Best manual-ignition method

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Whitfield1

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Dec 30, 2013
11
Redwood coast, northern California
I'm in the second year of employing the best cheap method of manual ignition of my first-gen Whitfield free-standing stove from the early 1980s. It occurred to me while thinking about how to use wax to increase ignition temp and burning that the best type of paper to use is wax paper. Sure enough, it carries lots of clean-burning ash-less energy so I use it as a base with a half-a-handful of pellets on top and four mini pine cones on top of them. They are ash-less also. But to increase the flammability I squirt the pellets and then the pine-cones with a flammable oil.
Until recently I used pure odorless mineral oil (bought in a gallon @ about $16.00). Recently I found pure corn oil at the grocery store for only $8.00 per gallon. Knowing that oil is oil when it comes to burn-ability, I mixed it 50-50 with the mineral oil which drops the price to just $12.00 per gallon. see the photos and ignition video.

short Video: http://smg.photobucket.com/user/arnash/media/Facebook/000_1961_zps37899a93.mp4.html

000_1960.jpg 000_1957.jpg

I tear off about a foot of wax paper and then tear it into 8 sections (in half and in quarters) then scrunch them up length wise which allows air to pass through them.
I used to use a propane torch but it blows ash and smoke into the room since it has a strong wind velocity, so I switched back to a barbecue lighter alone before coming up with the wax paper idea. The paper ignites the oil, and the oil fire, which last longer that the quick-burning paper, then lights the pellets and the pine-cones which together create a nice hot fire to ignite the pellets that will soon be falling into the pot.
 
I fill paper egg carton cups with sawdust and then pour paraffin wax over the sawdust, soaking it through.
I cut up the egg carton and use the wax soaked sawdust cups to start the fire. One does it and they light easily. I keep a small bucket of them by the stove.

Dave
 
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Wow way complicated.What I do-small handfull pellets in burn pot.Burn with self igniting propane torch-30 seconds,flip power switch on then off,continue burning w torch 30 more seconds,by this time combustion blower is up to speed,shut door walk away.
 
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bob bare said:
Wow way complicated.What I do-small handfull pellets in burn pot.Burn with self igniting propane torch-30 seconds,flip power switch on then off,continue burning w torch 30 more seconds,by this time combustion blower is up to speed,shut door walk away.
Click to expand...
I make a pile, turn on stove to suck out the smoke, shove in the self igniting torch, pull the trigger till I get a ball of glowing pellets the size of a small walnut, pull out and shut the door and in seconds poof FIRE.
 
Handful of pellets, a squirt of gel, a click with the lighter, shut the door, push start. We go through two bottles of gel at $9 each a season. Not worth it for me to try anything else.
 
91432ddd-b27c-4303-a874-0d1e05f3f13a_300.jpg

my igniter went out a little while ago.
been using this with nothing but pellets in the pot.
 
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Manually push the start button... or in an emergency use some alcohol gel on a hand full of pellets
 
DneprDave said:
I fill paper egg carton cups with sawdust and then pour paraffin wax over the sawdust, soaking it through.
I cut up the egg carton and use the wax soaked sawdust cups to start the fire. One does it and they light easily. I keep a small bucket of them by the stove.

Dave
Click to expand...
That sounds like a winner. It wouldn't ignite with as much flame and heat but then what's the rush? I suppose you pile some pellets on top or get the feeder working right away. Old fat candles that end up in yard sales and thrift stores make a good source for wax.
 
bob bare said:
Wow way complicated.What I do-small handfull pellets in burn pot.Burn with self igniting propane torch-30 seconds,flip power switch on then off,continue burning w torch 30 more seconds,by this time combustion blower is up to speed,shut door walk away.
Click to expand...
The time consumed holding the torch is about the same as tearing up the wax paper and such. I got tired of that along with the pellets not getting hot enough unless I torched them long enough all while smoke was waffing into the room. Now I just light the paper and close the door, slowly though so it doesn't produce too much air too fast.
 
Personally I like those little firestarter " mounds" sold for fireplaces. Basically sawdust and wax and they look like macaroon cookies. I cut them in half and find that's just the right amount to get my little Whit going. I could make them if I had more sawdust and time, but lack both due to work demands and the time I spend on here! A good trade of a few sheckels, I think. Also, the little squares sold for same purpose (look like fiber board, not sawdust) are awful for me.
 
Torch. Click, shhhhhhht, done.
 
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Handful of pellets in a cup and pour some rubbing alcohol (90%) on them, mix for a minute, pour them in the burn pot and light them up. I tried the torch found it to be a waste of time.
 
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Whitfield1 said:
I'm in the second year of employing the best cheap method of manual ignition of my first-gen Whitfield free-standing stove from the early 1980s. It occurred to me while thinking about how to use wax to increase ignition temp and burning that the best type of paper to use is wax paper. Sure enough, it carries lots of clean-burning ash-less energy so I use it as a base with a half-a-handful of pellets on top and four mini pine cones on top of them. They are ash-less also. But to increase the flammability I squirt the pellets and then the pine-cones with a flammable oil.
Until recently I used pure odorless mineral oil (bought in a gallon @ about $16.00). Recently I found pure corn oil at the grocery store for only $8.00 per gallon. Knowing that oil is oil when it comes to burn-ability, I mixed it 50-50 with the mineral oil which drops the price to just $12.00 per gallon. see the photos and ignition video.

short Video: http://smg.photobucket.com/user/arnash/media/Facebook/000_1961_zps37899a93.mp4.html

View attachment 122197 View attachment 122198

I tear off about a foot of wax paper and then tear it into 8 sections (in half and in quarters) then scrunch them up length wise which allows air to pass through them.
I used to use a propane torch but it blows ash and smoke into the room since it has a strong wind velocity, so I switched back to a barbecue lighter alone before coming up with the wax paper idea. The paper ignites the oil, and the oil fire, which last longer that the quick-burning paper, then lights the pellets and the pine-cones which together create a nice hot fire to ignite the pellets that will soon be falling into the pot.
Click to expand...

Nice pics, Thanks :)
 
It appears there's a lot of ingenuity out there and I'm inspired to try simpler methods. Lighter fluid seems so easy as well as 90% rubbing alcohol (though I don't recall ever seeing anything other than 70%). If I find some I'll mix it with the odorless lamp oil, -providing lower and higher ignition temperature for longer sustained flame than a flash in the pan. That's probably what lighter fluid is since its ignition temp is Goldilocks perfect.

Too bad pellets will crumble if you soak them in liquid for future use. The only thing you can soak them with for future use is wax. Put an old fat candle in a can on top of the stove to melt it, then pour it over a container of pellets and stir it in. I've done it once. But I've got two sizable bags of mini pine cones which work perfectly with the oil and some pellets but don't have a high enough flame temp without the wax paper.
The take away from this discussion might be that if you run out of starter products you can rely on wax paper to provide a much better flame than ashy paper. Avoiding methods that produce lots of smoke it the goal and it seems all of the shared methods do that.
Now I wonder if 90% alcohol can be jellified with moisture-retaining jell pellets used for flower pots. Hmmmm....
 
*Such over-thinking, for something so simple....

I've started our stove, with some toilet paper, and sticks (when the torch was empty)

Making fire....easy, since cro-magnon man?

The stove should have some natural draft(?) ...don't hold the door all the way open, or fart around about getting it lit.

Not to mention, wood fire smells good, as long as you aren't choking from it.
 
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MaryH said:
*Such over-thinking, for something so simple....

I've started our stove, with some toilet paper, and sticks (when the torch was empty)

Making fire....easy, since cro-magnon man?

The stove should have some natural draft(?) ...don't hold the door all the way open, or fart around about getting it lit.

Not to mention, wood fire smells good, as long as you aren't choking from it.
Click to expand...
I agree,but I guess been doing it wrong all these years.Do not open door all the way,flip switch on and off to start convection blower,one minute or less with propane,shut door turn on switch.No smoke in house,takes one minute or less.
 
i don't think it has taken me more than 30 seconds with the torch ever.
but my burn pot is well enclosed.
 
Last edited:
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I just keep holding torch untill blower gets up to full speed,then do not have to play with closing door,just shut it.Probably wasting gas but easy.
 
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Torch with map gas. Took 30 seconds with my old Whitfield.
 
Whitfield1 said:
It appears there's a lot of ingenuity out there and I'm inspired to try simpler methods. Lighter fluid seems so easy as well as 90% rubbing alcohol (though I don't recall ever seeing anything other than 70%). If I find some I'll mix it with the odorless lamp oil, -providing lower and higher ignition temperature for longer sustained flame than a flash in the pan. That's probably what lighter fluid is since its ignition temp is Goldilocks perfect.

Too bad pellets will crumble if you soak them in liquid for future use. The only thing you can soak them with for future use is wax. Put an old fat candle in a can on top of the stove to melt it, then pour it over a container of pellets and stir it in. I've done it once. But I've got two sizable bags of mini pine cones which work perfectly with the oil and some pellets but don't have a high enough flame temp without the wax paper.
The take away from this discussion might be that if you run out of starter products you can rely on wax paper to provide a much better flame than ashy paper. Avoiding methods that produce lots of smoke it the goal and it seems all of the shared methods do that.
Now I wonder if 90% alcohol can be jellified with moisture-retaining jell pellets used for flower pots. Hmmmm....
Click to expand...
Pellets won't degrade if using fuel oil, lamp oil etc. Used citronella scented lamp oil soaked pellets in the field to light corn stoves as the kerosene added a hot boost to quickly get the stoves and corn burning and running. Didn't smell that bad. Use just enough fuel to wet the pellets and could store in appropriate container.
 
Place handful of pellets in stove, grab torch, turn on, push button, press start button on stove, stick torch flame into pellets for a few seconds, shut door. All in less than one minuet.
 
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