no?
I won't mention anything about you buying the eggs for the cartons, the value of your time, the clothes to get the lint and the energy used to run the dryer*. That would be a distraction and it would take quite a while to read all that.
* I would have included energy to heat the wax, but I assume you heat it on your woodburner.
zogger
Tree Freak
Kindling
I won't be running out any time soon in the kindling/firestarter arena...this pile of branches goes right up to about 8 feet from the cabin, I left a walkway and our outside furniture and grill crammed up against the wall and that's it. Solid brush. I'll milk it out more then move it to the back yard and next summer when it is real dry start breaking it up with my hands. The only stuff I will leave is what I can run over with the snapper and mulch into...whatever.
..and there's another pile almost that big across the driveway, and they still have half a dozen big branches to drop, the tallest largest ones....I'm over three cords (real close to 4 really) now pulled from that mess. I actually made it to about 4-5 feet from the base of the tree today, bucking and pulling out the "to be split, or close, judgement call later" sized.
I won't be running out any time soon in the kindling/firestarter arena...this pile of branches goes right up to about 8 feet from the cabin, I left a walkway and our outside furniture and grill crammed up against the wall and that's it. Solid brush. I'll milk it out more then move it to the back yard and next summer when it is real dry start breaking it up with my hands. The only stuff I will leave is what I can run over with the snapper and mulch into...whatever.
..and there's another pile almost that big across the driveway, and they still have half a dozen big branches to drop, the tallest largest ones....I'm over three cords (real close to 4 really) now pulled from that mess. I actually made it to about 4-5 feet from the base of the tree today, bucking and pulling out the "to be split, or close, judgement call later" sized.
Dieselbreath
ArboristSite Lurker
Keeping this stuff out of the landfill is recycling in my book. Evidently you have never been to a dump. You sound like the sob who throws his empty beer cans and trash on my property.
ksfastman
New Member
Fire Starter
Card board cut at about 1x8 and dipped in wax.
Card board cut at about 1x8 and dipped in wax.
branchbuzzer
Undiagnosed
A bit touchy aren't we?
If you read my post again you'll see I wasn't talking about your recycling, just the totally free part.
Ohioguychris
ArboristSite Lurker
All this brings back memories of when i was in Boy Scouts and we used to take empty Tuna Fish cans and cut card board, wrapped in a circle around the inside and then pour melted old candle wax inside. We would cook with them on survival campouts but they made awesome firestarters! lol!
zogger
Tree Freak
All this brings back memories of when i was in Boy Scouts and we used to take empty Tuna Fish cans and cut card board, wrapped in a circle around the inside and then pour melted old candle wax inside. We would cook with them on survival campouts but they made awesome firestarters! lol!
Tuna candles! I remember them things....
v8titan
ArboristSite Operative
+1 on a little accelerant. Kero or diesel works for me.
gregfox
ArboristSite Operative
Interesting. Fill egg cartons? How much wax? How bout a couple pics?:msp_confused:
Fifelaker
Addicted to ArboristSite
I used small branches and a propane 8 years ago when I last started my owb. I leave some coals behind when cleaning ash out, they seem to get it going again fairly quick.
imagineero
Addicted to ArboristSite
When starting fires at home I use whatever is laying around. I often use old cooking oil which would otherwise be discarded, chuck something in there to soak it up (noodles, newspaper, etc) or a bit of diesel or old fuel. You really dont need anything though, just a bit of kindling will get 'er going. A properly stacked bit of kindling with a bit of oil soaked rag/newspaper underneath is sure fire enough that you can walk off and have a coffee. Most of my shop rags end up as firestarters too.
I'll throw another one out there that hasnt been mentioned, cant remember who showed it to me but it's great. When I was hiking/camping a lot I used to make my own firestarters. Put on a glove, take a bunch of cotton balls and mush them into vasline until they are really full of it. Get an empty 35mm film canister (used to be a lot of those around, not so many now!) and cram them in there. You can cram an incredible number in there. One 35mm film canister carried enough to give me fires every day for a week, waterproof, last virtually forever, weigh almost nothing and burn a long time. The'll get even wet twigs going. Fits in your pocket. I used to put one canister in my first aid kit, one in my car, one in my survival kit, one in my hiking pack etc. Fire can be a lifesaver. Or it can just get you laid.
Shaun
I'll throw another one out there that hasnt been mentioned, cant remember who showed it to me but it's great. When I was hiking/camping a lot I used to make my own firestarters. Put on a glove, take a bunch of cotton balls and mush them into vasline until they are really full of it. Get an empty 35mm film canister (used to be a lot of those around, not so many now!) and cram them in there. You can cram an incredible number in there. One 35mm film canister carried enough to give me fires every day for a week, waterproof, last virtually forever, weigh almost nothing and burn a long time. The'll get even wet twigs going. Fits in your pocket. I used to put one canister in my first aid kit, one in my car, one in my survival kit, one in my hiking pack etc. Fire can be a lifesaver. Or it can just get you laid.
Shaun
See, this is one good reason why I come here... simple ideas and solutions to common problems... how to carry an emergency, non-spill, foolproof, compact, fire starting accelerate that won't dry-out, crumble, etc., in a vehicle, backpack, or whatever?
Awesome... just an awesome idea. Never thought about petroleum jelly... just flat awesome! "Strike Anywhere" matches in a waterproof container are a staple in every glove box of my fleet, and I'm adding petroleum jelly soaked cotton balls in an air-tight container TODAY!
blacklocst
ArboristSite Guru
Cotton balls... vaseline... 35-mm canister... sounds like a perverted proctologist getting ready to secretly video record his patients.
my old standby is still natures finest. Pine cones and pine needles
