Starting a Stove Fire

[Industrial Toys]

I love fires. What I don't like is starting them. Or getting up in the night to put on more wood. I mean, the whole progressive thing, with paper, kindling and ever larger wood is just so time consuming, and if you don't stay there and watch it, it WILL go out! I usually use a propane torch, but have to crouch there to get the fire going. I once got a good amount of hardwood kindling from a cabinet manufacturer and it was great, but I finally ran out.

Can one make something (cheap) similar to the store bought logs that come in a paper bag? You put a match to them, and they are good to go. They look like compressed saw dust, but what makes them burn?

Can one soak, pieces of pallets for instance in kerosene or something, and let it dry, so basically it starts with just a match?

 

[lexluther]

Pellet stove..

 

[4570Man]

Pellet stove..

Not free...

 

[General Lee]

I don't experience the issues you're having. Once in the heart of winter, my stove pretty much burns 24/7. I hardly ever starting a fire from scratch during this time. I make my own kindling by splitting splits in 1x1 or 1x2 splits. I'll fill a 40 gallon trash can with them. One or two fat wood sticks or those square compressed cardboard fire starters and I'm good to go.

 

[4570Man]

I don't experience the issues you're having. Once in the heart of winter, my stove pretty much burns 24/7. I'm hardly ever starting a fire from scratch. I make my own kindling by splitting splits in 1x1 or 1x2 splits. I'll fill a 40 gallon trash can with them. One or two fat wood sticks or those square compressed cardboard fire starters and I'm good to go.

That's similar to my approach. Starting fires is really pretty easy. I don't don't the survivor man approach with 14 different sizes of kindling. Once you get the 1x2 pieces going toss on a couple of the smaller pieces from the wood pile and your good to go. If I rationed the scraps from my wood shop better I wouldn't have to split kindling, but it's easier just to burn it all at once and split more kindling when the need arises.

 

[hosspuller]

I've found the easy way to start a fire in the stove is:

Start with two well seasoned chunks. Large enough to fill the stove, leaving about 3-4 inches between them. Crumple some newspaper into the gap (the best, other paper doesn't seem to burn as well) Lay small kindling, 1/4 inch diameter or so on the paper, the more the better.

Light the paper & close the door with the air control wide open. As the kindling burns into coals, add another well seasoned piece over the two large chunks.

This method eliminates constant feeding at the start.

 

[turnkey4099]

I'm with the others. Not a problem to start a fire in a stove. Paper on botom, 2-3 pieces kindling, couple splits, light it and go about my business for a few minutes, come back add another split and shut down drafts as needed. No need to over over it.

The Wood heater I don't even bother with kingling, couple splits with sharp edges, one more on top, two sheets news print in ash drawer, light, crupple few more newsprint and feed that in and done.

Not moe than a couple minutes on either operation provided you are using well seasoned wood..

 

[RNeumann]

With a torch and dry wood it shouldn't take much. One good source is construction sites. All the framing material scraps make good kindling.
We use cedar trees for kindling where I'm at.

 

[kidr]

I use fire starter blocks from lowes or walmart . Haven't used kindling in years.

 

[Thomas]

Keep good bed of coals,need to add wood stir bed of coals.