Turning Garbage Into Something Useful

Pferox · November 06, 2016, 08:12:21 AM

I make it a personal rule to only post videos from my channel that pertain to fishing, but this one isn't fishing related, although it is if you will be building a fire, so I thought I would post it here.

I did a couple of videos on DIY fire starters made with stuff normally tossed in the trash. From what I heard, it is a great savings with a little time investment compared to the stuff that is sold commercially.

Here are the links to the vids if you are interested.

All it takes is a couple of the fiber egg cartons, some drier lint or saw dust, and some old wax.

My wife uses those things that melt stinky waxy stuff over a light bulb powered contraption and it works well. I thought what a waste to be tossing this stuff out into the trash if it can be made into something useful.

I'm not the originator of this idea, but passed it on, thinking it is a great useage of trash.

Lee Smith · November 06, 2016, 05:50:57 PM

Great idea Jim! Thanks

Mike Cork · November 06, 2016, 07:51:14 PM

Awesome stuff!! Back when I had a back and split my own wood, and because I'm a cheap "woops", I wouldn't let Mother Nature start the furnace until I couldn't keep the house above 65. Anyway firestarter sticks were excellent when I didn't want to fuss with kindling, but the were expensive... your a few years late for me but I might try just in case we have that occasional fire to improve the dust quality in the house

The Rooster · November 07, 2016, 06:01:59 AM

I'm not sure I'd want to use any fire starter logs in the house for fear of a waxy buildup coating the chimney walls and becoming a fire hazard. However, in the woods in a fire pit, this is a great idea. I have plenty of dryer lint, nearly an unlimited supply since I work for an apartment complex with two different public laundry rooms.

I believe they do actually make some fire starter logs that are supposed to be safe for indoor use. Burn clean and leave no deposits.

Mike Cork · November 07, 2016, 07:42:43 AM

The fire starter sticks I used to buy were very waxy feeling $:-\$ doesn't mean they were wax. $:-\$

Anyone burning for house heat has to clean their chimney regularly, especially in the south, and if you buy your wood. Never know what you are really getting.

Donald Garner · November 07, 2016, 06:23:31 PM

Jim, tks for sharing the video with us. That was interesting on how fire sticks are made.

Pferox · November 08, 2016, 06:08:53 AM

All fire starters use some kind of accelerant, except for natural dry kindling, of course. Bees wax, as far as I know is the cleanest one of the bunch, then comes paraffin.

I was surprised in my test that I didn't notice any waxy residue on the grates, it just about totally burnt up. I would suspect that over time it would build up though, just like anything else.

Many people use Kerosene sticks, which are just sticks soaking in a kerosene bath.

Another interesting point to mention is that most kindling is pine or fir which is hot and fast burning but releases a lot of pitch and creosote. Pine is one log that is not recommended for fire places, but still recommended as a fire starter, go figure.

Oldfart9999 · November 08, 2016, 06:22:16 AM

I use wadded up newspaper for charcoal, have a starter, and make fuzz sticks for campfires.
Rodney

Pferox · November 08, 2016, 06:48:47 AM

Quote from: Oldfart9999 on November 08, 2016, 06:22:16 AM
I use wadded up newspaper for charcoal, have a starter, and make fuzz sticks for campfires.
Rodney

I did the same thing still do with charcoal, but I was watching this stuff going into the landfill and thought there had to be something that can be done with it.

When I was in Boy Scouts every year we had a project where we would make fire starters out of wax and newspapers, like they make paper mache, it would make a block about a quarter of an inch thick. Every January we would participate in a contest called the Klondike Derby, we even had to build a dog sled to pull for it.

One of the 12 timed "Tests" was to boil water in a paper cup, we always won that one with those wax fire starters because kindling was wet from the snow.

Interesting fact, a waxed paper cup won't catch on fire until the water is boiled out because the water keeps the cup below it's flash point.

Oldfart9999 · November 08, 2016, 03:19:43 PM

I do agree about so much usable stuff going into landfills, we recycle and I hope it's doing some good. I'm taking all of mine and a neighbors leaves, chopping them up and using them for soil amendment in our raised beds and lawn. We compost waste vegetable matter. We freeze a lot of raw rough cuts of vegetables and when we have enough make stock. There is a lot of useful stuff we throw out, if we used it we could save money and not waste what is good.
Rodney

Smallie_Stalker · November 08, 2016, 04:06:43 PM

Has anyone tried the Creosote logs? They are supposed to prevent that buildup in the chimneys. I don't have a fireplace so I have no experience with them and am just spit-balling the idea.

Pferox · November 09, 2016, 12:54:23 AM

Quote from: Smallie_Stalker on November 08, 2016, 04:06:43 PM
Has anyone tried the Creosote logs? They are supposed to prevent that buildup in the chimneys. I don't have a fireplace so I have no experience with them and am just spit-balling the idea.

I can't say how well they work, I tried one on the house in Dallas and all kinds of little sparks were falling into the fire, I am assuming that they came from the junk the log was "cleaning". We still had problems and I gave up on using the fire place after a while and way too much smoke in the house.

Smallie_Stalker · November 09, 2016, 03:26:52 PM

Well, that answers that question. Thanks for the info. Jim.