Truth be told, in spite of all the different techniques I've played around with for starting a fire, (top down, bottom up, dryer lint, Super Cedars, Fatwood, newspaper, wood shavings, etc....), I've not really "personally" had much of a difficulty getting a fire going.
Call it a second sense about it, or just plain "years of experience with fires" (outside, and now inside), whatever it is, there is a common sense to getting a fire going, that is made up of a few basic elements.
If nothing else:
A) the right materials
B) start small, build up
C) pay attention to the fire
D) get a proper draft
E) maintain (control) your temps
In the last few weeks, I've noted that the local Lowe's, where I'd buy those $4.00 bags of kindling (yes, I don't swing the axe much anymore), to build up my own preferred way of starting a fire, has not been ordering any more of the pallets of those bags of product.
That, plus the fact that I ran out of the Super Cedars, and the Fatwood I ordered hasn't shown up on my doorstep yet (although I'm expecting it any day now), forced me to go outside with my long-handled axe, and split some splits.
The thing that I noted was, (and of course the splits I'm splitting are aged, dry and ready to fire up), that the 5 sheets of balled up newspaper and a tee-pee style layout of the split splits, has worked out just fine. No special additives, no extra matches, no added paper, .................it just "works."
In the end, it's all about "how" and with "what" of course. I'm just throwing in here a brief commentary about the lack of need of additives to get a fire going, and how that was re-enforced with me lately. I realize I'm preaching to the choir here, since there are so many of you "seasoned" wood burners here, but I figured since I was feeling a bit better lately (thanks for all the prayers gang), I'd give you another blurb to tease me about.
Hope ya'll are having a wonderful "weekend!"
-Soupy1957
Call it a second sense about it, or just plain "years of experience with fires" (outside, and now inside), whatever it is, there is a common sense to getting a fire going, that is made up of a few basic elements.
If nothing else:
A) the right materials
B) start small, build up
C) pay attention to the fire
D) get a proper draft
E) maintain (control) your temps
In the last few weeks, I've noted that the local Lowe's, where I'd buy those $4.00 bags of kindling (yes, I don't swing the axe much anymore), to build up my own preferred way of starting a fire, has not been ordering any more of the pallets of those bags of product.
That, plus the fact that I ran out of the Super Cedars, and the Fatwood I ordered hasn't shown up on my doorstep yet (although I'm expecting it any day now), forced me to go outside with my long-handled axe, and split some splits.
The thing that I noted was, (and of course the splits I'm splitting are aged, dry and ready to fire up), that the 5 sheets of balled up newspaper and a tee-pee style layout of the split splits, has worked out just fine. No special additives, no extra matches, no added paper, .................it just "works."
In the end, it's all about "how" and with "what" of course. I'm just throwing in here a brief commentary about the lack of need of additives to get a fire going, and how that was re-enforced with me lately. I realize I'm preaching to the choir here, since there are so many of you "seasoned" wood burners here, but I figured since I was feeling a bit better lately (thanks for all the prayers gang), I'd give you another blurb to tease me about.
Hope ya'll are having a wonderful "weekend!"
-Soupy1957