Best way to make kindling
- Thread starter Bushels20
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Northern Tool is running a special on their Kindling Cracker firewood splitter... XL is $87 (normally $130) and Regular is $55 (normally $100)... Apply coupon code 266086 at checkout for an additional $10 off... Select free standard shipping at checkout.
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Amazon seems to have noticed northern tools pricing. Now the same price at Amazon.
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I originally got the regular size but my splits are 18" - 20", didn't seem to work well with the regular size.
Why would U make it? Small branches work great. Little newspaper in between. Match, it's going fire. How I did it for years on my BK King. Leave door open at 1st, then cracked open, then closed after going. Load up Wood. Watch Temps. When ready leaver it for Cat.
HisTreeNut
Minister of Fire
I just have the kiddos clean the yard and stack it near the fire pit. What doesn't get used for kindling, gets used in the fire pit the spring.
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hickoryhoarder
Minister of Fire
I split it with a maul, usually red oak. I also get a lot of small branches falling from my tulip tree. These are dead, and make excellent kindling. Just snap them off at 15" with my hands.
I’m a kindling hoarder. I get it from lawn mower crates that give me red oak, scrap dimensional wood from all over, branches under 1" from scrounge wood processed on my outside chop saw. Also I worked at a outdoor cedar products wood shop for a few years and I boarded all the scrap from there, the stuff is great for starting cord wood but it got to be a obsession. I have a mountain of kindling wood behind my house that’s covered up with a big canvas tarp plus boxes and plastic trash barrels filled and store in the pole shed... can never be too prepared right? 
Photo tomorrow.
Photo tomorrow.
SpaceBus
Minister of Fire
I got one one Amazon that works fairly well. It could probably use a file, but it wasn't expensive. Timber tuff I thin ?
Between twig drops in the yard and scrap 2x4 pieces, that enough for me. I use "fat wood" starters now that I buy and that lowers the need for some kindling. If your in town I could see the need to "make" some I guess. I'd make that out of poplar or pine that would find here or there.
Just something wacky that I've been doing for years. My daughter was "into" candle making for like 2 weeks so I bought a electric fryer and 40 pounds of candle wax. Then she got "into" perfumes & lotions so now I had a fryer that I wouldn't have a use for and 35 lbs. of wax. I was sick of the egg carton start and splitting little kindling up so this is what I came up with. Chainsaw a log down to a nub and bag the shavings. Going with the grain you can get big peels that are perfect. Throw a block of wax in the fryer (how much takes a little practice). When it's melted turn the fryer off and add shavings. How much depends on the next step. Which is use a baking dish (I have some nonstick dishes that I stole from my wife) lined with saran wrap. Scoop the shavings out of the fryer, be sure to get some wax with them. Dump them in the dish and smush them smooth with the spoon. You want 1/2-3/4 inch thick. It shouldn't be so waxy that you can see it on the top, but not so little wax that it can't be smoothed out. Looser is better as long as it doesn't crumble in your hand. Too much wax and it's hard to light off. Get a nice layer then put more wrap on top and do another one. When it's completely cooled you can lift the layers off one by one, I score them with a bread knife and break into 3" squares. They burn hot and slow, I can light a couple 2x4s with one. Sound familiar? Yes it's the cheap way to make the ridiculously expensive starter bricks. I can do a 2 year supply in a couple hours (with 3 baking dishes). That takes a big bag of shavings and maybe 20 lbs. of wax. I've been using my planer lately and saved the shavings, gonna have a go at that soon. I'm out of bricks from 2 years ago 
Splitter scraps & bark as it falls off splits.
4 or 5 pieces of bark and some kindling really heats things up quick and goes to coals quick for a hot reload.
4 or 5 pieces of bark and some kindling really heats things up quick and goes to coals quick for a hot reload.
Grizzerbear
Minister of Fire
Just splitter scraps over a season makes a pretty good stash of it. I dont really use kindling much but I always keep some around.
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
Kindling is really only necessary during shoulder season. Like many have said it’s a natural byproduct of simply running the splitter. However, not everyone runs a splitter. A lot of people buy their firewood. And to be honest I’m kind of lazy when it comes to picking up splitter scraps and saving them. I keep roughly a face cord in my garage at a time with a chop block next it. So if I need kindling I just take some of the shorter splits and make a bucket of kindling with my Gransfors small splitting axe which also hangs right next to my wood rack in the garage. All the scraps and slivers from this process is saved for tinder so I don’t even buy firestarters.
Sawset
Minister of Fire
I finally split up a bunch of basswood logs into kindling. Just as a joke, I filled the stove, then a couple basswood sticks on top, and put the lighter on just the sticks - dang if they didn't light off by themselves. They make matchsticks out of basswood. This pile should last 3 yrs or more.
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I had some fatwood that was free with a fireplace tool set I bought. I think I could have lit that stuff with steel and flint :D
Stormy here today - kindling gathering tomorrow
And splitter scrap (for lack of improving my aim with the splitting axe...) provides kindling and tinder. (1/20 inch oak works well; does light easily when dry and does not burn out as fast as paper).
I split about two cords of oak by hand this spring, and the scrap will get me through this burning season.
And splitter scrap (for lack of improving my aim with the splitting axe...) provides kindling and tinder. (1/20 inch oak works well; does light easily when dry and does not burn out as fast as paper).
I split about two cords of oak by hand this spring, and the scrap will get me through this burning season.
Splitter + trees + sticks, here. Usually round up 3 or 4 large trash bins full of kindling every fall and its almost work to get rid of it all by spring.
I do the same as some, splitter scraps; went and bought 2 garbage cans and drilled some vent holes (if I remember correctly I got the idea from here as usual). Works good, started this when I got the stove (early 2019), filled up the 2 garbage cans and haven’t even come close to using it all.
KindredSpiritzz
Minister of Fire
Never quite understood having to make kindling. Theres always a ton of suitable scraps after splitting laying around that i put in a few mail carrier baskets i acquired which go in the basement til needed. They are thin enough they dry out fast without any help. Theres also usually enough loose scraps on the splits i can pry off to get a fire going. I really dont use a lot of kindling since i burn 24/7, just a few pieces to get it going again in the morning and evening when i get home. Then theres always scraps of lumber from shop projects so i never had to actually create kindling.
I split a lot of wood and don’t get all of this waste you folks talk about. It all ends up as firewood. Maybe it’s our PNWwood species. If it’s too big I split it and then have two smaller splits. No waste.
I use a lot of kindling due to our warmer climate. I just grab a nice straight split of wood and split it into kindling on the splitter. You get good at it after a while and can split many slabs at a time. It’s fun and fast. Gets a little fuel used in the splitter to keep things fresh.
I fill a 4 foot diameter hoop about twice per year. It’s a work of art.
I use a lot of kindling due to our warmer climate. I just grab a nice straight split of wood and split it into kindling on the splitter. You get good at it after a while and can split many slabs at a time. It’s fun and fast. Gets a little fuel used in the splitter to keep things fresh.
I fill a 4 foot diameter hoop about twice per year. It’s a work of art.
