Homemade fire starter

[woodhog73]

ok I’m not sure this belongs in gear. But in the hearth section the pages move at light speed. In gear it’s slower and lots of user names posting here that have been around for years.

So....

What do you guys use for cold lights ? In this digital age I no longer get news paper delivery. I am buying those fat wood fire starter sticks. I’m getting tired of buying them.

What do you use to get your stove going ? Was thinking about melting candle wax in egg cartons with wood shavings mixed in ?? I’m running a non CAT stove if it matters.

 

[Jazzberry]

ok I’m not sure this belongs in gear. But in the hearth section the pages move at light speed. In gear it’s slower and lots of user names posting here that have been around for years.

So....

What do you guys use for cold lights ? In this digital age I no longer get news paper delivery. I am buying those fat wood fire starter sticks. I’m getting tired of buying them.

What do you use to get your stove going ? Was thinking about melting candle wax in egg cartons with wood shavings mixed in ?? I’m running a non CAT stove if it matters.

Someone posted these on sale a couple years ago for $5.00 if I remember right. I bought 2 boxes and still have a few left. Never used a stick of kindling since. Light one put it in and walk away. Amazing.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00545CXOW/?tag=hearthamazon-20

 

[GadDummit]

I use papers from the kids' school. 2 elementary age kids = about 6 papers a day come home.
I also keep all my Ebay delivery boxes in a stack in the garage through summer so I just tear one down for the fireplace each cold start. By summer I'm out of boxes again.

If all else fails, I use charcoal lighting fluid. It burns slow so no flareups. Usually lights it right up if you stack 1" sticks on the bottom, heavies on the top.

 

[Jags]

Super Cedars. Not only are they a member of this site, but they produce the best fire starter on the market - bar none.
They also offer a reduced price for hearth members if the promo code of hearth18 is used. I get 4 to 6 starts from each puck and I DO NOT use kindling with them.

I have no affiliation with the company but the product works so well that I will gladly promote them. I buy a box of 100 unwrapped and that last for a few YEARS.

One trick for breaking them apart - I keep a couple pucks local to the woodstove in a large plastic zip top bag. I break them apart in the bag. No crumbs, no mess. Our very own @BrotherBart has coined the term “pixie dust” for the crumbs that collect in the bag. It works well to revive an almost dead fire.

 

[TJ1]

If you change your own oil and cut your own wood try this. Pick up an empty 55 gallon barrel and put all your saw dust and wood chips in it. When you change oil dump it in and mix. Burns great and surprisingly clean.

 

[Jags]

Small chunks of old tire covered in baby seal oil and lit with a bald eagle feather would work, but something about that seems odd to me.

(No bald eagles or baby seals were harmed during this post)

 

[Jazzberry]

Small chunks of old tire covered in baby seal oil and lit with a bald eagle feather would work, but something about that seems odd to me.

(No bald eagles or baby seals were harmed during this post)

I would think the bald eagle thing would be much easier than trying to get a 55 gallon drum in your stove. Maybe just dip the eagle in hot wax and toss him in there. Wear gloves they bite.

 

[Montanalocal]

Pine cones burn like they are soaked in gas.

 

[woodhog73]

Thanks for the replies. Seems the cedars are cheap enough to use. Just tired of spending money on starters. I burn wood to save on my heating bill yet I’m spending money on starters !

 

[Jay106n]

Find a cedar tree. C/s/s it separate from your regular stacks. In the fall turn it into kindle. Natural oils in cedar is fire starter.

 

[xman23]

Save all your paper towel and toilet paper tubes. I use one tube and a small pressed wood starter.

 

[SuperSpy]

I use a plumbers torch to start the fire, and if I need more energy (like if the fire was out for a while and the box is cold) I throw in 2x4 offcuts from random woodworking projects.

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

Dryer lint.

 

[Jags]

Dryer lint.

Disappointed- I would expect you to have some concoction that would safely ignite the logs with a mere glance.

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

Disappointed- I would expect you to have some concoction that would safely ignite the logs with a mere glance.

You might be surprised, but I am a very simple guy.

 

[Jags]

You might be surprised, but I am a very simple guy.

Chemical Engineering - better to be used for good, than evil.

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

Chemical Engineering - better to be used for good, than evil.

I am not a chemical engineer. I am an analytical chemist, lab guy so to speak. Well, I was many moons ago.

 

[Babetta42]

Hello new here and first post/comment.
I am a avid couponer and also aware that all newspaper men/women are required to recycle the left over unsold newspapers.
So with that being said. Go check your local recycling bin out on Monday mornings. Not near as dirty as it sounds. For a couponer it works out great as I get at least 10 to 20 Sunday papers

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

Hello new here and first post/comment.
I am a avid couponer and also aware that all newspaper men/women are required to recycle the left over unsold newspapers.
So with that being said. Go check your local recycling bin out on Monday mornings. Not near as dirty as it sounds. For a couponer it works out great as I get at least 10 to 20 Sunday papers

I am totally lost.

 

[Babetta42]

I am totally lost.

Cheap free fire starter!

 

[blacktail]

I make starters with egg cartons, saw dust, and wax. They work great with no kindling required.

 

[firefighterjake]

Normally I'm a Super Cedar user . . . but I'm stripping off the cedar shingles on my garage and replacing it with vinyl siding. The two sides have been stripped and the bottom half of the front and rear . . . and I have all kinds of cedar shingles. I figure I have several years worth of fire starters.

 

[salecker]

I milled up a bunch of old bridge timbers for flooring in my house.
I put all the mill scraps in an old truck with a canopy.I have kindling for another 10 yrs,all nice and dry.

 

[Dobish]

we do dryer lint in egg crates, then melt down some dollar store candles (tin foil over boiling water), and pour it over. I cut up little pieces of string that get dipped in wax to make wicks.

They are cheap, fun do to with the kids, and they generally burn for enough to get things going.

 

[Dakotas Dad]

Super Ceders.
A) He is a great guy, a member, and years ago, I saw him help a member in a fine and awesome way. I won't ever buy another brand.
B) I am heating my house, and keeping the Mrs. happy. Not earning a merit badge.
C) No kindling, no fiddling. Load stove with seasoned wood, stick in 1/4 or 1/2 of a SC, light it. Done.