What do you use as your primary fire starter ? - Survey

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What is your primary firestarter?


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Your work is superb Scott. As a Master Cabinet/Furniture Maker and Joiner. I have but one critsism. The feet on your Queen Anne Desk are a bit too large and out of proportion to the rest of the piece.
 
Your work is superb Scott. As a Master Cabinet/Furniture Maker and Joiner. I have but one critsism. The feet on your Queen Anne Desk are a bit too large and out of proportion to the rest of the piece.


I will gladly take criticism but what desk? I didnt post pictures of a desk. Im confused. Also the pieces were Chippendale and Federal. No Queen Anne.


Actually this is probably not appropriate talk for this forum . So we should discontinue the discussion . I just wanted to post a few photos for Rick. Thanks
 
Perhaps it is called a Godard tea table
 
Look at the original . It is exactly the same. I went to the Brown house in Rhode island and measured the original . I took diameters on the feet. They are exactly the same as the original.

I veryified this by measurement and by photos.
 
Scott, I do stand corrected, my appologies.... But as an observer of art, which every master has to strive for...there is a semblance of non-balance in that piece. So sorry I do bring my prejudice to this area. I did study for 5 years under the guidence of James Krenov and later 2 years under the strict guidence of G.Nakashima...later still under Tage Frid and Sam Maloof. I am no one and perhaps these names mean nothing to you...You did ask for advice so here it is.
 
All I know is that if I had a piece of Scott's work, it definitely would not fall into the category of "my primary fire-starter". %-P Rick

EDIT: Besides, if what Scott produced was a faithful and accurate reproduction of an original piece, then the design and proportions of that piece aren't Scott's responsibility. I like to work on cars. If somebody perfectly restored an original Edsel, it would make no sense whatever for me to tell him I think the car's ugly. If he did exceptional work I'd appreciate and admire his skill and attention to detail, not attribute to him the shortcomings I saw in the original design.
 
Not at all Fossil , your are entirely right. I speak outside this forum as one Master to another fledging Master... He must be able to absorb the critics; in order to go forward and see the light of a new view on the estectics of a Renaissance man.... Sorry about any misspelling...I do not ususally write under this tome
 
I plan to use my small natty gas bill and small electric bill to start one fire and then keep it hot all winter then put it out in the spring with a drop of rain when it hits 50 again
 
that table looks great, the feet look fine to me.

i just bought 'FATWOOD' for when the wife has to start. $9 at Lowes.
cant wiat to try it.
is this really as good as
3-4 sticks criss-cross and splits... light and walk away?
 
Waxed cardboard.
 
The novice furniture maker did ask for advice... No doubt all his work is beautiful.... I only speak when I am asked. I am a Master Cabinet/Furniture Maker/Joiner, Stairbuilder in the tri-sate area that has won the national guild award for design and conception for the last 2 years... I deal in contemporary design and conception.... Don't blame me, if you want authentic copies of old designs call Scott. I'm sure he is a lot cheaper than me. If you want a freestyle design that is very close to old time standards but has a prescience of the future; call someone like me. I did not insult this man, in fact i gave him the hghest praises one could receive...being an un-known wood worker.
In other words if you want a table, desk or chest that looks like it it is walking out of your office ( for whatever reason) call me.
 
Newspapers and splitter trash only in shoulder season...once it gets cold the fire roars 24/7, no need for any kindling.
 
ROYJ24 said:
JOEY YOU SNOB. :p

I do appologize to all that think I am a snob. My 35 years of searching out the best in the business and doing journeymen work for these masters has lead me to a certain mindset. Which is take from the masters as much as you can achieve and then adapt it to certain constraints for the future generations, with an eye to style and form...Sorry if I offended anyone........
 
old timey starter, coffee can filled with corn cobs then add about a pint of kerosene let cobs soak up kero,they will then they will be dry and ready to used slow flaming usuallyuse only one cob per start up
 
As John Lee Hooker say: I take the trash with the cash.... Ol Hooker he say one word that cure me. He say long time ago........ Kick Hit, 4 Hit Kick U... ....You all follow me now? There alot more to be said for the Hooker man... but we on a fire forum...so end
 
Yes, I use a flammable liquid. 1/3 cup of camping lantern fuel in a ziplock baggy with sawdust in there. Instant fire with no smoke. This would be a bad idea with something that flashes like gasoline.

Ok, now I'm ready. Call me an idiot. It's the only thing that creates a fast enough fire to overcome the downdraft I have with a cold chimney on the north side of the house. Most people think I'm nuts until they try this. Camping fuel is not explosive, that's why it's used in lanterns. Now, about the camping stoves that use gasoline. That's crazy.

But you asked...
 
Yes, I use a flammable liquid. 1/3 cup of camping lantern fuel in a ziplock baggy with sawdust in there. Instant fire with no smoke. This would be a bad idea with something that flashes like gasoline.

CF, What do you do with the bag, Do you just burn it or do you remove the mixture prior to burning it? Just wondering

Hey if it works and is not explosive then thats great. As long as your not putting yourself or your house in danger. That doesnt seem to be the case. Other people said Kerosene and that is probably similar.
 
Place the ziplock baggy in the center of a pile of kindling. Light one corner. The plastic melts off exposing the fuel-soaked sawdust and very rapidly produces enough heat to push all the cold air up the chimney. It's not much different than some of the bags that contain flammable gel, except it's faster. If it's too slow, then the exhaust gets pushed out into the room by the downdraft.

I've had times where the downdraft is so strong, when I've attempted using newspaper, smoke billows out into the room, and when I close the door, it immediately goes out and smoke spews out the draft inlet.

Dan
 
Super Cedars work very well
 
I don't even know what fatwood is, but I know I don't use it - I use very very skinny wood as my fire starter.
 
I take my golden retriever and yellow lab for walks and gather twigs and dead branch ends in a 2 gal. bucket. Then i have a wood box I put the kindling in. The twigs plus some crumpled up newspaper always seem to get the fire going!
 
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