Can I start a fire with solid paraffin and dryer lint in my wood cast insert?

[frattman]

Hey all, new here, and a new owner of a Hampton HI300 insert (just installed yesterday). Read the manual, read a ton of posts on this forum as well. Won't be firing this thing for the first time for another month of so, but when I do, I was wondering if I could use small solid cubes of Gulf Wax combined with dryer lint as starters, as I do for outdoor fires. They basically give off a strong candle flame for 10 minutes. My concern is possibly damaging the fire bricks if the wax seeps into them.

Learning a ton on this site - especially seasoning time on wood - UGH! The guy at the store where I bought it generalized all wood as burnable "at least 6 months after it's split" and that "wood starts loosing BTUs about 2 years after it's split." so, it appears as though I've been misinformed. (Although, to his credit, he told me to get a moister meter and burn logs under 20%)

I guess my three year plan has started with all of the black oak I split, hopefully the red maple will be good in two, and for this year I bite the bullet and buy it. Any tips on establishing a relationship with a wood provider? Is it cool for me to go to their yard, re-split a log and put my moisture meter to it? Thanks a bunch guys.

 

[Oregon aloha]

I could use small solid cubes of Gulf Wax combined with dryer lint as starters

That's what junk mail is for at our house. Why do you feel the need for a 10 minute burn. I only use those in the rain.

I get my wood from a logger, dumped in my yard, and I cut a spit my own. I know most of it is green when I get it, so it's up to me to split and season it the way I want. Test it.If his wood isn't as dry as he says don't buy it.

 

[Prof]

Dryer lint and wax works great and is all I use for fire starters. I fill old egg cartons with lint and pour hot wax over the lint. My 2 kids keep me well-supplied with broken crayons, and there is never a shortage of lint. I've also tried super cedars, which work really well and are affordable. That being said, I am cheap and like the idea of using stuff that would otherwise be thrown away.

 

[Reckless]

Is it cool for me to go to their yard, re-split a log and put my moisture meter to it? Thanks a bunch guys.

Absolutely it is ok and I suggest it, its like test driving a car. Just tell him up front "look I have a newer high end stove and the MC needs to be low in order for it to burn correctly and for me not to ruin my stove" If he says no find another wood guy. I turned away a cord delivery cause before he dumped it I checked the wood and it was "2 yrs seasoned" and 30% MC..... kick rocks

Good luck and welcome!!

 

[Nick Mystic]

Another readily available material that normally just gets thrown away are milk cartons. Many refrigerated liquids come in wax or plastic impregnated substances that burn quite well. I rinse the cartons and then cut them into strips an inch wide and several inches long. Placed in with kindling and lit they burn long enough to get the kindling going pretty good.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Hey all, new here, and a new owner of a Hampton HI300 insert (just installed yesterday). Read the manual, read a ton of posts on this forum as well. Won't be firing this thing for the first time for another month of so, but when I do, I was wondering if I could use small solid cubes of Gulf Wax combined with dryer lint as starters, as I do for outdoor fires. They basically give off a strong candle flame for 10 minutes. My concern is possibly damaging the fire bricks if the wax seeps into them.

Learning a ton on this site - especially seasoning time on wood - UGH! The guy at the store where I bought it generalized all wood as burnable "at least 6 months after it's split" and that "wood starts loosing BTUs about 2 years after it's split." so, it appears as though I've been misinformed. (Although, to his credit, he told me to get a moister meter and burn logs under 20%)

I guess my three year plan has started with all of the black oak I split, hopefully the red maple will be good in two, and for this year I bite the bullet and buy it. Any tips on establishing a relationship with a wood provider? Is it cool for me to go to their yard, re-split a log and put my moisture meter to it? Thanks a bunch guys.

Welcome to the forum frattman.

Congratulations on becoming a wood burner. You'll love it so long as your fuel is good and it sounds as if you've been taking steps in the right direction. As for the idiot who stated that garbage about all wood being ready in 6 months..... Maybe best I don't say what I'm thinking...

As others have stated, go ahead and use your wax and lint for starting fires. Or if you want to try something different. you can get some samples of the Super Cedars simply by asking. They are great!

That oak is something you'd best give plenty of time to dry; I'd give it 3 years. The red maple will dry fast if split and stacked in the wind and there is no need to wait 2 years on that one. We've burned it in 6 months and did fine.

Good luck.

 

[Sprinter]

Is it cool for me to go to their yard, re-split a log and put my moisture meter to it?

Some suppliers may balk at that, but if they do, I'd go somewhere else anyway. In the real word, though, most wood you get is going to be too green right away. For a wood supplier to keep large amounts of wood properly stacked long enough to get to 20-25% just isn't economical for them to do. There may be some exceptions but it'll cost ya. Sometimes, though, you can get wood that has been cut and split long enough, especially if the species is fast drying like pine for example.

I'm unfamiliar with red maple, but if Backwoods Savage says it can be good in 6 months, that's probably good for next year anyway. Meanwhile, you can substantially cut the drying time by cutting small and stack it open and only one or two rows to maximize air flow.

If you can't get enough dry wood for the first year, which is most likely, you may have to supplement the best wood you have with a commercial product like "Biobricks" or similar in each load. Do the best you can. It's important.

 

[zzr7ky]

Hi - I buy about 1 fake log per year. I wack it up witha sharp axe and leave the pieces in a tinder box near the stove. My less involved daughters will use these to start fires.

My more involved kids and other fire enthusiasts will just use a couple twigs and the ever handy Propane Torch, the one with the trigger ignition ; ). It really doesn't take much to get the fire started.

Personally I don't tamper with moisture meters. Decently dry wood has a sound like a wooden bat, not a dull clunk. After the first year you should be a year or so ahead and you won't need tha damn thing anyway. Spend the cash on a good Propane Torch that you'll enjoy!!

All the best,
Mike

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Roll up newspaper underneath your kindling, put some of your fuel inside the rolled papers, you'll have a fire going in no time...

 

[clemsonfor]

Red maple is like pine almost. Its super soft and it will dry very fast. Well not like 2 months fast but if i fut it up in may here in SC it will be 20% or less by NOV of that same year.

 

[Augie]

Easy as pie, cheap too

 

[HDRock]

A moisture meter is a good tool to have ,especially just starting out

 

[Sprinter]

A moisture meter is a good tool to have ,especially just starting out

I agree. I've been fooled too many times with the clink/clunk sound, weight, cracked ends, etc. I've had a lot of 30% wood sound quite dry.

 

[Hogwildz]

You may find any wood you buy, ain't going to be ready to burn this year either.
Make your you check it good, several pcs, before you accept the load, if you plan on burning it this year.

 

[PapaDave]

I make my own firestarters too. The non- styrofoam egg cartons work well. I just got done with one and have 2 more to make. That will give me 150 of the little devils.
I'll see how long they last.

 

[SteveKG]

I use pinecones, dip them in hot parafin. I normally do a five-gallon-bucket worth at a time. The Super Cedars already mentioned also work slick. But I have pinecones littering the place anyway.

 

[BrianK]

I picked up a slow cooker at the local Good Will for $7 and picked up all their large candles which were $.99 each. I tightly packed a hunded of 3 oz Dixie cups half full with shredded paper from my office paper shredder (my wife's wooden Tassie stomper that she uses to make Pecan Tassie cookie crusts is perfected for packing the paper in the cups) and filled another hundred or so with sawdust from my table saw then added about 1.5 oz of melted wax to each. These burn for 12-14 minutes and are easy to light. This batch will last all of this year and probably most of the next (I made a hundred last year and didn't run out.)

 

[HDRock]

I see nothing wrong with making your own starters but for me na, not worth the trouble/time, 16 bucks one box of 144 Rutland starters ,it takes one to start a fire

 

[billb3]

I use shredded mail and nice dry pine branches.

 

[PapaDave]

"not worth the trouble/time"
Hmmm, you mean the 5 minutes it takes to make 'em?

 

[HDRock]

"not worth the trouble/time"
Hmmm, you mean the 5 minutes it takes to make 'em?

Gathering the stuff U need to make them then ,make them, put everything away ,put the fire starters where they go ,Is going to take more than 5 minutes.
If U have to buy wax or anything, your probably not going save much if any at all.
Again, I see nothing wrong with making your own starters if that's what U want to do .
And I see nothing wrong with the fact that I don't want to make my own.

 

[jeramy]

I have a good supply of kiln dried cedar kindling used for making wine boxes.That works great and I get it for free

 

[Sprinter]

I have a good supply of kiln dried cedar kindling used for making wine boxes.That works great and I get it for free

Maybe with some wax, you could make your own Super Cedar. They are a favorite here and work great, but it could be done diy.

 

[toddnic]

Does anyone know if firestarters made with soy wax (versus paraffin wax) work well? My wife makes soy candles and I have access to 100's of pounds of wax. Sure would be nice if it would work.

 

[PapaDave]

Gathering the stuff U need to make them then ,make them, put everything away ,put the fire starters where they go ,Is going to take more than 5 minutes.
If U have to buy wax or anything, your probably not going save much if any at all.
Again, I see nothing wrong with making your own starters if that's what U want to do .
And I see nothing wrong with the fact that I don't want to make my own.

Well, maybe 6.
Ok, I guess we can agree to disagree.
Proof is in the pudding, as the old saying goes.
frattman, welcome to the Hearth....forgot that earlier.
We'd love to see some pics, if you'd like to share.
As hdrock mentioned, you could also use the Rutland starters (seems an inexpensive option), or Supercedars as Dennis suggested. Those work very well.