This post is a sort of a follow-up to the sawmill, logging post from yesterday. What to do with all of those leftover chunks, hunks, and slabs of wood that didn't make it into the board pile? Well, they're destined for the bonfire of course! I had seen a tutorial for making firestarters a while ago and I started making and collecting them, originally for my son who enjoys camping vacations, but he now has a portable propane campfire. Oh well, I kept on making them anyway... today my husband put a few to the test. I keep a clear plastic glass on top of the dryer with an empty toilet tissue tube standing in it (this containment cuts down on dust) into which I stuff all the dryer lint as it accumulates. You can fit a LOT of dryer lint in one tube, I pack it in firmly.
 |
When the tube is full roll it up in an empty cereal or cracker box liner;
twist the ends in opposite directions. |
  |
My husband sets the first one into action, it took a minute to catch but then it did a slow burn;
he had plenty of paper kindling too, which didn't hurt to get the fire roaring. I am thinking that the cereal and cracker box liners of old (wax paper) would be much better then this wierd plastic material used now, but it does burn. (Perhaps dipping this entire unit into a parrafin bath would improve the flammability level... however, that step's way too messy for me; I'll leave them as is.) |
 |
| I'm not sure how much my homemade firestarters really helped, but I'll probably keep making and setting them aside, until someone tells me to stop; they're items that I would throw away anyway, and they look really cute all lined up in a zip-loc bag! The bonfire has begun... |
 |
There's plenty of fuel, too, to keep it stoked... pass the marshmallows.
Life is Good! |
7 comments:
Even though your son and DIL use a propane campfire, the rest of the people they camp with love a real fire and would be more than happy to put some to good use!
What a clever way to recycle lint. Who thinks up these things?
I take it no one in the area wants log chunks for their fireplaces?
We're not allowed to burn where we are . . .
I used to save dryer lint for the Scouters in our family. Once they stopped camping, I stopped saving it.
Your system is GREAT!
A propane campfire????
Glad you are feeling better. The firestarters are a great idea.
What if you wrapped them in newspaper? Years ago I learned how to make Cape Cod kindling with 2 sheets of newspaper opened up and loosely rolled diagonally from corner to corner and tied in a knot. But I like your idea of dryer lint and toilet paper roll. Hhhmmm, I wonder what all the dog hair in my dryer lint will smell like when burned?
I used to make them for our brownie troop camp outs back in the 80s. I'd use newspaper, dryer lint, and melted down candle pieces - with a tuna can as the mold. I can't remember the exact "recipe" or if I'm missing something but I do know they were quiet successful!!
Post a Comment