Comments on: Practicing

By: MalagaCove

MalagaCove — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:52:05 +0000

I can’t start fires either. My brilliant DH’s solutin, the year we heated the house with a wood stove (he got laid off and of course, the furnace died a couple of weeks later!) was to get one of those small propane bottles and a click starter. With enough kindling AND a reliable source of heat, I CAN start a woodstove.

This thread reminded me, I need to get our woodstove cleaned this summer, so we can use it next year. Starting a fire is a skill I need to WORK on!!!

Thanks for the reminder –

Judith

By: Ramona Slocum

Ramona Slocum — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 20:55:41 +0000

I make firestarters every summer. I save old candles. I pick up cheap ones at garage sales and have friends look for them. I melt the candles in an old pan outside on my camper stove or the outdoor grill. I add wood chips to the melted wax and mix in. I pour it into small 3 oz. wax coated paper cups and let it set up. One of these added to kindling and wood will start a fire in the fire stove or in a campfire very quickly. Starts every time.

By: kathy Grove

kathy Grove — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:53:17 +0000

We have a pot belly stove in our garage for heat. Used to have a Rotty who lived in the garage during winter. I built the fire by crumbling newpaper, putting it on the bottom and then layering the small kindling on top crisscross style. Light it and then when it is burning good add some thinner logs, also crisscrossed. From then the fire is going fairly well and you can open the door and add bigger logs keeping the crisscross fashion. Worked for me and the dog was grateful for the warmth.
Dog has since passed and I have a nice pile of unused wood to burn in an “Earth Oven” I am going to attempt to build come spring. I will be able to make and bake the bread outside in the oven. Can’t wait for Spring.
Kathy

By: Ranger

Ranger — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:56:04 +0000

When you don’t have a long lighter or long matches you can use a match held at the end of a crescent wrench to get that extra reach. Saw a plumber do this to start the pilot on a gas water heater.

By: Runningtrails

Runningtrails — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:06:15 +0000

On a bad day, when you don’t have time and the fire is being stubborn, use a little BBQ starter fluid (NOT gasoline or karosene!). It will get the kindling going good so you can add the logs.

It is hard to collect enough kindling. We go through a lot of it. I have huge piles at the base of the old oaks, so I can find it in the snow. I just pile it all up there when I am out there.

There is a huge pile beside the shop, of the bigger stuff that I will cut on the saw as needed.

By: Runningtrails

Runningtrails — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:01:58 +0000

Good firestarters are anything dipped in wax. Dryer lint, pinecones, stickes, toilet roll holders. Anything you can dip in wax.

I want that Blue Ball book too!

By: Dessa

Dessa — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:22:04 +0000

I want it, I want it, I want it!!! The Ball Blue Book, that is, LOL!

By: lisa brawner

lisa brawner — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:43:22 +0000

we use to use pinecones or even lint from the dryer and and save the old candle wax and mekt and drizzle over the cones or lint balls. YOu have such an awesome wood stove !!! it should keep ya warm this winter

By: microwaveguru

microwaveguru — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:49:42 +0000

DON’T EVER HEAT VASELINE SOAKED COTTON BALLS IN A MICROWAVE OVEN!!! Microwave ovens should never be used heat anything but food. Cotton balls can catch fire in a microwave oven and microwave fires are very serious. I’ve been a microwave scientist for almost 50 years; own about 50 microwave ovens and have studied and presented papers on microwave fires. DON’T DO IT!!!

By: Betsy

Betsy — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:26:18 +0000

I know I am repeating a solution posted above, but this works: take lint from your dryer and put it in empty toilet paper rolls.