My version of a Firestarter

[PapaDave]

I'm kind of a DIY person (and, uh, cheap frugal ), so instead of buying, I started making my own.
Started with this.

Melted wax in this

Poured the wax into the sawdust.

One of these little cubes/cups under a couple splits, and I'm off to the races in under a minute (usually).
We can do it...we have the technology, and the sawdust, and the empty egg carton.
Bonus, you can cook your eggs on the stove to get the carton. Circle of life. Or, something.

 

[weatherguy]

Preety cool, sort of like Shari's method.

 

[PapaDave]

I must have missed hers. I'll try to find it.

 

[jeff_t]

I have an old frying pan dedicated to the purpose. I melt the wax first, then mix the sawdust in. I scoop it into the egg cartons with a piece of splitter trash. Seems easier to me than pouring the wax.

It's all done outside, with the Coleman camp stove. I usually do 10-12 dozen at a time, and that lasts a year or so. I give some away, and use a bunch for campfires.

 

[PapaDave]

Pouring the wax is the easy part. Walking out to the shop and back for the sawdust is the toughest part.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

What ever happened to good ol newspapers.

 

[ScotO]

I'm going to make a batch of toilet paper tube and noodle starters this weekend. You're gonna LOVE these, PD........

 

[ScotO]

What ever happened to good ol newspapers.

I hate that chit that floats up the pipe from newspapers. I never used a newspaper to start a fire. Always either a firestarter like PD made or one like I mentioned above. Or just a handful of slivers and twigs......

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I'm going to make a batch of toilet paper tube and noodle starters this weekend. You're gonna LOVE these, PD........

Who knew the lowly toilet paper sleeve could go out in a blaze of glory

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I hate that chit that floats up the pipe from newspapers. I never used a newspaper to start a fire. Always either a firestarter like PD made or one like I mentioned above. Or just a handful of slivers and twigs......

I mainly use junk mail,and i still cant get rid of it all.

 

[weatherguy]

What ever happened to good ol newspapers.

Newspaper burns out in 2 seconds, these homemade starters and the super cedars will stay lit until the bigger wood is caught. I havent used a homemade product but with a super cedar I just set up my firebox with a few small splits then big splits on top, light the super cedar and then wait to turn the tstat down.

 

[ScotO]

Who knew the lowly toilet paper sleeve could go out in a blaze of glory

I'll do a thread on them. Very easy to make, I keep a box of noodles from cutting up the uglies in the summer (put them on a tarp on a hot summer day and let them dry out real good), I'll go through the whole process when I do the thread. You can start them with a flint and steel, don't even need a match!

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I suppose you could use matchlight charcoal but i never tried it.I do use regular charcoal to start my coal stoker and that works wonders.

 

[hilbiliarkiboi]

I like pitch pine, and I hope those supercedars are all naturale. I guess parafin is pretty clean, but I've heard alot of those chineez candles have lead hidden in them!
Newsprint and ink, glossy junk mail, sears&roebuck(modern)--- lotsa chem.

Anyone ever use a bow and drill? Magnifying glass with an ashtray of shavins at the window(daytime only)? lol.

If ur looking for something clean, dryer lint is da bomb.

 

[PapaDave]

There was a thread not too long ago about using the TP rolls, Scotty.
I may do a couple of those then slice 'em up into little pucks.
We don't get the paper anymore, but we've got a bunch from friends that get used sometimes.
I had about 5 large banana boxes full of newspaper and cardboard last year sitting in the stove room. Yeah, that was nice.
Not.

 

[Shadow&Flame]

I'm kind of a DIY person (and, uh, cheap frugal ), so instead of buying, I started making my own.
Started with this.
View attachment 76872
Melted wax in this
View attachment 76873
Poured the wax into the sawdust.
View attachment 76874
One of these little cubes/cups under a couple splits, and I'm off to the races in under a minute (usually).
We can do it...we have the technology, and the sawdust, and the empty egg carton.
Bonus, you can cook your eggs on the stove to get the carton. Circle of life. Or, something.

My Aunt makes firestarters just the same way...I get her sawdust from the wood shop(Cherry, Alder, and Cedar) Gave me about 4 dozen this year.
Its a project she likes to do with the grandkids.... They work really well.

 

[osagebow]

Kids, want the TV? Go fill this 5 gallon bucket with pinecones.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

I have been doing that for 3 years now, although I prefer dryer lint to sawdust. It lights even faster. I have gotten lazy now and I do not even bother using wax. I figure I can just put some dryer llint in a a piece or two of egg carton and use some small pieces of kindling and I can get it going.

 

[rideau]

I forgot about pinecones...Have to take a walk (with a bag) over to my sister's woodlot....

 

[Shadow&Flame]

I forgot about pinecones...Have to take a walk (with a bag) over to my sister's woodlot....

I find it funny that my property is covered with pines and I have never used a pinecone to start a fire....just never needed it I guess...ha
Havent burned much pine either...too much wood out there to mess with it.

 

[infinitymike]

reminds me of my boy scout days

 

[Cross Cut Saw]

We have a bunch of shredded paper and toilet paper tubes we're going to make some out of.

We cut the tubes in 1/2 or 1/3's to get more out of them.

Of course I have no pictures, so this never really happened.

 

[firefighterjake]

What ever happened to good ol newspapers.

I use 'em occasionally . . . only problem is I have to specifically look for the free ones that we get at work since I no longer subscribe to the local paper.

I also use Super Cedars, have built my own, use pine cones, lint and well pretty much anything that burns well.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I tried a pine cone once and it hardly burned at all ,perhaps it was not "seasoned"

 

[Danno77]

I have a subscription to Wall Street Journal. I tried to use it to light my stove. It really didn't work that well.
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