Light My Fire

This post has absolutely nothing to do with curling! But it does pertain to those cold winter nights when building a wood fire in one's fireplace or wood stove sounds like a great idea. But the crabgrass in the idea is getting the fire "started".  You can buy commercially produced fire starters or use countless pages of  newsprint, for those of you who still get your news that way OR if you know someone like me, a wood turner, who produces wood chips by the bucketful, you can make the world's best & least expensive fire starters. Here's how to do it.

MATERIALS: wood chips/saw dust, paper muffin cups, muffin tins, wax (old burned down candles are terrific), cooking pot, juice tin (open at one end), small stir stick

METHOD: put water into a small cooking pot - put wax into a juice tin & place into the cooking pot - on medium/high setting, melt the wax - while waiting for wax to melt, place muffin cups into muffin tin & fill paper muffin cups with wood chips or saw dust - pour melted wax into the wood chip filled muffin cups & mix (I use Popsicle sticks) - use just enough wax to soak the wood chips - before the wax solidifies, use the stick to jam a length of string into the wood/wax mixture to act as a wick - set aside to allow the wax to set

These fire starters work amazingly well!!! Be careful to use only enough wax to "bind" the wood. If you use too much you will have made a candle rather than a fire starter! They will produce a large flame that burns for several minutes. If your wood is dry there's no need for kindling. Just sit back, watch your fire start and enjoy! These fire starters are great in the summer months to start campfires.

        

     

In the next post I'll provide may "take" on the "Quiet Eye" home assignment of 10/22/13 so if you've not seen the videos, do so soon. You will be amazed at what you learn! It will change how you instruct/play this great sport!