I’ve used newspaper for years to light the wood stoves in my house and shop. Newspaper is smokey and burns cool at best. When the house is cool and humid, newspaper is wet and reluctant to do much more than smolder.
Recently, with a new determination to add real handtool skills to my woodworking armory, I’ve begun making lots of handplane, scraper, and spokeshave shavings plus good lathe spaggetti that is wonderful at lighting the stoves! Just touch a match and the gossamer plane shavings burst into flame. No more newspaper.
I’m not posting this to push using plane shavings to light your wood stove. Up until recently, I’ve been a bit cavalier about cleaning up the workbench area given the precious nature of free time. But, now I can see that a simple spark can light those plane shavings and I’d have a fire before I even noticed. The spark could come from metal grinding, a dull router bit burning wood, an electrical spark, or who knows what. This stuff burns hot and fast!
Now, I’m cleaning up plane type shavings right away. I’m putting them in a 5 gallon pail to light the woodstove later.
Replies
You have rediscovered an old technique. They actually used to make planes just to create shavings to light fires, candles and pipes, called spill planes. They produce a long, curled shaving (a "spill") that works kind of like a long match when lit.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Great fire starter!
MANY of my projects!
EDIT:
Just funnin' ya.. Your post brought back OLD memories.. My GrandPa collected newspaper and Transfers from the Trolly (before busses?)drivers.. You know.. Them streetcars with that brass thing in the floor I'd stomp on to ring the bell (driver at the other end) and I'd jump off..
Only old FOLKS will understand this..
Anyway he would soak the paper in something.. It would burn clean (well cleaned than COAL then)..
I forget what he used..
EDIT! I think it was BORAX.. I had a brain SPAZZZ I remember the old 20 Donkey? Whatever.... Team thing!
Edited 3/31/2006 9:23 am by WillGeorge
Edited 4/2/2006 12:49 pm by WillGeorge
Edit: Cus I cants spell donkey...
Edited 4/2/2006 12:51 pm by WillGeorge
Good point on cleaning sawdust, shavings and such. I try to clean when I make the mess. I put shavings and small cutoffs in grocery bags(paper) I fold down the top making about 8 inch "log", I then store these for winter. I also save strips of wane in dog food bags to use to feed the stove.
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