Drying Kindiling

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Studdlygoof

Studdlygoof

Member
Jan 26, 2014
136
Elkton MD
I just split about 5 gallons worth of Kindiling this weekend for starting the stove. After burning it I'm under the suspicion that it is not as dry as I would like it to be because it takes a little bit longer to get burning. The pieces are about 6" long and 1/2" square. Do you think if I took a 5 gallon metal paint pail and poked holes in the bottom and in the lid and hung the bucket from the rafters by my wood furnace I could speed up the drying process? I know circulation plays a big part in the drying process but I'm thinking that with the holes in the bucket and toasty temps in the furnace room I could super heat the wood and sipped up the process. (And just for the record I wouldn't keep it close enough to the furnace to pose a fire hazard...already had one chimney fire this season, don't need any more excitement!)
 
So long as there is no chance of it falling and having things land inside the clearance to combustibles area, then give it a try. Setting it in a milk crate (which already has ventilated sides) and putting a fan on it for a few days just sitting on the floor in that room may make a huge difference.

However, if the wood wasn't dry enough to make dry kindling in the first place, the entire process needs to be reconsidered.

Especially in light of having a chimney fire.
 
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Have you considered putting the kindling in your oven at the lowest setting, like 170 Fahrenheit for say half an hour and keep an eye on it?

Just kidding. Please don't try this.
 
What kind of wood is it?
What was the MC of the splits that you used?

When making kindling to use ASAP, you must really choose the right pieces

This year I am using cedar as kindling, it is stringy and hairy, it snaps crackles and pops when lit up, it is also 15-19%...
 
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Craby said:
Have you considered putting the kindling in your oven at the lowest setting, like 170 Fahrenheit for say half an hour and keep an eye on it?
Click to expand...
I wish I could have gotten a picture of my wife laughing

Ram 1500 with an axe... said:
What kind of wood is it?
What was the MC of the splits that you used?
Click to expand...
I originally thought it was pine I had scrounged but after splitting it I believe it is sassafras, at least that's what it smells like. As far as the MC, this is my first season burning and I have yet to purchase a meter

I'll give it a try. If it doesn't work I'll set it aside to dry longer and split some more of the good stuff.
 
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Yes small pieces will dry very fast when heated. Like ready for use in a matter of days if you bake them good. Why are you putting a lid on it? A milk crate or other open drying rack should be even faster so long as it allows the radiant heat to hit the surface of the wood.
 
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Cutting it smaller, putting it on a cookie sheet in the oven like crabby said, I would get the oven warm, like 200 and then turn it off and leave it in there, got to keep an eye on it for sure.....
Are you using fire starter? If not, that could be your problem.....
If so, what kind are you using?
 
Newspaper? Other than that, I simply gather kindling in a few boxes and set it a few feet from the stove. It's dry in a day or two.
 
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You might want to try fatwood wrapped in newspaper or red cedars both work well, I tried some kind of sawdust and wax mixture and I ended up giving them away, there is a big difference, the first 2 keep a flame for near 7 minutes, enough time to ensure you get a fire.....
 
Could just make more kindling from dry splits or find some pines with dead limbs or other dry dead limbs for nice kindling - would seem to be the easier option. Cheers!
 
Studdlygoof said:
I made cottonballs dipped in wax as the starter. One match start every time.
Click to expand...
Yep.... works good. ^^^^

When we go camping we take homemade fire-starters made from the FREE lint out of the clothes dryer filter . Make a golf-ball sized piece, roll it in Vaseline. (or paraffin wax):)
 
Super Ceder fire starters. I have no vested intrest,but, they are simply the best I've used. They cost a little money but, the time I save not having to chop kindling is worth it. Just my 2 cents.
 
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I don't think you have to bother with the holes in the buckets as long as the buckets aren't packed tight.

I'd forget about the buckets.
Just build several dozen Jenga towers ( like you may have done with popsicle sticks as a kid ) on the floor.

Might be good cross stacking practice, too.

Tossed on a screen laying horizontal propped up on a few blocks would work too.
Then there's just dropped on the floor.
 
Kindling wood should be made out of something that lights off quickly and burns hot. We use soft maple for this. In addition, soft maple dries super fast so that is another plus. Just spread it out rather than stuffing it in to a bucket.
 
Missouri Frontier said:
Super Ceder fire starters. I have no vested intrest,but, they are simply the best I've used. They cost a little money but, the time I save not having to chop kindling is worth it. Just my 2 cents.
Click to expand...

I love those things, they work great. I thought about making some myself out of paraffin and chainsaw chips in an egg box, but havent gotten around to it. Probably just be easier to buy a box of em
 
I like to make kindling out of lumber scraps. I always seem to have an abundance of short/odd size 2x cutoffs. They split up real easy and are super dry
 
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Thanks for all the tips. Seems that just laying the wood out is the common consensus for drying this stuff up. Just don't know if my OCD is gonna allow me to keep a pile of sticks unorganized on the floor :( I'm gonna try the bucket idea. If it works I'll keep and extra load of Kindiling in there all the time to make sure I have super dry stuff available all the time.
 
Just cut next year's kindling this year.
 
bigbarf48 said:
I like to make kindling out of lumber scraps. I always seem to have an abundance of short/odd size 2x cutoffs. They split up real easy and are super dry
Click to expand...

Yep. I rarely have a shortage this year from renovations, though it seems knotty pine panelling and angle cuts are the flavor right now. My grocery store sells thin lumber scraps for 6 bucks a bag. I can go buy a few 2x4s for pennies and and triple the amount with 10 minutes with a chop saw
 
This is not exactly a reply to studdlygoof's question, but I almost never split kindling with the intent to use it right away. Unless maybe I've had the wood two years. I try to stay ahead on kindling, let it sit in the garage for at least a few weeks after I split it. Even better, I sometimes split it four months in advance and stack it like firewood.
 
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My first year, split many piles of kindling, stacked on a spare table downstairs during the winter when the air was dry. I stacked the layers 90 degrees different on every layer as it went up. Then I put a small fan on it running on low. Takes about three days and they are bone dry. No need to put in the oven where the meatloaf or cookies belong. Now I'm 4 years ahead and always have dry wood.
 
I use pallet wood for kindling, split it into smaller pieces. Easy to find and ready to burn.
 
jdp1152 said:
Yep. I rarely have a shortage this year from renovations, though it seems knotty pine panelling and angle cuts are the flavor right now. My grocery store sells thin lumber scraps for 6 bucks a bag. I can go buy a few 2x4s for pennies and and triple the amount with 10 minutes with a chop saw
Click to expand...
Lumber scraps are great . I get lots of them out of dumpsters. Also run across old pine barn siding and will stick an 8-12' piece up in the rafters of the woodshed for latter use. Dries fast too just under the tin.
 
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