# How do you plan/calculate your kindling needs for a season?



## ruserious2008 (Mar 23, 2011)

first year burner who winged it this winter and used scrap from construction projects I saved from the past year and cut up pallets thru out the winter as I ran out and needed more kindling. 
Figuring I'm going to burn 2-3 cords next year (unless Al Gore can get that global warming thing going!) and really have no idea or feel for how much kindling I need to get cut up this summer for next years season so that I'm not out there in a couple of ft of snow cutting pallets up in the freezing winter! . What do you do for planning your kindling needs? tnx


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## thewoodlands (Mar 23, 2011)

ruserious2008 said:
			
		

> first year burner who winged it this winter and used scrap from construction projects I saved from the past year and cut up pallets thru out the winter as I ran out and needed more kindling.
> Figuring I'm going to burn 2-3 cords next year (unless Al Gore can get that global warming thing going!) and really have no idea or feel for how much kindling I need to get cut up this summer for next years season so that I'm not out there in a couple of ft of snow cutting pallets up in the freezing winter! . What do you do for planning your kindling needs? tnx




We used less so far this year burning 24/7, we had what they call a face cord ready this year. 4 feet high x 8 feet long x 15 inches long.

We will have about the same amount ready for this coming heating season. 


Zap


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## Jagtec1 (Mar 23, 2011)

I simply pick up all the fallen branches that have been "naturally dead-wooded" from the trees on my property.


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## remkel (Mar 23, 2011)

Well, I just make kindling as I go along. An axe, some smaller splits, and away i go.....dry wood is dry wood no matter how large or small the split is.


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## golfandwoodnut (Mar 23, 2011)

I do not find I need a whole lot.  A couple of boxes of twigs and some left over bark.  I usally start a fire with a piece of paper egg carton, a little dry lint in the egg carton (just one eggs worth) and I put 2 or 3 twigs over my make shift firestarter.  Put a big split in the back of the fire box and lean 1 or 2 smaller splits over the starter stuff.  I am upset if I need a second match.  Once you get dry wood and some practice it does not take long.  Cut up pallets will make great kindling and I used that my first year, this year I did not use any pallets.  Ideally when you keep some coals going you do not even need to restart.


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## KB007 (Mar 23, 2011)

Don't really use any - just use a firestarter when we need to start - which is not that often burning 24X7.  Much less of a PIA and the wife can start a fire when I'm not there


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## rdust (Mar 23, 2011)

I split it as I need it, usually about a wheelbarrows worth at a time.  It's crazy really, I have more kindling sized pine branches on the ground than I could ever burn in the stove yet I still split my cord wood into kindling.  If I'm having a fire outside I'll usually gather the pine branches.


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## bogydave (Mar 23, 2011)

Burning 24/7, my fire don't go out totally. So a 5 gallon bucket full for the year. 
When I empty, I leave some hot coals & since my wood is primarily birch,
it starts up with just the coals, (sometimes i throw in some extra birch bark).


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## bboulier (Mar 23, 2011)

I don't burn 24/7, so I need more kindling.  Like Dave, I usually split about a 5 gallon bucket full, but it doesn't last me all that long before I need to split some more.


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## LLigetfa (Mar 23, 2011)

There was a time I lived hand-to-mouth and would make a 5 gallon pail full of kin'lin at a time but it seemed everytime I ran out and needed to make more it was damn cold outside.  In the Fall of '09 I decided to make enough for the whole year and must have overestimated my needs as I still have a few bundles left.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/43993/


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## bogydave (Mar 23, 2011)

Very nice & neat.
Great idea, will copy it for sure, Thanks for the pics.
 Not birch kindling but
the wood below it looks like birch? (or aspen)


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## LLigetfa (Mar 23, 2011)

Ja, the wood below it is Aspen and I turned it all into kin'lin too.  The Ash however splits nicer.


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## begreen (Mar 23, 2011)

We are usually a year or two ahead in our kindling. I keep boxes filled that I gather from projects, splitting scraps, carpentry scraps, cabinetry scraps, flooring scraps and keep them dry in the shed.


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## PapaDave (Mar 23, 2011)

Don't use much kindling, but what I do use is just bark and pieces from splitting. I make no real effort to actually MAKE kindling.
I do pick up downed branches every once in a while. When the wood is nice and dry, no kindling needed. I just put the wood in with a little newspaper, and off it goes. It wasn't always this easy, it took a couple-three years to get to this point.
In the middle of winter, the fire rarely goes out, so that's just reloads of wood. YMMV


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## nate379 (Mar 23, 2011)

I don't use any.


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## pen (Mar 23, 2011)

I keep about a 5 gal pail w/ kindling as backup and have about the same amount in a rack not far from the stove.  Then when I find an extremely straight piece of wood I'll set it to the side and save it for kindling.  My stove is in the basement so I can cut it down there if need to w/ the hatchet or double bit axe.  I have a chopping block w/ carpet on the bottom so it's not too loud.  I probably only go through 2 maybe 3, 5 gal pails worth a year.  It depends on how many times the wife has to start the stove compared to me (she uses A LOT of kindling, which is just fine).  I also don't use much since my stove runs 24-7 from November through March generally.  

I suppose it really depends on your burning habits (24-7 or not) and whether or not you will be making small, hot fires during the shoulder season or if you'll turn the furnace on during those damp, cool days.

pen


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## SolarAndWood (Mar 23, 2011)

I used a few framing cutoffs when we lit at the beginning of October, nothing but smaller splits on a bed of coals since.


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## Woody Stover (Mar 23, 2011)

GolfandWoodNut said:
			
		

> I usally start a fire with a piece of paper egg carton, a little dry lint


I can send you a cord of dust bunnies from under the bed, and I'll throw in some belly button lint for good measure. PM me your address.   ;-) 
I usually get kindling when I play golf; I just stuff several choice pieces in the bag as I walk through the woods looking for my ball. :lol:


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## smokinj (Mar 23, 2011)

NATE379 said:
			
		

> I don't use any.



+1 start fire mid-Oct goes out when the wood runs out!


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## Thistle (Mar 23, 2011)

I accumulate it all the time- twigs from the yard,pruning,corn cobs,slivers etc from splitting,most of what I have is scrap from my shop,offcuts/trimmings from the Alaskan mill & bandsaw  though.Plus I still bring home scrap wood & the occasional pallet or 3 from various jobsites I work at too 2-3 times a year.Stored outdoors in several lidded metal cans from 30 to 55 gallon each,with the larger pieces stacked with the 'regular' wood.Guessing I use maybe 5% in a year,but accumulate twice that in same period.So I shouldnt run out anytime soon.Also give away 3-4 big boxes full to anyone I know who needs it for their fireplace/stove or outdoor firepit.I just hate to see good dry wood just get tossed in the dumpster.


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## Wood Duck (Mar 23, 2011)

I use a lot of kindling. I start fires often, and often on reload I add some kindling at the end of the splits to get things burning hot fast. I can do this because my splits are cut to rather variable lengths, so when I load side to side (east/west) I usually have a few inches left at one end of the stove. If I let the coals burn down a little too much I add a layer of kindling under the splits because the kindling catches faster and allows air under the splits. I prefer to get the fire going fast rather than let it smoke. Kindling cut the right length for n/s loading (10 inches for my stove) is very convenient. I guess I might burn a 'face cord' of kindling next year, and I already have most of it dry and in the shed. I like to have my firewood dry, and my kindling even drier.


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## shawneyboy (Mar 23, 2011)

I use alot of kindling as well..  Sometimes in the shoulder season I load the stove up with a bunch just to bring the rock up to a good temp, then let it radiate without using my "good" wood.  I also sometimes add some in during 24/7 season if I burn down the coals a smidge to far.   I have a few garbage cans that I work out of, whatever is left I can burn over the summer in the chiminea.  I don't know if I could ever have to much.

Shawn


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## KarlP (Mar 23, 2011)

I point my mouse to Ace Hardware Outlet and the UPS guy drops a bunch of 144ct boxes of Rutland 50B Safelite Fire Starters on my porch the next day. 

It looks like I order a half dozen boxes every other year.

If for some reason I need small splits I quarter a large split with a maul.


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## wood-fan-atic (Mar 23, 2011)

No need to 'make' kindling. I only start a few fires a year. A few in fall...then one will burn for 4-5 months (Nov-March), and a few in spring. I find that I will always have some smaller splitter scraps laying around for starting fires from scratch. Some Rutland fire starters or SuperCedars with small splits do the trick. The last thing I need to do is 'find room' to store more wood.


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## Backwoods Savage (Mar 23, 2011)

We actually could get along easily without kindling since buying some Super Cedars. If you have never used them, Thomas might send you some samples. They work great. The come looking like a hockey puck but we break ours into quarters so start 4 fires with each one.

However, old habits sometimes die hard and I still like to use kindling, My wood of choice is soft maple because it splits super easy and also lights super easy and burns fast and hot. This gets the other wood started very nicely. I once time took some still pictures and posted them on this forum of how I make kindling. Here are a couple of those pictures.





















These are not the normal size as I usually split to about 1" square but this was some older wood that didn't want to hold together really good so I made it a bit bigger size. It still worked great for kindling. Maybe it is time I took a video of making some and I'll try to remember that if I am able to do any splitting this year.


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## Backwoods Savage (Mar 23, 2011)

I forgot to add. You had asked how I plan. It is difficult for me to plan so I just make lots. We use a fair amount ourselves, I supply kindling for the guys who are in the caboose of the old steam engine train that runs in our area and I also usually supply a goodly amount each time I sell wood. 

A funny thing happened yesterday. Two days ago I had dropped off some kindling to a fellow. Earlier I had hired a man to take a large load of wood to him but no kindling so I naturally dropped off plenty of it. So he called yesterday and asked if I could bring him even more wood! I think he has spread the word and I have a new customer or two.


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## woodchip (Mar 23, 2011)

Backwoods Savage said:
			
		

> I supply kindling for the guys who are in the caboose of the old steam engine train that runs in our area.



We use chopped up pallets down on our steam railway at Swanage. 

For my own kindling, I just chop a few small bits up as and when needed, with a bucket of small joinery offcuts in the shed as a small reserve.


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## Adios Pantalones (Mar 23, 2011)

I don't.  If I have birch bark on hand I use that.  If not, I tear off any splintery pieces from splits and use that.  I re-light from hot coals without any kindling.

With truly dry wood- it goes right up.  Without it- I may supplement from cold with a couple splits of pine to get it rocking.


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## Backwoods Savage (Mar 23, 2011)

What this kindling is for is the coal stove in the caboose. I'm told they start the kindling I give them and then add coal and it works the best they've ever had it work for them. That's okay with me.  However, one time someone else tried to help them get the stove started and I guess they about froze on their first run. lol


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## woodchip (Mar 24, 2011)

I don't remember the last time we used our little coal stove in the caboose (guards van we call it here). 
When our guard gets freezing cold, he gets up on the cab of the steam engine and thaws out rather quickly. 

Best bacon and eggs I ever had was on the shovel of one of our steam engines, just clean the shovel a bit first..........


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## mayhem (Mar 24, 2011)

Too much thought and effort to try and plan out how much kindling you may or ma not need in a given burning season.  Split all your rounds into regular firewood, you'll have a pile of bits and pieces leftover that can be used as kindling.  If you run into a situation where you need more, take a split off the stack and turn it into kindling, or do what I do and pick up a box or two of fire starters...I usually use about a box and a half and use them half at a time to start pretty much any wood, no kindling required.


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## burntime (Mar 24, 2011)

I bought 50 bucks in super cedars begining of the season.  I think it was 12 boxs.  I have gone thru maybe a tad over 2, figure 3 for the whole season.  I also get some cut offs from a company that makes things out of aluminum.  They are kinda like pallet boards but not treated.  In fact I got enough that I have been burning them for a month or so to conserve wood for next year.  I picked up 5 ranger loads and have about 2 left.  I just throw a few pieces of oak in at night.  At the begining of the season I usually split some like Dennis does but since the super cedars it has not been a priority.  Btw, I burn a quarter of a super cedar to start a fire.  They Rock!


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## jharkin (Mar 24, 2011)

I've never figured how much I use but I get more than enough from the yearly deadfall from the trees on my property.  I break up all the down branches and anything 1/2in or bigger gets cut into foot lengths and stacked in the shed.  Even on my small lot (1/2 acre of which less than 1/8 acre is trees) I have more branches than I can ever use as kindling.


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## firefighterjake (Mar 24, 2011)

Never bothered to figure how much kindling I have or use . . . but I know I tend to use a lot with what seems like a long shoulder season in the Fall and Spring . . . and truthfully when reloading in the Winter after an overnight fire I am much, much more impatient compared to my wife who will stick some small splits on the coals and wait for the flames to appear in a few minutes whereas I want the quick and instant gratification of throwing on some kindling, piling on some splits and having the whole thing roaring in 10 or 15 minutes.

I've also had this kindling fetish right from the get go . . . wanted to make sure I always had enough kindling to easily start a fire since I figured it would be a bugger to run out of kindling and have a hard time getting a fire going quickly so I've got quite the stockpile . . . honestly . . . I've got the whole back wall of my Summer Shed filled with cedar and softwood kindling stacked about 6 feet high . . . even though in the past two years I've barely used any of this kindling as most of my kindling came from splitter scraps, scrap wood and softwood slabs that I've either split  and put into my regular stacks or I've placed the slabs in the stacks and split them when I needed more kindling.


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## ruserious2008 (Mar 25, 2011)

Well thanks all for the short and for the detailed replies. All appreciated. I'm new at this this year and heat my primary living space with my stove but since that's really two rooms (we winterized the rest of the place and retreated to these rooms for the winter) our stove more than does the job so I can't keep it going all the time like some here do  otherwise we'd be cook ourselves so I let it burn and then  cool down so I'm lighting 2 to 4 fires a day that I need the kindling for. I got this place insulated well and tight so I can ramp it up to 76 or so and it will stay warm for many hours and when it gets back into the low 60's I fire up again. 
I figure I use 3-4 "sticks" of my split pallet wood per fire and guess I will just do the math on that and make myself a nice big pile this summer to cover my next winter needs. As always thanks everyone


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## mayhem (Mar 25, 2011)

Why not make life easier and reopen one of the shut down rooms, then you can use the stove 24x7 and not get overheated.  Might save alot of hassle and it would be nice to have more elbow room.


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## ruserious2008 (Mar 25, 2011)

Not a bad idea Mayhem but the way this place is laid out won't work without installing some ducting. The woodstove in on the outside room of an "L" addition, which connects to another room and then thru a bathroom to the main house. Even with fans it doesn't really move enough heat out there. I've got a project planned this summer with tearing up a bathroom and also adding a closet which would give me a spot to run some ducting with a fan in it to move heat out to the other rooms somewhat. We've been fortunate in always having a big honker house space wise so even now with just me an my wife we're quite comfortable in these two rooms (of course understanding that one room unheated we use as a "mud room" and the others have more of our stuff......Couldn't possible fit all our "stuff" in these two rooms 
But yes next winter I'll hopefully have the ducting in and can possibly burn 24x7 and not have to deal with so much kindling. Thanks again


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## JeffT (Mar 25, 2011)

Not many restarts during season,but i have a trash can full of sundried noodles that work like a champ.The wife loves them.


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