Home made fire starter sticks

[sb47]

I have a fence com, just down the road that I have been getting wood scraps from for several years. They pre cut 1x6 cedar wood fence boards by the pallet load.
The drop off's are 6'' x 6'' x 1'' and are perfect for making fire starter sticks. I simply take a hatchet and split them up in finger size pieces. Then I take left over scrap candles and melt it in a big pot. Then I take the sticks and soak them in the hot wax for about 10 min. They work perfect for fire starter sticks because they light easy and burn hot about 10 times as long as without the wax.
I'm sure any dry wood cut up into small slender pieces would work as long as they are soaked in wax or some other kind of fuel. I like wax because ity's clean and dry. I can get a fire started in no time without using any fuel by using this method. I might add starter sticks to my inventory to sell along with the firewood I sell in the winter.
I'm using cedar fence wood scraps because they are free and split very easy and light easy and burn hot for a short time.

 

[Mad Professor]

White pine cones!!! I save a few 55-gal bags each fall, still have some left.

 

[GoBigRed]

Toilet paper rolls stuffed with saw dust and capped with crumpled newspaper to keep the saw dust in. No cost, very little time, and all parts at the house. Been using them as fire starters for years now

 

[GoBigRed]

Toilet paper rolls stuffed with saw dust and capped with crumpled newspaper to keep the saw dust in. No cost, very little time, and all parts at the house. Been using them as fire starters for years now

You can also put a little used motor oil on them for longer burn time. Just a squirt and it soaks in to the paper caps and roll. It’s a one match light every time

 

[Marine-piper]

My wife and I make starter cups out of wood chips and old candles or paraffin from Michael's.

Homelite enthusiast in training [emoji879]

 

[Sandhill Crane]

We use cardboard egg cartons, dryer lint, and old candles melted down. We find candles at garage sales, ask friends, etc. The egg cartons break apart fairly easily.
Dryer lint reduces the amount of wax needed. Ugly as hell, but work great. No kindling needed.

 

[sb47]

I always use diesel to start my fires or used oil of some kind on the shrapnel I generate from splitting wood. I do sell big bags of scraps for people that buy cords, but I was looking for something that is clean and uniform safe and non toxic that I can sell in smaller amounts.

 

[HadleyPA]

I get all the kindling I can handle from the high school woodshop. A bit of newspaper and a couple handfuls of there kiln dried scraps make great fire starters.

 

[Del_]

I start fires using the 'top down' method and have made out fine using the scraps and splinters from the log splitter. We dry the splitter scraps in 15 gallon nursery pots sat on top of the rows of wood in the wood shed.

 

[trains]

I just get a square of paper kitchen towel folded up a few times, up end a bottle of metho on it, and stuff it at the base of the fire.
Quick, no smoke, good heat to help clear the cold air in the flue if you have issues like that, and burns long enough to get the kindling started.

edited to add
ive also made up some wax and wood shavings in egg cartons like those pictured too.

 

[SimonHS]

I start fires using the 'top down' method

Top down method here too. Kindling from chopped-up pallets.

 

[LondonNeil]

I'm sure all the above work. As I've two small stoves and have to light them daily I'm always keen to get tips that are easy and cheap or free. I've used old candles but don't bother melting them, I grated some on to a sheet of newspaper and then rolled/twisted it into a wax filled sausage. Mainly I just use kindling and newspaper, Always pickup the splinters after splitting and throw on the stack to dry. The kids Ice lolly (popsicle?) Sticks, wax from baby Bel cheeses get kept all summer and used. It's all about reducing waste by reusing. I've thought about used engine oil but not thought up a non messy way. BBQ lighter gel squirted on newspaper is pretty good and bottles of gel cheap if bought at the end of the season.
Mainly it's kindling and newspaper though.
Tried gas torch when I came across some old bottles they needed using up, they didn't work so well for me for some reason.
One thing I've not tried but would like to know more on... strips of plastic bottle. PET plastic and HDPE are both just hydrogen and carbon, no chlorine or other elements like pvc has. Basically it is like wax but cross bonded chains (polimerised). Pvc and such are very bad to burn, producing dioxins, highly poisonous. I can't find any data on burning pet or HDPE though. I can imagine they are no worse than wood or wax but can't confirm. If they are 'clean' then strips of milk bottle or pop bottle would probably be a good starter fuel

 

[Husky Man]

Split old Railroad Ties into kindling size, soak in used motor oil, gets the junk tires Burnin pretty nice,

Does tend to rile up the neighbors though, keeps the house Warm. A guy’s gotta do, what a guy’s gotta do.


Doug

 

[tfp]

Is top-down something you can start and walk away from and it doesn’t need any fiddling? In 40 years I’ve never started a fire top-down… I’ve seen it mentioned a few times now so I might give it a go. If anyone wants to share their method it would be appreciated.

 

[moresnow]

Toilet paper rolls stuffed with saw dust and capped with crumpled newspaper to keep the saw dust in. No cost, very little time, and all parts at the house. Been using them as fire starters for years now

Butt how do you keep up?

 

[moresnow]

My wife and I make starter cups out of wood chips and old candles or paraffin from Michael's.

Homelite enthusiast in training [emoji879]

First thought was... Yummy! Those look good enough to eat.

 

[GoBigRed]

Butt how do you keep up?

Paper towel rolls also work. You can cut them down to three starters. I always have more than enough. But of course, that may be because I’m full of ****

 

[ElevatorGuy]

I use tp or pt centers too. I told my 80 some year old neighbor one time I used them as fire starter and she saves them for me every year lol.

 

[SimonHS]

Is top-down something you can start and walk away from and it doesn’t need any fiddling? In 40 years I’ve never started a fire top-down… I’ve seen it mentioned a few times now so I might give it a go. If anyone wants to share their method it would be appreciated.

This is my method. It might not suit your fire. Big splits at the bottom, smaller splits on top, then large kindling, then small kindling. Primary and secondary air open. Light small kindling with newspaper or firelighter and close the door. At 300F/150C close primary air. At about 450F/225C restrict secondary air and the temperature then levels off at around 600F/300C. Then add big splits occasionally, as required. I use a Condar stove-top thermometer which eliminates guesswork about how the fire is developing.

 

[grizz55chev]

I start the fire in Nov., typically don't have to start it again till April when the weather can be unpredictable. Our stove will hold the coals for better than 24hrs.