fire starters

[Bocefus78]

I buy them by the cases at TSC, Lowes, menards, etc at the end of the burning season when they are on super final clearance. 2 years ago, I bought 2 cases for 0.50/box 24boxes/case (regular price is $2 and up) and I still have almost a case left. To me, that beats hours and hours of my time wasted for a small $12 fee per case. But then again, time is a premium for me.

When I was a boy scout, we used old candle wax poured in a cupcake paper, and then u jam a pinecone in it. Last time I checked, cupcake papers were like 3 bucks for 24, used candles cost money too albeit very little. Just do the math and shop around.

 

[jotul8e2]

I am surprised no one has mentioned pine cones. Dry pine cones can be started with a match and a half dozen or so will start pretty good sized kindling.

Personally, I have several boxes full of thin pieces of wood from the shop by the time wood stove season comes around, so I just start with that.

 

[firebroad]

Only bad thing about pinecones, by themselves, is they give a quick flash then burn out. With really good dry wood, they will work; but with less than pristine, meh. Even in winter we Marylanders have dampness, at least on the outside of our wood due to humidity. There is a lot of fog where I am, and I usually need something that will stay lit for at least ten minutes.

 

[WarmGuy]

I have a super-simple, cheap system that works perfectly. I've used it for over 10 years. It's safe, effective, and clean.

1. Place 2-3 TBS of vegetable oil in a Dixie cup. I buy big containers of the cheapest oil at CostCo.
2. Wad up a half of a paper towel, and put it in the cup.
3. Place this on the floor of the woodstove, put two medium-sized logs on each side of the cup, and light the paper towel.
4. Add a roof to the "house"

You don't need small pieces. If your wood is very dry, you can use large pieces of wood. I never bother with kindling. It does not burn fast like lighter fluid, but it burns long enough to get things started.

 

[jotul8e2]

Only bad thing about pinecones, by themselves, is they give a quick flash then burn out. With really good dry wood, they will work; but with less than pristine, meh. Even in winter we Marylanders have dampness, at least on the outside of our wood due to humidity. There is a lot of fog where I am, and I usually need something that will stay lit for at least ten minutes.

No, I doubt that pine cones would get firewood started, unless you used rather a lot of them. When I have used them I start them and lay some dry kindling over them, then add some splits after the kindling, well, kindles.

 

[Nick Mystic]

Here is a really great fire started that is free and easy. Some years ago my wife was working at the garden center of a Lowe's store and she brought home an empty waxed box they use to ship plants in. It was broken down and was about 2'x3'. It was brown cardboard coated in heavy wax. She asked me if I thought I could use it to make some fire starters? I took it out to the shop and with my band saw I cut it into strips measuring about an inch across and 4" - 6" long. By stacking the cardboard I can cut about four layers at a time with the band saw and can fill a 5 gallon bucket in less than ten minutes. When I'm building a fire in the stove I put a couple of small logs or splits (3") E and W in the stove - one near the front and one near the back. Between them I put down some kindling with a few cross hatches of slightly larger pieces. I then slide in a couple of these fire starters and use a third that I light outside the stove and use as a match to light off the one or both of the starters in the kindling. This usually proves to get the fire going on the first try. Since our Lowe's store just throws these boxes away (they can't be recycled due to the wax coating) you can probably get them for free at similar type stores. When we saw how great they worked my wife brought home another 20 or so boxes over the next few days and five years later I still have a stack of them leaning against one wall of my shop. I cut up a bucket every few months during burn season.

 

[ScotO]

Only bad thing about pinecones, by themselves, is they give a quick flash then burn out. With really good dry wood, they will work; but with less than pristine, meh. Even in winter we Marylanders have dampness, at least on the outside of our wood due to humidity. There is a lot of fog where I am, and I usually need something that will stay lit for at least ten minutes.

take some old candles, melt them, and dip your pine cones in wax.....VOILLA!!
They work very well for starting fires and will stay lit a while longer than a non-waxed pine cone....

 

[firefighterjake]

When I've run out of Super Cedars, cardboard and pine cones . . .