The Best Wood for Kindling?

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ReggieT

ReggieT

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Just wanted to find out...I use the scraps off my splittings and so forth for starter.
Yet, I found out I may have been turning down some red cedar & pine bottoms that are better for kindling.

What is you guys experience as far as the best & simplest wood to harvest for top notch kindling?

Thanks
 
ChoppyChoppy

ChoppyChoppy

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Cottonwood bark. The stringy stuff that's like bark layer #2. It's slimy and slippery, but give it a day or two and it's so dry you can about light it on fire from a decent fart.
Seriously though, just need to touch a match to it and roaring fire.

Almost burned one of the firewood processors down, couple pieces of the stuff fell on the engine and caught fire.
 
ReggieT

ReggieT

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Cottonwood bark. The stringy stuff that's like bark layer #2. It's slimy and slippery, but give it a day or two and it's so dry you can about light it on fire from a decent fart.
Seriously though, just need to touch a match to it and roaring fire.

Almost burned one of the firewood processors down, couple pieces of the stuff fell on the engine and caught fire.
:eek:
 
Henry and Wanda

Henry and Wanda

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Hello,
When I built a 3 car garage on my second house, I had to take the cedar lap siding off the wall where it joined into the house. That was the BEST kindling that I ever used. I just took the long pieces and cut them up to about a foot long. It was a little work, but what a payoff !!! When I needed a little kindling, I would take a few pieces out of the box I stored it in and then took a hatchet and split it into small pieces ( it split like butter) !!!! You could just light it up with a match, no paper needed. If you ever get a chance to get some of that, jump on it !!!!!

Henry and Wanda
 
Fred Wright

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Type of tree is probably moot; any species will serve as kindling when good and dry.

Three types of kindling get used here: peeled bark, splitter scraps and branches. The branches are piled at the woods edge, just drag a few over by the stacks and break 'em up as needed.

Splitter scraps and bark are stored in trash bins but any container will do. Don't let them get rained on.
 
pweber

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We have tons of poplar here in central Maryland. I'll turn a whole tree into kindling. It dries quickly and lights easily. It's also not messy because most of the bark falls off when splitting so it's easy to carry it through the house without getting bark dust everywhere.
 
bert the turtle

bert the turtle

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Anything small and dry works but the less dense the easier it lights. An exception would be fatwood where the density is the resin not the wood. Burns like diesel soaked pine. But it smokes as much as diesel so I use a modest amount of that to get small pine or cedar pieces going.
 
CTYank

CTYank

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Skids from local equipment dealer that you bust, and cut up with saber saw. Friends that buy fireplace wood get a grocery bag or two of that with 1/3-cord truckload. They like it. Covers my beer-money.
 
unclemoustache

unclemoustache

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I sometimes get cedar from remodeling jobs - shingle/shakes, siding, posts, decking, etc. That stuff is usually VERY dry, and I cut it into smaller lengths and have the kiddos split it into kindling. Not a whole lot of pine around here, but a handful of pine noodles are pretty awesome as well.
 
ReggieT

ReggieT

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I sometimes get cedar from remodeling jobs - shingle/shakes, siding, posts, decking, etc. That stuff is usually VERY dry, and I cut it into smaller lengths and have the kiddos split it into kindling. Not a whole lot of pine around here, but a handful of pine noodles are pretty awesome as well.
Hmm...thanks Uncle Stache...I've got a couple of contractor bags full of noodles from last summer resting in the garage .."pin oak, black locust and some ash"...reckon it should be cured out by now...although my daughter swore she saw a rather burly looking gopher haul ass outta one them sacks! hmmm...guess he'll burn too!! LOL:sweet::eek:
 
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