How do you start your fires???

[Shmudda]

Starting fires is quite easy anymore for me....

I get some small kindling, a chunk of the fire starter waxed starter block from Wally World, Lowes or Home Depot and I use a propane torch with a push button lighter. Light the fire starter chunk and stand back.

I used to use the newpaper and small kindling method and it just really never worked good.....

Lets hear how some others to it......

Craig

 

[BrotherBart]

Two splits N/S with a quarter of a Super Cedar between them and one on top of them angled a little. Light the SC and close the door and go get a beer. And another. And another and three or four hours later reload on the coals.

 

[blacktail]

Newspaper (or junk mail) and 5-6 small (1/2 to 1" wide) cedar splits. Once the cedar is burning I add two small cuts of maple branches, then my primary wood.

 

[dafattkidd]

2 Splits NS, 2 splits EW, or one diagnal across them. Kindling between the NS, in front of the EW, and usually some kindling on top. I usually use construction debris as kindling. Place 1/4 super cedar on top if the kindling between the NS splits. Sometimes I even throw paper in there, too if I have garbage papers. Leave the door open a crack for the first ten minutes or so. Depending on the type of wood and size of splits this kind of fire can burn for 3-6 hours. I try to choose splits appropriately as needed.

 

[Mt Ski Bum]

newspaper, or other scrap paper (like outdated phonebooks) waded up between 2 larger splits with a criss-cross pattern of kindling ontop, supported by the 2 large splits... how I start 90% of my fires, whether they be campfires or woodstove fires or what ever type of fire I happen to be trying to create.. Sometimes I'll throw a medium-sized split ontop of the kindling so it has something to catch on fire that won't burn down to coals instantly...

 

[Blue2ndaries]

Take 3 to 5 pieces of large kindling (split from 2bys) placed N-S. ~1/4 sheet of newspaper with handful of small kindling (split from 5/8x4" cedar fence brds) on top. 3 med sized splits placed E-W on top of that. Light the paper and leave door open for ~1-2min and it takes off pretty well. Adjust air control accordingly.

 

[BrowningBAR]

I'm still burning my old roof for kindling. Its both fantastic to use and scary as hell to know that something that burns so easily and hot was covering my roof.

Probably have two or three more years of roof kindling left.

 

[Blue2ndaries]

I'm still burning my old roof for kindling. Its both fantastic to use and scary as hell to know that something that burns so easily and hot was covering my roof.

Probably have two or three more years of roof kindling left.

What was your old roof made out of???

I have a trailer load of old cedar shakes from my neighbors old roof that he replaced 2 summers ago. Never treated w/anything, but man does that stuff light off like crazy. :gulp:

 

[BrowningBAR]

I'm still burning my old roof for kindling. Its both fantastic to use and scary as hell to know that something that burns so easily and hot was covering my roof.

Probably have two or three more years of roof kindling left.

What was your old roof made out of???

I have a trailer load of old cedar shakes from my neighbors old roof that he replaced 2 summers ago. Never treated w/anything, but man does that stuff light off like crazy. :gulp:

Cedar shakes is the correct guess.

Gulp, indeed.

 

[Mt Ski Bum]

I'm still burning my old roof for kindling. Its both fantastic to use and scary as hell to know that something that burns so easily and hot was covering my roof.

Probably have two or three more years of roof kindling left.

What was your old roof made out of???

I have a trailer load of old cedar shakes from my neighbors old roof that he replaced 2 summers ago. Never treated w/anything, but man does that stuff light off like crazy. :gulp:

Cedar shakes is the correct guess.

Gulp, indeed.

dang... if you lived in a forest-fire prone area, those cedar shingles would make your house S-O-L in the event of a forest fire!

 

[BrowningBAR]

I'm still burning my old roof for kindling. Its both fantastic to use and scary as hell to know that something that burns so easily and hot was covering my roof.

Probably have two or three more years of roof kindling left.

What was your old roof made out of???

I have a trailer load of old cedar shakes from my neighbors old roof that he replaced 2 summers ago. Never treated w/anything, but man does that stuff light off like crazy. :gulp:

Cedar shakes is the correct guess.

Gulp, indeed.

dang... if you lived in a forest-fire prone area, those cedar shingles would make your house S-O-L in the event of a forest fire!

Well, not anymore, they won't.

They do make some fine kindling.

 

[nate379]

Pack the stove with as much wood will fit, light a fire starter and stick it in between the logs. I forget teh brand but you rub it on the box like a match and it catches on fire, then it burns for about 10 mins or so.

 

[bogydave]

Started a fire last month, hasn't been out since.
Get a draft gong with newspaper.
2 medium birch splits N/S
Throw in some birch bark, some small birch splits E/W, light the bark, & load the bigger stuff on top N/S.
Reload as necessary.
Alway have some hot coals to get the new load burning after I empty ashes.

 

[Fod01]

Two splits N/S with a quarter of a Super Cedar between them and one on top of them angled a little. Light the SC and close the door and go get a beer. And another. And another and three or four hours later reload on the coals.

For a cold stove, is that really enough? Wood I mean (sounds like you've got the beer covered). What about 'warming up the flue quickly...' and all that? My setup is an uninsulated liner in an external chimney. It drafts pretty well, but I think I would want more fuel lighting off quickly, rather than waiting for the splits to take off.

That would be a great method btw, as I'm always scrambling for kindling later in the season, and I just happen to have a box of SC in the garage ;-)

Gabe

 

[fishingpol]

2 or 3 splits on the bottom, a handful of kindling on top and 1/8 of a Super Cedar on top of the kindling. Top-down, let the debate begin. It has been a long shoulder season here, not that I am complaining.

 

[davmor]

I usually just pack the stove with wood, add a homemade firestarter, light it, crack the door sometimes, and get it going. Been doing it this way for a long time. Not really rockect science. When its cold enough usually have enough coals in stove to keep it going for months at a time.

 

[Osage]

I use pine cones. Put about 4 or 5 together in a pile and some small splits with larger on top of them and light.

 

[PapaDave]

Two splits n/s, two-three e/w and some newspaper between the 2 n/s. Light the newspaper and add some more if the wood doesn't catch right away. Leave the door open while I sit contemplating the meaning of life for a minute or a few, then close the door with the air open. Sit down with my coffee (this is all in the a.m.) and get on the laptop while the stove gets to temp. By this time the dachshund (Big Boy) is on my lap and has to be shuffled off so I can go adjust the air.
Of course, in the middle of all this, the dogs all get taken out and the coffee is being made, and I usually go get a couple more splits from the shed while I'm out with the dogs. That, of course, has nothing to do with how I start fires, but it's all part of the routine. :coolsmile:

 

[Milton Findley]

I finally broke down and bought a big box of Super Cedars. I rub two of them together and after a while, combustion happens.

Actually, a quarter of a Super Cedar will light mine, with a little patience. A whole one would light green birch.

 

[logger]

Old school... paper and small splits. Works every time.

 

[firefighterjake]

Depends on my mood . . .

Top down method . . . large splits on bottom, medium to smaller splits on top, kindling on top of that . . . nestle a quarter sized Super Cedar in with the kindling or ball up some newspaper if I want to go Old School . . . apply lit match . . . sit back and enjoy the show.

 

[Woody Stover]

Just started playing with the top-down start this Fall. E/W stove, so that's how I load. Couple bigger splits in the back/ bottom, a few mediums over that, smaller branch rounds in the front. Then a few small newspaper knots with some Pine kindling on top in front. Burns pretty clean on start-up, the heat up front from the branches cleans the glass, and the stove gets up to temp quicker than before. When it's nearing light-off temp, there's a little more room in the box so I might toss in a flat split or the occasional 'wood puck.'

 

[Beer Belly]

I set a medium Maple, or Ash split along the back (E/W)....crunch up a few pages of the local paper and place it in the stove.....half a fire starter.....a few peices of bark, or slivers from splitting....3 small splits, one end on the split in the back, the other on the floor of the stove (N/S....like a ramp)....2 medium splits on top of my 3 smaller one (the ramp)...and light 'em up

 

[BrotherBart]

Two splits N/S with a quarter of a Super Cedar between them and one on top of them angled a little. Light the SC and close the door and go get a beer. And another. And another and three or four hours later reload on the coals.

For a cold stove, is that really enough? Wood I mean (sounds like you've got the beer covered). What about 'warming up the flue quickly...' and all that? My setup is an uninsulated liner in an external chimney. It drafts pretty well, but I think I would want more fuel lighting off quickly, rather than waiting for the splits to take off.

That would be a great method btw, as I'm always scrambling for kindling later in the season, and I just happen to have a box of SC in the garage ;-)

Gabe

Works a treat. If the flue is really cold use half of a SC. It will heat that flue right up while it is igniting the splits.

 

[Treacherous]

Two splits N/S with a quarter of a Super Cedar between them and one on top of them angled a little. Light the SC and close the door and go get a beer. And another. And another and three or four hours later reload on the coals.

For a cold stove, is that really enough? Wood I mean (sounds like you've got the beer covered). What about 'warming up the flue quickly...' and all that? My setup is an uninsulated liner in an external chimney. It drafts pretty well, but I think I would want more fuel lighting off quickly, rather than waiting for the splits to take off.

That would be a great method btw, as I'm always scrambling for kindling later in the season, and I just happen to have a box of SC in the garage ;-)

Gabe

Works a treat. If the flue is really cold use half of a SC. It will heat that flue right up while it is igniting the splits.

This works for me as well