DIY Fire Starter’s

[rangerfredbob]

I know other folks that have nothing but glowing reviews of "fatwood" fire starters.
Why?

Being fuel rich (as stated above it's sap soaked pine) it lights super easy and is kinda like a candle so it burns for a while with flames so it adds heat and flames to the kindling and firewood. Splitting it up to smaller pieces it lasts me forever, getting I think is a 40 pound box for around $60 lasts me for years so like $12 a year? it's waterproof, compact and stores forever... like said we don't get news paper and don't like burning shiny print paper or paper at all really... Walmart has small boxes of fat wood usually for around $10, maybe pick up a box and try it... using big pieces is hard to light (and smokey) but small lights easy.

Using it just for starting fires shouldn't hurt the chimney... it would take forever for that to accumulate from just fire starter...

 

[dodge man]

Fatwood is from the heart of the pine tree, usually down near the stump and has a lot of resin in it. It burns nicely.

I usually pick up thin stray pieces of wood when I split. They are usually a quarter inch thick roughly. I like them just a few inches wide and at least 6 inches long. I then put a fire starter block on top of these pieces to get the fire starter block off the floor of my fireplace and up on the rack. I then stack wood around and above it.

 

[BnRidge]

I used to make up a batch of egg carton wax and sawdust firesrarters. Then I got lazy and skipped the sawdust. They work just as well.

 

[Smokeydog]

Oak dried two, three, seven years out of the rain requires no kindling. One or two sheets newspaper to start a full charge. Insulated stainless liner flu pipe is self cleaning and has Strong draw. Starts like a blow torch every time. Buck model 91 stove going for 32 years.

 

[JohnnyMX]

Usually, a sheet or two of crumpled newspaper (penny savers) and then we have tons of scraps/slivers from small wood working projects that we do throughout the year. I also have a mix of wood loaded so when stacking I will mix in some incredibly dry staghorn sumac that has been split. It turns into balsa wood after minimal drying to the point you could almost just light one directly.

 

[Cougsfan]

I have been putting a tablespoon or two of diesel on a used paper hand towel that I have saved to start the wood stove in my shop. Works great.

 

[sdquick]

When we get frisky we take dryer lint and push it in egg cartons then drip melted wax on the top then cut those up, works GREAT

My go to is fat wood, buy it in huge quantity like HERE, they come in big pieces, take a hatchet and split them into pencil size pieces, take say 3 of those and light one and put them under some kindling then put firewood directly on top of that and you have a fire... as far as quantity and storage, one of those boxes fits in 3 of the christmas style popcorn tins and one box lasts me 3-4 years (they're cheaper in the off season)

The other dumb option is hand sanitizer, it's amazing what 3 squirts on some kindling will do , I found gallons of hand sanitizer at home depot clearance (it's crazy what they do once they're not required to supply it...) for $1 a gallon so I bought a bunch of that so I'm covered for years...

I also have saved egg cartons through the year and then use cotton balls (to lazy to collect lint) and candles that my wife is getting rid of, or find some cheap ones at a good will. Make a bunch at one time and cut them up and keep in a galvanized bucket next to the wood stove.

 

[shooterdon]

Never needed any. Normally just use coals left from the night burn. If starting without coals, juice/cream cartons, Amazon boxes etc.

 

[TractorTYMe]

Sawdust and used motoroil, works great for gittin the stove running on a cold day. 3/4 coffee can of sawdust, add used motoroil until it looks like thick tar. Add to stove with some kidnling, lite it and add firewood.

 

[DynamicD]

I personally have had good results with the Duraflame Fatwood. (found the best price at my local walmart)
Id usually crumple up some newspaper for a base (or put down a paper egg carton)
put 3 fatwood sticks on top of that followed with some smallish logs on top.