Only Newspaper?

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Mass. Wine Guy said:
Is newspaper the best kind of paper to use when starting a fire? How abot paper bags or paper from my laser printer? Any negatives to using these?

Thank you.

Newspaper is the good ole standby... Paper bags; if ya can get em, are just as good.

The laser printer is so-so. Has it been printed on? color? From what I understand, the inks are toxic.
(DEFIANTLY from a HP and Samsung [personal knowledge of mfg.], Xerox Phasers w/ their "solid inks" are a bit better, but I wouldn't)
 
cmonSTART said:
Well, newspaper burns best, but I have to admit my stove is sort of my document shredder.

Yeah I kinda miss my old stove. I even burned some old clothes in it one time. %-P
 
All my paper gets recycled...newspaper, magazines, catalogs, whatever. It (along with metal & plastic stuff) all goes into a big blue bin that I wheel out to the street every other Friday. I use Super Cedars to start fires in my stoves. Rick
 
I've burnt pretty much every and any paper and wood product in my stove. The clean ones are better, but they will all burn. I've burnt a few pairs of underwear too. LOL. Don't ask.
 
The problem is that certain inks and dyes can be polluting to the environment. If it is a piece here and there it is okay. Don't burn pressure treated wood as it creates a very poisonous ash and burning glued boards like plywood or chip board are also not a great idea. Burning newspaper or office paper or paper flyers that you get in the mail is pretty harmless.
 
Mass. Wine Guy said:
Is newspaper the best kind of paper to use when starting a fire? How abot paper bags or paper from my laser printer? Any negatives to using these?

Thank you.

If you have a cat stove you definitely don't ever want to burn any other paper but newspaper or paper bags--the color inks and coatings on glossy paper will ruin you combustor..........

NP
 
Usually I just burn newspaper or paper of a similar consistency . . . sometimes the occasional envelope . . . but no glossy paper or envelopes with plastic.
 
If you get a letter from your mistress, it is okay to burn it.
 
I have done the newspaper and split alot of kindling, but now I buy pretty muc hanyplace the Firelogg starters...You can break them in half to get 2x the use of them. I bought a box in October and still have one of the 6 packs left. they are well worth it in my opinion.
 
BrotherBart said:
cmonSTART said:
Well, newspaper burns best, but I have to admit my stove is sort of my document shredder.

Yeah I kinda miss my old stove. I even burned some old clothes in it one time. %-P

There's a guy a couple towns over from me that does that. Says it's how he keeps his stovepipe clean.

He's running some kinda soc. sec. or unemployment scam. Don't know the details, but he claims to be either gay or straight, alternating between the two when his bennies run out. So when Paul stops getting a check, he re-files under Paula and gets a check under that identity.

And he dresses to fit the part. Paul wears mens clothes. "Paula" wears womens clothes.

Never does laundry. S/he goes to the thrift store when they're doing the fill-a-bag-for-a-dollar day. Buys his wardrobe a month in advance for peanuts. Not worth it to him/her to spend $10 at the coin-op.

As far as the original inquiry is concerned, I use a lot of newsprint to get a blaze going. Plain brown paper bags are great.

Glossy magazines are no good.

Also - late xmas time advice - do NOT burn wrapping paper in your stove. There's the risk that the updraft will sweep a flaming piece right up the flue and out the chimney. If there's any build up, you could get a chimney fire. Or else, it might fly right out the chimney and start a forest fire somewhere down wind.
 
CrawfordCentury said:
BrotherBart said:
cmonSTART said:
Well, newspaper burns best, but I have to admit my stove is sort of my document shredder.

Yeah I kinda miss my old stove. I even burned some old clothes in it one time. %-P

There's a guy a couple towns over from me that does that. Says it's how he keeps his stovepipe clean.

He's running some kinda soc. sec. or unemployment scam. Don't know the details, but he claims to be either gay or straight, alternating between the two when his bennies run out. So when Paul stops getting a check, he re-files under Paula and gets a check under that identity.

And he dresses to fit the part. Paul wears mens clothes. "Paula" wears womens clothes.

Never does laundry. S/he goes to the thrift store when they're doing the fill-a-bag-for-a-dollar day. Buys his wardrobe a month in advance for peanuts. Not worth it to him/her to spend $10 at the coin-op.

As far as the original inquiry is concerned, I use a lot of newsprint to get a blaze going. Plain brown paper bags are great.

Glossy magazines are no good.

Also - late xmas time advice - do NOT burn wrapping paper in your stove. There's the risk that the updraft will sweep a flaming piece right up the flue and out the chimney. If there's any build up, you could get a chimney fire. Or else, it might fly right out the chimney and start a forest fire somewhere down wind.

Now thats a great story
 
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