From: sasdvp@unx.sas.com (David V. Phillips)
Subject: Re: Kindling
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 13:27:33 GMT
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.

jdelsign@BBN.COM (John Delsignore) writes:


>I just got a cord of seasoned red oak firewood delivered to my house.
>We moved into the house in July, and we've never had a fireplace
>before.  While I've started fires before (most of them in a fireplace)
>I can't seem to get a good one going.  I think it's the lack of decent
>kindling because the wood seems dry and well seasoned.  So I have a
>couple of questions:

>	1. How do you "make" kindling?  I was thinking of buying an
>	axe and splitting some logs into pieces about 1" in diameter.

>	2. If this is correct, what's the best kind of axe to make
>	kindling with?  Handle length?  Weight of head?  Shape of
>	head?

>	3. The real goal is simply to get a decent fire going.  How do
>	you experienced pyromaniacs start fires?

>Thanks, John D.

Pyromanics?  Did someone say pyromaniacs?  Pull up a chair, boys and
girls, and let me tell you how to start a roaring fire with just one
match, and no volatile hydrocarbons  (accelerants are for weenies!)

To make kindling, split your firewood pieces up.  Make some about 2"
in diameter, some about 1" and some even smaller.

I've got a small splitting maul.  The handle is about 18", and the
head is wedge shaped, and about 4 lbs.  I got it from L.L. Bean.
Works great.  For splitting bigger pieces, I've got a regular
splitting maul....6 lb head, full length handle.  MORE POWER! Arrgh,
Arggh!

Ok, now let's start the fire.  You should have some sort of grate to
hold your the wood off the base of the fireplace.  Take your smallest
pieces of kindling and lay them across the grate in sort of a
crosshatch pattern.  You want to put the pieces of wood no more that
1" apart.  

On this base, put some of your one inch pieces, again in a cross
hatch pattern.

On top of this put three or four of your 2-3" large pieces.  You can
also take some of your smallest pieces and put them vertically in the
gaps in cross hatch.

If you've got some large pinecones that have opened, put them under
the grate.  They burn really well.

Take some newspaper sheets, ball them up, and put under the grate.

Make sure your flue is open!  You might want to open a window slightly
to help get a draft going up the chimney.  A little trick I use is to
roll up hollow tube of newpaper and light one end.  Hold this up in
the damper area for a 30 seconds to a minute.  Then, take the burning
newspaper and set fire to the balled up newspapers under the grate.

Sit back and watch it light up!  You can put your largest logs on top
after the 2-3" pieces are burning.

Remember that you need heat, fuel and oxygen for a fire.  Keep that
wood close enough so that the heat is concentrated, but far enough
apart that air can flow between them.

Get a good set of fireplace tools so you can poke and play after the
fire going.  You might also want to get a set of fireplace
gloves...extremely heavy leather gloves that will let you reach right
in and move logs around with your hands.

Now, if you don't want to use newspapers, Brookstone sells a
firestarter that is a cast iron tray with some sort of ceramic 'wick'
inside.  You set up your wood the same way, then pour a cup of
kerosene into the tray, light it up underneath the grate, and forget
it.  The kerosene will burn long enough to get the kindling going.  

Enjoy!
--
David Phillips         sasdvp@unx.sas.com
Cthulu for President - Why choose the lesser of two^H^H^Hthree evils?
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house