jthornton
ArboristSite Guru
I let my little stove out in the shop go out at night and start a new fire every morning. What tricks do you guys have for starting a fire every day?
Thanks
JT
Thanks
JT
Starting a fire every day
- Thread starter jthornton
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AIM
Addicted to ArboristSite
Those big propane torches work pretty well but even with them you need some small stuff or you'll stand there for 10 minutes waiting.
Cabinet shops, lumber yards, etc should have large quantities of cut offs that make great kindling.
Cabinet shops, lumber yards, etc should have large quantities of cut offs that make great kindling.
spike60
Addicted to ArboristSite
I'm in a similar boat. There's generally a few coals left when I get home, but I still need kindling every day. So the only trick is to make sure that I have a healthy supply of kindling every year. Most of it comes from the tractor and z-mower crates at the store. I also have access to plenty of slab wood from a buddy's mill and that makes great great kindling.
Side story is that he gets a huge slab pile there and it sits til near the end of the heating season when a few locals who are running out of wood start hitting it to get them through. They'll be hitting it a little earlier this year with these temps.
Side story is that he gets a huge slab pile there and it sits til near the end of the heating season when a few locals who are running out of wood start hitting it to get them through. They'll be hitting it a little earlier this year with these temps.
mainewoods
Addicted to ArboristSite
I have been using the " upside down fire" method for quite a while now, and it has never failed to start a good fire. Big wood on the bottom graduating in size up to kindling and paper on top. I was dubious at first, but IMO it works better than the standard method most people were taught. I've found it is almost smokeless as well.
NSMaple1
Addicted to ArboristSite
I have a mix of wood, quite a bit of it is cut from windfall spruce. When I come to a clear split of that it gets set aside for making kindling. Easy peasy to slice off enough to start a fire with, choking up on my Fiskars. Couple minutes of that, combined with some crumpled newspaper (nowadays that stuff seems to go up like it has a propellant in it), and we're off to the races.
Coals help if there are any left - and I use a trigger start propane torch. That really helps speed things up, you can stick it right in there where you want & hit the go button. I start a new fire every day, and I'm about a year and a half so far on the same propane bottle.
Coals help if there are any left - and I use a trigger start propane torch. That really helps speed things up, you can stick it right in there where you want & hit the go button. I start a new fire every day, and I'm about a year and a half so far on the same propane bottle.
jwade
ArboristSite Operative
bottle of map gas and kindling make it easy
I don't use kindling... never have.
Out in the shop I save all the greasy, dirty, and whatever cloth shop rags/towels. When I need to start a fire I place a few splits in the box, tear a hunk off one of the rags (like 4x4 inch piece or so), wad it up tight. poke it between a couple splits on the bottom, squirt a tablespoon or two of whatever (lighter fluid, charcoal starter, kerosene, etc.) on it until it's soaked, use the reliable Bic Lighter, and close the door. The chunk of rag acts like a wick, burns hot for several minutes... never had a problem getting the fire started and it only takes a few seconds to do. In the house I use a hunk of lint from the cloths dryer screen.
Works every time, but whatever ya' use... don't use gasoline‼
*
Out in the shop I save all the greasy, dirty, and whatever cloth shop rags/towels. When I need to start a fire I place a few splits in the box, tear a hunk off one of the rags (like 4x4 inch piece or so), wad it up tight. poke it between a couple splits on the bottom, squirt a tablespoon or two of whatever (lighter fluid, charcoal starter, kerosene, etc.) on it until it's soaked, use the reliable Bic Lighter, and close the door. The chunk of rag acts like a wick, burns hot for several minutes... never had a problem getting the fire started and it only takes a few seconds to do. In the house I use a hunk of lint from the cloths dryer screen.
Works every time, but whatever ya' use... don't use gasoline‼
*
haveawoody
Addicted to ArboristSite
jthornton,
Best thing to do is don't let it go out at night.
Put a big block of wood on before you leave the shop, set the air so it's just burning and in the morning you should have some hot coals to start the next one.
American Elm works really well as a night block and makes for less splitting of a tough to split wood so kills 2 birds with one stone
If you make big blocks of elm that just fit in the stove they will burn for many hours.
For me when I do have to start a fire I have a couple short pieces on each side, a couple of thin splits on top of them in the opposite direction.
I make a mini log cabin sort of thing with kindle under it with some wood shavings in the middle, spark up the propane torch and off it goes in short time.
Most of my kindle comes from clean pallet runners or construction scrap, short 2x4s split up real easy and catch fire easy.
Stay away from painted or pressure treated wood for kindle and scraps are pretty much endless free supply.
The little plumbers propane torch kits are great, real inexpensive, starts a fire fast and with just a click and cheap replacement bottles.
Best thing to do is don't let it go out at night.
Put a big block of wood on before you leave the shop, set the air so it's just burning and in the morning you should have some hot coals to start the next one.
American Elm works really well as a night block and makes for less splitting of a tough to split wood so kills 2 birds with one stone
If you make big blocks of elm that just fit in the stove they will burn for many hours.
For me when I do have to start a fire I have a couple short pieces on each side, a couple of thin splits on top of them in the opposite direction.
I make a mini log cabin sort of thing with kindle under it with some wood shavings in the middle, spark up the propane torch and off it goes in short time.
Most of my kindle comes from clean pallet runners or construction scrap, short 2x4s split up real easy and catch fire easy.
Stay away from painted or pressure treated wood for kindle and scraps are pretty much endless free supply.
The little plumbers propane torch kits are great, real inexpensive, starts a fire fast and with just a click and cheap replacement bottles.
KenJax Tree
Terraphobic
I usually use $100 bills.
Sent from my Autotune Carb
Sent from my Autotune Carb
ponyexpress976
nipple fritters
Splitter turds and junk mail is what works for me. Since it's out in the shop, put a small split in a can of diesel or kero before you leave at night. Next morning you'll have yourself some homemade fatwood.
mainewoods
Addicted to ArboristSite
zogger
Tree Freak
Splitter junk, small branches, torn up cardboard and junk mail. And I cut small down to one inch, so I have plenty of like one inch two inch and three inch rounds to add to the morning stew.
I stop by my local OPE shop now and then and raid their dumpster for cardboard.
If you have room when bringing back wood, just grab the long skinny branches and chuck them on top, at home, throw in a stack. Wait until crispy dry (not too long) then just break them up into a bucket or box.
Every tree comes with big amounts of free easy access kindling....
I stop by my local OPE shop now and then and raid their dumpster for cardboard.
If you have room when bringing back wood, just grab the long skinny branches and chuck them on top, at home, throw in a stack. Wait until crispy dry (not too long) then just break them up into a bucket or box.
Every tree comes with big amounts of free easy access kindling....
naturelover
Tree Freak
Half of a starterlogg.
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Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk
alleyyooper
Addicted to ArboristSite
Waxed boxes that are in the grocery store dumpster free for the takeing and cutting into strips, kindling from splitting and stored in a box near the stove to keep dry and the top down method.
Al
Al
mainewoods
Addicted to ArboristSite
Dried pine cones make great fire starters- all you need to do is pick 'em up. Save your cardboard egg cartons, excellent fire starters also.
Did an old roof that had cedar shakes under 3 layers of roofing. Saved the shakes, can light one with a match, don't even need newspaper.
Cedar siding scrapes work great too.
Know a carpenter? Kiln dried cutoffs. Avoid pressure treat
For keeping it going, or out of the above, I have small axe and split all the strait stuff in a kindling pile.
If you have access to white/black birch, the bark
Guess I'm old school....
tbow388
Off The Air BEEEEEEEEP
I use my wife. That way I don't have to mess with it.
jthornton
ArboristSite Guru
Wow, thanks for all the experience. That's why I like it here you get at least 75% good answers... and a few not so good. I used several of your ideas including top down, peanut oil soaked stick and the torch and had a fire going in minutes.
Thanks
JT
Thanks
JT
greendohn
firewood hack
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I let my garage stove go out at nite also. I chunk a couple big 'uns in before heading into the house at nite and if i get out early enough, I'll still have coals to work with.
I drop 20 bucks a year on a couple boxes of the firestarter blocks and they work pretty good at starting a fire using "wrist" sized wood.
Years ago, I kept a feed sack full of diesel soaked corn cobs on hand which worked great, just a stinkin- dirty way to start a fire.
I drop 20 bucks a year on a couple boxes of the firestarter blocks and they work pretty good at starting a fire using "wrist" sized wood.
Years ago, I kept a feed sack full of diesel soaked corn cobs on hand which worked great, just a stinkin- dirty way to start a fire.
