good kindling wood
- Thread starter deerefan
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goaliedad
Gold Member
make your own- mix wood shavings or sawdust with wax. Use old candles or buy parafin.
scott_vt
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Afternoon Deerefan,
Any small diameter branches that are good and dry will work good. I have heard of that fatwood that some of the guys use, and have heard that it works quite well. One other thing that a buddy of mine has done, when we get to the bottom of the 55 gal barrels we use for diesel storage. We empty the remainder into jugs and use this in a can to soak scrap sticks from the woodshop. There is no issue with fumes like gas and they get a fire going in the woodstove quite quickly. My buddy uses a large coffee can and just lets the ends of the scap sticks soak.
Any small diameter branches that are good and dry will work good. I have heard of that fatwood that some of the guys use, and have heard that it works quite well. One other thing that a buddy of mine has done, when we get to the bottom of the 55 gal barrels we use for diesel storage. We empty the remainder into jugs and use this in a can to soak scrap sticks from the woodshop. There is no issue with fumes like gas and they get a fire going in the woodstove quite quickly. My buddy uses a large coffee can and just lets the ends of the scap sticks soak.
turnkey4099
Elite Member
Been heating my house with wood for 30 years now and never had to use kindling in my airtight. 3 regular splits in the firebox, double sheet of newspaper in the ash tray and it is going. Of course the fire rarely goes out in heating season. If I were starting a fire every day, I would probably make up some kindling from whatever I had.
Back when I was a kid it was one of my chores to keep the woodbox for the stove full. Part of that was supplying kindling. Just split it fine from whatever wood was in the pile.
I see no need for going out of ones way for kindling. Even starting my brush piles covered in snow I just grab some of my stove chunks, split em down small and that is all that is required.
Harry K
Back when I was a kid it was one of my chores to keep the woodbox for the stove full. Part of that was supplying kindling. Just split it fine from whatever wood was in the pile.
I see no need for going out of ones way for kindling. Even starting my brush piles covered in snow I just grab some of my stove chunks, split em down small and that is all that is required.
Harry K
dmccarty
Super Star Member
I don't buy or make starter. I just walk around the couple of acres right around the house and pick up fallen limbs. I break them into 3-12 inch lengths and put them in a rubbermaid box that has a lid. I keep the box on the porch and the rubbermaid box keeps the kindling dry.
I have not filled up the box for weeks since the stove is running 24x7.
To start a fire, I take any unburnt coals aka charcol, and push them in a row in the middle of the stove. Then I lay two pieces of wood perpendicular to the stove door and keep the sticks kinda close to the coals. Hope that make sense. Then I ball up not roll up half a page of newspaper. Six to eight balls is usually all I can get into the stove ontop of the coals and between the wood. Then I put in small sticks on top of wood and move up to bigger pieces. If I can break the starter wood by hand its too big. Once there is a pile, not too big, not too small, just right Goldielocks, I put on some bigger 1-2 inch think pieces. Then I light the paper.
I might have to keep the wood stove door open to let it enough air to start but not smoother the fire. But I have to be careful since I have had the smoke "back draft" out of the back of the stove somehow. Once the draft starts its off. In something like 30-60 minutes the fire has burned down but added new coals and lit the old ones. Add the regular size wood and its a warm house.
A fire needs fuel and air. Too much wood too close togather and the air can't get to the fire so no fire.
Later,
Dan
I have not filled up the box for weeks since the stove is running 24x7.
To start a fire, I take any unburnt coals aka charcol, and push them in a row in the middle of the stove. Then I lay two pieces of wood perpendicular to the stove door and keep the sticks kinda close to the coals. Hope that make sense. Then I ball up not roll up half a page of newspaper. Six to eight balls is usually all I can get into the stove ontop of the coals and between the wood. Then I put in small sticks on top of wood and move up to bigger pieces. If I can break the starter wood by hand its too big. Once there is a pile, not too big, not too small, just right Goldielocks, I put on some bigger 1-2 inch think pieces. Then I light the paper.
I might have to keep the wood stove door open to let it enough air to start but not smoother the fire. But I have to be careful since I have had the smoke "back draft" out of the back of the stove somehow. Once the draft starts its off. In something like 30-60 minutes the fire has burned down but added new coals and lit the old ones. Add the regular size wood and its a warm house.
A fire needs fuel and air. Too much wood too close togather and the air can't get to the fire so no fire.
Later,
Dan
KentT
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I'll also vote for heart-pine kindling wood (or fat-wood) as the others called it...
For those who haven't tried it -- you really should. Next time you're in the woods and see some pine knots lying on the ground from where a pine (yellow, jack, loblolly, or red pine are much better than white pine) tree has rotted away, pick a couple of them up and take them home. The heavier the they are, the better they are -- because that means they're full of pine resin (pine tar). Use a hatchet or very sharp ax and split them into very small slivers (between the size of a match-stem and a pencil) and try it. They'll burn higher than the match you lit them with, give off a wonderful smell, and a small handful of kindling will start a fire with about any dry wood. If they don't want to light directly, take your pocketknife and curl up a shaving or two to start.
Good, rich pine knots will burn like paraffin and smell much better. Plus, they're absolutely free. Try it, I think you'll like it...
For those who haven't tried it -- you really should. Next time you're in the woods and see some pine knots lying on the ground from where a pine (yellow, jack, loblolly, or red pine are much better than white pine) tree has rotted away, pick a couple of them up and take them home. The heavier the they are, the better they are -- because that means they're full of pine resin (pine tar). Use a hatchet or very sharp ax and split them into very small slivers (between the size of a match-stem and a pencil) and try it. They'll burn higher than the match you lit them with, give off a wonderful smell, and a small handful of kindling will start a fire with about any dry wood. If they don't want to light directly, take your pocketknife and curl up a shaving or two to start.
Good, rich pine knots will burn like paraffin and smell much better. Plus, they're absolutely free. Try it, I think you'll like it...
Egon
Epic Contributor
Chances are some fine split dry wood of any make may work just fine. Heck, in a pinch some real dry chips may even work!
Highbeam
Super Member
I'm with Turnkey sort of. I just split up a piece of regular firewood (alder, fir, maple)into teensy weency pieces for kindling. Break them into 6 inch lengths and then use them to start my fires. I have succumbed to the convenience of breaking off about 1/6 of a disc of one of those cedar firestarters in place of messing around with paper.
The kid and I have great fun taking a large split and making a huge pile of kindling. Growing up I spent many hours splitting up cedar roofing shingles into kindling with a hatchet and putting the old nails in the coffee can. The old and used shingles are a waste product to the roofers.
The kid and I have great fun taking a large split and making a huge pile of kindling. Growing up I spent many hours splitting up cedar roofing shingles into kindling with a hatchet and putting the old nails in the coffee can. The old and used shingles are a waste product to the roofers.
Cliff_Johns
Elite Member
I have a gas starter in my fireplace. I have no idea if it works because I just go out and pick up some small deadfall and crumple some newspaper under it. I can't imagine doing anything more. It lights just fine as long as the twigs are dry.
Cliff
Cliff