Where do you get your kindling?

[james]

This is the companion poll to "How do you start you oven?"

I used an axe yesterday to split my larger wood. First, I split the cruddy wet pine into kindling -- about 1" or less. Then, I split some of my nice oak into 2" pieces for a hot burning fire during pizza baking. For my main firing I used the oak un-split.

What do you do? Use an axe, or a sledge hammer and maul? Buy it? Pay someone to do it?

I'm looking for inspiration on this one. I don't really want to have to take out my axe every time I make pizza. :-)

James

[Richard]

My 'power splitter' is manually operated. Purchased from Northern Tools

Able to split half a cord of seasoned oak pretty fats and end up with the sixe pieces I need for starting, and building up a big blaze.

[james]

Nice. How much was it?

Electric, gas?

James

[dmun]

Cool. I've never seen a manual one before.

Northern Industrial Horizontal Log Splitter — 10-Ton, Manual Hydraulic | Log Splitters | Northern Tool + Equipment

I'm getting too old and stiff to do much splitting with a sledge and wedges.

[asudavew]

Originally Posted by dmun

Cool. I've never seen a manual one before.

Northern Industrial Horizontal Log Splitter — 10-Ton, Manual Hydraulic | Log Splitters | Northern Tool + Equipment

I'm getting too old and stiff to do much splitting with a sledge and wedges.

I bought one like this.....

It didn't last the weekend..............

Had to get a refund.

[Richie]

I actually bought one of those exact tools last week, used it some, but most of the logs I had are 24 inches instead of the max 18 inch length it calls for. I went back and forth between my maul and the new splitter. If you have any bad spots in the wood, it split that direction (i.e. the top bit breaks off or something like that, then you get one log, half split)

No what I did find at Northern was a big freakin torch that scared me the first time I used it. Hooked it up to a propane tank, and presto, instant fire in like 3-5 minutes. I kept if running and got pizza hot in about 40 minutes without using a ton of wood. I think it was about $65 bucks.

Forget paper and matches and candle lighters! I'll make a video over the weekend, have a pizza party for about 28 planned for Saturday.

[gjbingham]

Not to ruin the fun of splitting logs - I've cut, split, thrown and stacked a chord and a half in the last week, but here's an option for this poll: My neighbor is a wood worker and has more mill ends and waste than I can keep up with. Craigs list has numerous people selling these same things for very very low prices. $50 for a truckload of oak, maple etc, all very very dry. A very easy way to build a fire and it burns hot right off the bat. Check the phone book for cabinet shops. I guarantee they all have similar products that they'd kill to get out of their shops for free.

One more is cedar shake for roofing. Not to hard to come by disposed of cedar. Check with roofing contractors in your area.

[james]

Great idea George,

I'll start looking tomorrow. We have a couple of door, window and cabinet shops locally.
James

[Inishta]

Wood is still a major fuel in Turkey for both cooking and heating so the chances of freebies are non-existent. We have dealers for charcoal, kindling and firewood or as a resident I can buy direct from the forestry department.

As an aside these are the only forestry people I know that carry guns. Producing charcoal for sale is a lucrative and organised business but the government is manic about forestry management. If I were to be caught taking timber of any kind a big fine is the result and my vehicle is subject to seizure.

[Xabia Jim]

I save scraps ....even been known to dive for them.

Old bits of pine molding, doors, window frames, pallets, etc.....very easy to split up and they burn very fast...