Help with burn pile

[kcurbanloggers]

Hi guys. I am burning off a large brush pile today, but it is going very poorly. I am not new to burning, but for some reason this pile will not light. I’ve poured diesel on it and have used a few hay bales... nothing. The pile is pretty tightly stacked, but could be better. The wood is not super dry, but I haven’t had problems with wet wood before. It is a pretty dry day with wind speeds of about 7mph with gusts at 15mph. Am I missing anything? Any ideas on how to get this thing to catch? I am really stumped on this one — there just doesn’t seem to be any reason why It won’t go. Thanks


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[northmanlogging]

Dirt dont burn...

Get yerself a leaf blower toss half a straw bale in a hole, once straw is going well hit it with the blower until fire is on its own.

If yer blower has a throttle lock on it dont walk away fer long as the plastiq ends have a habbit of wandering off... leaving wisp of black smoke and funny smells

 

[DieselDc]

From bad mpg to burning wood piles o my! This jumped on my pile of threads and I recognized your handle!

I’ve burned greens with success but to do so, I started with a pile of dried twigs and logs and let the wind take hold. Once it gets hot and heavy - throw on anything and it will burn. I wouldn’t waste diesel - I’m too cheap for that!


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[northmanlogging]

DONT DO THIS one old tire DONT DO THIS!

 

[slowp]

How big a pile is it? Is it big stuff, small stuff, a mix of twigs, limbs and long butts?

If you Don't Do That make sure you remove the wires from the steel belts afterwards.

The leaf blower method works well. A friend of mine has success with a propane blow torch thing that she lays alongside the pile and lets go for a few minutes or however long it takes to get the pile going. Once you get it going, be sure to chunk it--keep kind of repiling stuff that doesn't burn up.

In the future, make sure you have the fines mixed in on the bottom part and cover at least a part of your pile so you'll have a dry core spot to ignite. Which brings to mind that you might already have that...fines under a chunk big enough to block the rain are often good spots to ignite. And remember that dirt does not burn.

Other ways? Fusees (flares) napalm--not kidding, we used it. It was mixed up and put into plastic baggies, a drip torch, or kindling and firewood.

As I learned, while dumping 5 gallon buckets of alumigel (napalm) onto a green landing pile of old growth logging debris in the rain, if you have enough fuel, you can get it to burn. The fuels guy I was with also emptied his pickup tank of slash fuel on it and was doing the same the next day. He burned it, eventually.

 

[2dogs]

Good advice here. Mostly. Don't burn a tire, please. You will be arrested and no I will not visit you in jail even though I like jail food.

No dirt, fluffy pile, napalm (Sure Gel), start on the upwind side, leaf blower, start with dry kindling. Try to cover any future piles with kraft paper or those $1.00 painter's tarp. Tuck the paper underneath and start there.

 

[northmanlogging]

Fergot about the weed dragon... thanks miss P

Werks skookum set it under a good spot and wait ten minutes then hit with leaf blower...

 

[kcurbanloggers]

From bad mpg to burning wood piles o my! This jumped on my pile of threads and I recognized your handle!

I’ve burned greens with success but to do so, I started with a pile of dried twigs and logs and let the wind take hold. Once it gets hot and heavy - throw on anything and it will burn. I wouldn’t waste diesel - I’m too cheap for that!


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Lol the bad mpg wastes enough diesel that I’ll hardly notice an extra ten gallons. Thanks for all the help.




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[kcurbanloggers]

How big a pile is it? Is it big stuff, small stuff, a mix of twigs, limbs and long butts?

If you Don't Do That make sure you remove the wires from the steel belts afterwards.

The leaf blower method works well. A friend of mine has success with a propane blow torch thing that she lays alongside the pile and lets go for a few minutes or however long it takes to get the pile going. Once you get it going, be sure to chunk it--keep kind of repiling stuff that doesn't burn up.

In the future, make sure you have the fines mixed in on the bottom part and cover at least a part of your pile so you'll have a dry core spot to ignite. Which brings to mind that you might already have that...fines under a chunk big enough to block the rain are often good spots to ignite. And remember that dirt does not burn.

Other ways? Fusees (flares) napalm--not kidding, we used it. It was mixed up and put into plastic baggies, a drip torch, or kindling and firewood.

As I learned, while dumping 5 gallon buckets of alumigel (napalm) onto a green landing pile of old growth logging debris in the rain, if you have enough fuel, you can get it to burn. The fuels guy I was with also emptied his pickup tank of slash fuel on it and was doing the same the next day. He burned it, eventually.

Wow. How’d you make the napalm? Simple as styrofoam and gas or was it something more complicated?


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[2dogs]

Yep a Weed Dragon. I have mine in the truck for pile burning tomorrow.

 

[northmanlogging]

Wow. How’d you make the napalm? Simple as styrofoam and gas or was it something more complicated?


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Just an educated guess...

Crush up the road flares add to gasoline.

Maybe add some diesel for a longer hotter burn

Or just crush up a pile of road flares poor dust into baggies light baggies should burn pretty hot like that

 

[slowp]

I was not so unfortunate as to have to mix the napalm. Two other peons did that. I believe the chemicals came in a package and then gasoline was added and Tide? to make it gel. Then it was seal a mealed in a baggie. We filled up backpacks with baggies and went around from pile to pile lighting and tossing. That was in covered, dry eastside slash piles.

 

[InfiniteJest]

Alumigel, used to get it from Plum Creek Timber...not sure where to get it anymore.

 

[2dogs]

EZ-Fire gel from Terra Tech in Oregon. About 2oz powder to 1 gallon of gasoline. Google EZfire

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Alumigel, used to get it from Plum Creek Timber...not sure where to get it anymore.

Alumagel is now sold under the EZFire name.
http://www.westernhelicopterservices.com/EZFire.html

 

[Bwildered]

50:50 Diesel & sump oil mix in a plastic 5 litre oil container, drill a 1/8 " hole in the lid & you can squirt a few meters by just squeezing the container, light a small fire on the upwind side then squirt away gradually at the beginning then ramp up the quantity as the fuel gets on fire if your pile won't burn with that help it won't burn.
Thanski

 

[2dogs]

By sump oil do you mean used crankcase oil?

 

[avason]

Just wanted to add some pics to the thread...mix works well. Had this going a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Bwildered]

By sump oil do you mean used crankcase oil?

Yes
Thanski

 

[2dogs]

NO to burning used motor oil. This kind of advice, to violate federal law, is why I have Bwildered on my ignore list. Used motor oil MUST be disposed of properly (by returning oil to a collection point) and NEVER sprayed around the environment to save a few sheckles.

The same goes for burning tires! Patty I can't believe you would even mention picking out the steel belts. (Your punishment is to send me huckleberry cookies!)

There are legal, in certain circumstances, methods of getting your fire going. EZ-Fire gel as I mentioned above may be legal to use in your area. I think the faster the pile gets up to temperature and starts burning clean the better off but that is an uneducated guess.