Kindling wood

Does anyone have any bright ideas about what else apart from the norm can be used for kindling wood? I have a stand of pine trees and cut a few down each year so the main wood supply is sorted but kindling is always a problem. I don't want to buy those little fire starters. Egg cartons are good but I never have enough of those. Splitting the big logs down is a bit laborious.

Thanks

Collect up all the little spindly branches stick in boxes or sacks kindling sorted, we get all of the ones from our trees in the summer and they last most of the winter and all year for coal range

Some woods make better kindling than others - macrocapa and totara are both excellent but not a lot of help if you don't have any. Pine is good if cut small enough and is allowed to become as dry as a bone so use the small branches for that.

Pallets and packing cases are excellent. Kevin has been bringing home the packing cases from Top Energy (I think things like transformers come in them) We're using the untreated ply as temporary fix-its and covers for my milk drums, and the solid wood it's attached to as kindling. Brilliant stuff.

Cheers,
Ronnie

Pine cones are good fire starters...

And paper bricks - but that is a whole other story on its own.......

We use pine cones and the bits of bark that come off when you chop the wood. Having a Lady Kitchener, we only let it go out a couple of times each winter so we don't need much kindling

Cheers
Kate

I was selling the small bits that come from the firewood processor that was working at our place and next door, just small bits that split of when splitting. I personally use the dunnage that come with the roofing iron, which is 50mmx50mmx800mm and I cut it into 3

Cabbage tree leaves

Small (dried) branches from pruning Poplar trees burn like buggary, as do (dry and brown) gum tree leaves on the twig and (dry and brown) pine needles on the twig. We also use pine cones.

I tell you what also burns well (when dry of course) is the husks from sweet chestnut, the shells from walnuts, and the shells from pistaciao (sp?) nuts.

We collect all the chips from splitting the wood and store in grain sacks, also dried pine cones and the bark from the windfall manuka, which we clear and use sparingly to keep the fire going overnight.

I have large redwoods on my property. They are always dropping small twigs and branches. I go out each autumn, and gather a couple of good armfuls, the more rotton the better. They go in the shed, and I break them up for kindling. The rule is that regardless of how thick it is, if I can break it with my hand, or under my foot, it is ready for use.

You could presumuably do the same with your pines? When I chopped down a small pine for firewood there was heaps of smaller branches which went in a pile to 'soften up' for kindling

The strips of bark that hang/fall off gum trees.

pine cones, drift wood, dry prunnings off just about anything, any wood dry enough and cut small enough would fo the job.

Good suggestion with the cabbage tree leaves, have heaps of theose and will try them. thanks Powerguy.

Any offcuts of wooden planks, etc. My father used to take his offcuts and 'shave' half-inch wide (or thereabouts) sections and store it for wintertime use as kindling.

Diane

We chop up old pallets for kindling. They are relatively easy to come by round here and if they aren't good enough to stand hay on or use to keep stock off trees they split easily usually and burn very well.

If you have lavender in the garden the trimmings if dry make a good firelighter as they are quite oily and burn for a while.

Wino us too when they break in shed or as pens/fences and other things last job is to heat things for us and they are FREE :D