Fire starters questions

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Hope everyone has a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving!
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here

Welderman85

Feeling the Heat
Nov 1, 2017
352
Chesaning MI
Has anyone ever tried zips fire starters. I was given a box for my birthday. The work great but you can smell the kerosene in them. The bax says there safe for stoves bit I want to make sure. I have a thin wall flex liner on my insert and don't want to ruin it. What do you guys use?

[Hearth.com] Fire starters questions
 
I use a little newspaper, a half of a paper egg carton and a few pieces of kindling from a cabinet shop and a match. I tear the newspaper into ribbons, don't wad up sheets so it doesn't take much.
 
I love the little Rutland squares.
A box has, like 144 squares, which will last you quite a while, especially since coals are mostly used in the depth of winter.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dix and kborndale
I use free pinecones and have a box of fatwood left over from last year.
 
Dead fall & newspaper for a cold start, some times added by Super Cedar 1/4's.

As mentioned above, in the depth of winter, firing off of coals. Easy Peasy.

Other wise, as @BrotherBart would have said, wood burners hell :mad:
 
I've gone through a box or two of them. My wife usually just picks up whatever random brand wallmart is clearancing out at the end of the season.
 
My kindling is basicly dead sticks from my woods. I don’t like to use more than1x pinecone and 1x fatwood since they both have sap.
 
I use kindling cut from wood from a cabinet maker. I use my hatchet, shave it down, use a few shreds and off ya go.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TheJeff
i use half rotted wood ( The stuff that loks like it shoud weigh a good bit but feather light.)soaked in some diesel or used oil cut with some diesel. I make little chunks about 1/2-3/4" by 1.5" long mixed with diesel . let soak for a while . stuff is like a sponge. Tansfer it to another bucket to let any excess drain off . I keep some handy by the stove in a coffee can lid on. Works great for me. That little bit of petro isn't going to hurt anything. about like useing fat wood.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BillBurns
Splitter trash and noodles if I have them, or my son's math workbook (recycled unbleached paper, black ink and pencil).
 
Our two dogs bring up lots of "sticks" varying in size from pencil to ball bat onto the porch. We toss them in a box, and use them on top of a 1/4 super ceder for most cold starts. We bought a hundred pack of SC's years ago, still working our way through them, will buy another when needed.
 
Im not sure about the oil soaked wood, but Ive seen worse.
 
Im not sure about the oil soaked wood, but Ive seen worse.
There's often a worse way to do things, we see plenty of them, but that is not what this site is about.
 
Our two dogs bring up lots of "sticks" varying in size from pencil to ball bat onto the porch. We toss them in a box, and use them on top of a 1/4 super ceder for most cold starts. We bought a hundred pack of SC's years ago, still working our way through them, will buy another when needed.
This made me laugh. When I was younger and we were camping my dad gave us the job of rounding up kindling in the woods everyday for the evening firepit. It was our contrinution to the communal event. Hoping young dogs enjoy laying by the warm stove that they helped run. All the best.