Better Firestarter than Super Cedars

[fossil]

I feel so ashamed...newspaper and split cedar/shop scraps have worked for me forever...

Gosh, I just looked around my shop and I couldn't find any newspaper or split cedar/shop scraps. Should I feel ashamed?

 

[BrotherBart]

Try some stale Fritos corn chips. The oil in them burns long and hot. Myself, I use the bills the mail man delivers to start a cold far.

Used to do business with a fellow that installs the fire control stuff over the vats they cook those things in. Walking out over the vats on a 2 X 6. He told me more than a few have fallen into the vats over time and it was all over. Don't know if they sold the chips anyway.

 

[mac cloud]

I have no doubt that they work,but I always have scrap wood and newspaper around that I need to get rid of anyway .

I never have a problem getting a fire started,been building fires since I was a kid .
Couple of sheets of newspaper,and a split 2x4 end and we're good to go .
That was my job when we got to the cottage,..."you get the fire going,it's cold in here !" .... ok dad

I can see the starters being great for camping and what not .

I might give them a try,but then my garage will be full of scrap lumber .

 

[mac cloud]

Gosh, I just looked around my shop and I couldn't find any newspaper or split cedar/shop scraps. Should I feel ashamed?

lol..,no, just saying i've never had an issue .

burn how you want

 

[BobUrban]

Super Cedars work great as do the Rutland dealio's and many other home brew options available. Many, many ways to skin this kitty. I have made and used bow-n-drill fire starters, fire pistons and other primitive techniques so you can go that route as well but for my money(and I consider my time valuable) SC's are the best. Screw the plastic wrap and buy the naked ones, put a couple in a little plastic container and hide it near the stove. When you need some help break a little piece off and stuff that between two splits and light - done deal.

I really don't understand the mess - after turning one puck into 6-8 fires just dump the dust into the stove. I bought the big box of 100 and after giving a bunch away, using them whole to start fires outside/camping and two seasons I still have years worth of starters considering they are only used a few times between 12/1 and 3/1 each season.

I am kind of a loyalist and I have benefited tremendously from Hearth so being a sponsor and offering the freebies to members as well as a discount has me hooked.

 

[Jags]

Hmmmm... Have been waiting for Thomas to put up my quote.
"Super Cedars, the crack of the hearth industry".

 

[NH_Wood]

I use a large kitchen knife to make two deep grooves on one side of my super cedars (with the plastic on) which give four quarter pieces - place in baggie and snap on corner of counter - they break easy and the mess stays in the bag. I haven't had a worries about the mess. Only thing I try to avoid is getting any of the dust on the ask lip of the stove - leaves lots of small oil circles once the stove gets hot - they disappear after a while, but still don't like them. As a 24/7 burner, I bought 100 of them 4 years ago and I probably have over half left - the price and convenience, and the quality of the long burn are awesome. Cheers!

 

[rideau]

Used the Rutland squares once before I tried Super Cedar. Just don't like them Used a bunch together finally just to get rid of them.

Given a box of fatwood. Would not buy them, not impressed.

Use white birch bark, works great, sometimes gets the window black, but it burns off as soon as the stove gets hot.

Have used pine, spruce, fir cones. They work well.

Use small twigs and branches all the time, nothing works better than them if you have any coals at all to start with. If not, a match often starts the smaller twigs just fine...last resort a piece of newsprint.

Sometimes keep some sawdust and use that.

BUT: Supercedars take little room, no storage mess, super easy to break by hand (I don't get the need for all the instructions on how to break them). Put one in a zip lock baggie a year ago, still using the same baggie today. All the crumbs stay in the bag, just shake it out into the firebox if I let the coals get really low, after loading the box. Lights right up.

With the weather we have been having, plenty of coals. Have not taken a Super Cedar out of the box since December.

 

[danham]

I stopped worrying about making nice uniform quarters and just break the Super Cedars on the hearth lip (plastic on) and use any crumbs to augment the smallest resulting pieces.

-dan

 

[loon]

Luckily there are thousands of these 100yr old cedar rails sitting in the tree lines doing nothing except waiting to start a fire

 

[Dustin92]

I make my own firestarters- stuff dryer lint in mini cupcake pans, melt wax (used scent tarts or candles), put two spoons full of wax in each cup of lint (I have a small wooden ladle that is only used for wax). Wait for them to harden, pop out and store in a basket. Usually they smell nice sitting in the basket, and look kind of cool too, because I have ended up with several different colors. I put two small pieces of scrap wood in the stove, put one firestarter on top, and light. I then add kindling on top of that and then smaller splits as it catches fire. Then add larger splits and there you go. No paper involved.

 

[swestall]

I used to cut a load of kindling wood every year, a day or two at the end of cutting season. Then I found SC's; now I take those two days and go have some fun. I also score them in the wrapper and then break off in the stove so I don't get any dust on the ashcatcher. I like BG's idea of the coffee can though, I'm going to make one up this week. I also use fatwood sometimes, with the SC's; for a stubborn start after emptying ashes: small splits over two FW sticks with about 1/8 of a SC and away she goes!

 

[tarzan]

Swestall, you could try leaving enough hot coals to go across the front of the stove when you empty the ashes. If you have good, dry wood that should be enough to get things going again.

 

[swestall]

Swestall, you could try leaving enough hot coals to go across the front of the stove when you empty the ashes. If you have good, dry wood that should be enough to get things going again.

Yes, I do that: mostly burn 24/7. What I meant was when I burn it way down all day. I also have passive solar and if the sun is out with temps over 30 we'll stay at 65 in the house all day. When that happens we will often let things burn almost all the way down, then we need to give the start a little boost. Sorry for not being clear enough.

 

[Laurent Cyr]

Cotton balls dipped in Vaseline works for me as firestarters.

 

[tlingit]

Mostly, all I ever use is birch bark. Clean, no ash. If it's really cold and I'm in a hurry, supercedars. We burn top down, and they are great for that.

 

[Treacherous]

I just love the quick and no hassle function of a Super Cedar. I break them apart in a Ziploc bag and no mess. All my old newspaper went to the recycler a few years back.