I usually use tumbleweed style starters, but they’ve been steadily increasing in price (what hasn’t, really) but I’m finally to the point where they’re too expensive (locally) to justify (in my mind anyway). So I opted to start making my own starter pucks a while ago and figured somebody in here might be as cheap as I am and wanna try it themselves.
How I make mine:
Silicone mini muffin trays
Cotton string
Clean pine cage shavings
Paraffin wax
Put some 6” lengths of cotton string loosely in to each of the moulds, add a couple pinches of the shavings (don’t pack em too tight you want some space for air and the wax to permeate) and pour some melted paraffin wax on top. Let them set, pop em outta the mould and put them in a waterproof container. (I also like to vacuum seal 2 pucks per pack to take backpacking as well).
Burn time: 16minutes, 25 seconds on average (measured by averaging the burn time on three separate pucks) with a 5-8” flame.
Less than 10c each to make, under an hour from start to finish for 30 pucks (approximately how many I can make out of one box of Paraffin from Canadian Tire)
by smashinMIDGETS
10 Comments
That’s impressive but a couple paper towels with some cooking oil is a whole lot easier.
Paper and chimney not enough?
This is great, I’m going to try this.
Mischief night starter pack
I do the same with old paper egg cartons and mix in dryer lint sometimes, depending what I have available. I found cutting them in half works great and I end up with twice as many
Oh yeah the cost of firestaters has gone way up didn’t notice since last time I got any it was like $5 for 70
Really no need to water proof them. The wax does that for you.
Bacon fat soaked paper towel. That’s how I roll.
You can just save old deep frying oil and cardboard packing paper, dunk it into the oil and then burn that.
People used to burn oil for lamps… now we throw it in the trash, pay someone to come haul the trash away, then pay to drive to the store, and pay to buy fire starters.
2 sheets of newspaper drizzled with oil then balled up have never failed for me