Anyone else hate newspaper to start fire?

Benchwrench said:

what is a super cedar?

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Click link in my signature.

One of these days I'll have to try super cedars but I still have kindling coming out of my ears... rather burn it in the stove than out back or dump piles in the woods. I spend one afternoon in the fall each year breaking up all the storm downed branches from the summer into foot long pieces and stack them in the corner of the woodshed. Usually have left over at the end of the season. I do the modified top down start - 2 splits E-W, crumple 3-5 sheets of newspaper between and then stack a bunch of kindling criss cross on top. Works like a charm..

Treach, looks like your stove has a bypass damper according to the lopi website, so that helps.

Huntindog1 said:

Treach, looks like your stove has a bypass damper according to the lopi website, so that helps.

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It does and I do leave it open for a few minutes until fire has caught.

pen said:

oldspark said:

No kindling, how do you do that?

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I just load the splits up and put 1/4 of a super cedar in the middle of them, 2 or 3 inches back.

Only time I use kindling anymore is if I'm feeling stingy and trying to relight off of a small amount of coals.

pen

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I might try that but I dont think its gonna be any where near as quick as the "love cannel" with paper and kindling.

I haven't used newspaper or kindling for a long time. Just load the stove, throw a fire starter in and close the door. The SuperCedars do work great but I've been using the Rutland starters from Home Depot that are squares of what seems to be thick paper fibers. It's $12 for a box 144 squares I think, not a bad deal.

Since using super cedars, it's been too easy to start fires, so I sometimes challenge myself with trying with newspaper. After Christmas I ended up with tons of amazon cardboard boxes and have been starting fires with those. A bit harder to start, but kinda burns like small kindling and gets the stove blazing quick.

I bought 2 boxes of fire starters from Walmart this fall. I forget the brand, but there it's like a big match, 1" wide, 5-6" long. Rub the end against the box like a match and it lights up and burns for 15-20 mins. 1 box of 44-48 was under $10. I still have more than 1/2 the first box.

The Super Cedars work good but with the shipping it was just too much money for a firestarter.

hearthstoneheat said:

I've gotten so frustrated using newspaper to start fires. It seems that it doesn't light like it used to in the past (maybe it's just me), and it's a big waste of time. Then you have the big ash left that seems to block the fire if/when it does get going. I guess I've been too spoiled using Super Cedars. Anyone else share my frustration?

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yeah, we share your frustration...don't use paper as it "clogs da' dog" or I mean "da cat"... and get's caught in the cap too...use cedars, they're worth it!

I hate using newspaper because sometimes I'm in a hurry, and having to read the paper first is time-consuming. And if there's a good article in there (i.e., one that supports my p.o.v.) that I want one of the kids to read, I have to set that aside and start over with another newspaper. And then the stack of newspapers with articles that the kids don't read starts to build up and look cluttery.

Nate, I thank you for the Walmart firestarter tip--will look for those.

oldspark said:

No been using it for over 30 years, have you checked the moisture content of your newspaper?

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30 year old newspaper would prolly have a good MC by now. Plus I think 30 years ago they still made them out of wood.

I hate newspaper. Doesn't burn worth chit with all the clay fillers and recycle content. Hate how I get ink on my hands. For a while I was buying bundles of ink-free paper to keep my hands clean but it still didn't burn well.

Nothing but Super Cedars for me now.

No newspaper or kindling in my house...SuperCedars start my "bad boy" easily!...using good dry wood of course...

I'm at home now and they are called Strike-A-Fire, 48 of them in the box. I would imagine most Wal-Marts carry them, I saw them in 2 different stores when I was in Maine during the holidays. The box was around $8-9 if I remember right.

I have never had great luck with newspaper. That is how we got the fire going when I was growing up and I swear sometimes I'd go through a whole newspaper to get the fire going!

I don't have time to screw around with mashing up newspaper, chopping up all sorts of kindling, then trying to find small-medium splits... and finally like 3 hours later the stove is burning decent (exaggerating of course)

With the deals I got, I stuff the stove full of birch (what I burn) make a little spot for the fire starter toward the bottom, light one up kinda inside the stove (they are a bit stinky when they first light) and stick it in there. Shut the stove door and that's it. 5-10 mins later stove is ripping along heating the house.

snowleopard said:

I hate using newspaper because sometimes I'm in a hurry, and having to read the paper first is time-consuming. And if there's a good article in there (i.e., one that supports my p.o.v.) that I want one of the kids to read, I have to set that aside and start over with another newspaper. And then the stack of newspapers with articles that the kids don't read starts to build up and look cluttery.

Nate, I thank you for the Walmart firestarter tip--will look for those.

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hearthstoneheat said:

I've gotten so frustrated using newspaper to start fires. It seems that it doesn't light like it used to in the past (maybe it's just me), and it's a big waste of time. Then you have the big ash left that seems to block the fire if/when it does get going. I guess I've been too spoiled using Super Cedars. Anyone else share my frustration?

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I agree with this comment. I have noticed in general that newspapers don't ignite as quickly, have less flame and much more smoke than I remember from years ago. I wonder if it's because of the recycling process they use now? It used to be just the colored/glossy pages were hard to light. Super Cedars to the rescue!

BrotherBart said:

oldspark said:

BrotherBart said:

There is a small stack of three year old newspapers under an end table in the family room. They have been there since I received the first Super Cedar sample. I need to remember to throw them away.

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That's funny, I have a box of super cedars I bought because of the reviews on here, they are great but I like my newspaper, I think I have used two of them.

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I resisted even trying them for four years. What in the world was I thinking? I really, really like top down fire starting but not having to mess with kindling is just so great.

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Can you say more about "top down" fire starting? You don't need to throw the Super Cedar under the wood? I've just ordered my first 30 pack or whatever they are.. but they haven't come yet.

I find that knotting the newspaper into a "Nantucket Knot" makes it a much more effective fire-starter than just crumpling it up. I learned about this from this article: http://woodheat.org/newspaper.html

BKInsert said:

hearthstoneheat said:

I've gotten so frustrated using newspaper to start fires. It seems that it doesn't light like it used to in the past (maybe it's just me), and it's a big waste of time. Then you have the big ash left that seems to block the fire if/when it does get going. I guess I've been too spoiled using Super Cedars. Anyone else share my frustration?

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Just use 1 or 2 pieces of fatwood on top of ~6 sheets of tightly crumbled newspaper, you can buy it cheap at L L Bean, $35 will last a season or two... it works like a charm, Also, I learned this from someone else here on the forum, place two, or three, of large splits at the left and right sides, place the newspaper and fatwood in the center with a few small splits/kindle. This combination seems to works VERY well even when starting from dead cold.

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FYI, Depot has pretty much the same fatwood (Ive used both and found no difference) and its a lot cheaper than L.L.

My favourite is birch bark. It burns better than paper and it is free.

A little off topic but last night I split up one of my good dry white oak pieces into kindling size 1" pieces boy did that get the stove hot quick. I think from now on I will sacrifice by good oak pieces for kindling.

I think what I was splitting for kindling before was poplar. Not as good.

I find that burning a handfull of bills and some kindling starts a great fire.
It's like sticking it to the man...

I use firestarters & pine cones but mostly I roll up paper plates ( the cheap ones ) or paper cups . I use the paper products to make a toast or sandwich on & then roll them up in a twist . They light easy & last longer than paper .

I have used a couple of different fire starters, and most all work good.

I don't have to start a fire but once a week or so, less when cold, but I sure don't miss paper and tender material.

I keep a super cedar piece close by, load the stove full, stick a chunk of sc in an appropriate place, and in a matter of minutes I have a good fire.

I still use newspaper and kindling . . . but I must admit the Super Cedars have truly spoiled me as they just seem to work a lot better . . . which I suppose is good since it means I can save my newspaper for cleaning the glass on the stove. I also use cardboard occasionally.

I will say that not all newspaper is the same . . . the local weekly that I was getting feels different and burns differently than the daily newspaper I used on a few occasions.

Backwoods said:

Newspaper is all i have used thus far, I have no problems. I'm still waiting for my super cedar samples, and then we'll see. plus, I always end up reading an article I missed the first time around.

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Backwoods,
How long ago did you request your samples? We have had a couple samples returned due to not deliverable by the post office. We cannot figure out who they were intended for.

Thomas