Open Source Fire Starter

Basics

• This page goes over the various DIY “fire starters” in an aim to make a high quality open source standardized design
• By “Fire Starter” this page means the sort of processed tinder/solid fuel used to “get a fire going”, not the lighters themselves, although Fire Starters with Integrated Ignition Mechanisms are interesting and worth noting
• Via a google search “Fire Starters” seems to be the better term, but “Firestarters” will also be used interchangeably
• The main Use Case (outside of laziness/pyromania which I’m not pure of all the time myself!) is quickly and easily starting a fire with wet firewood
• You need to get that self sustaining fire and one hot enough to reasonably dry the firewood
• So having that initial bit of good (optimally waterproof) fuel helps
  • ( User: Eric Here) Unlike a Solo Stove , or a “traditional” fire pit, the Biolite Campstove 2+ i have is quite “cramped” for lack of a better word
    • It’s a bit wider than a coffee cup or soda can by not much, and is about as tall
    • Short of a lack of way to continually extract the ash (it can only be done in batch (ie dump it out and start over) style (i want my Bio-Heavy to have an Ash Auger or a gate of some sort
    • Thus a Firestarter would be of use as it can basically only handle Kindling or small fuel sized sticks so getting it hot and stable before “crusing” is WAY easier with the “Fuel Brick” style cubes it came from
      • Granted the sticks+crape myrtle cuttings i were using were slightly wet i think too)

Existing Off The Shelf Options

Tumbleweeds

• A bit wild that these exist, but essentially peeled wood/wood shavings made into a ball
• Just make a ball of Paper Waste/ Dryer Lint or make a Fuzz Stick (Fire Starter)  !

“Fuel Bricks”

• Either cubes, bricks, or other shapes of a mix of Solid Fuel such as Sawdust , Paper Pulp , Coconut Choir etc held together by some binder
• Starch can be used, but often Paraffin Wax is used

Pure Fuel

• Either Hexamene Fuel Cubes or Jellied Alcohol

Coconut Bomb

• An expensive but cute little design stylized as a sort of mix of a coconut and old school “pirate cannon bomb shell”
• Burns well and has an integrated wick

Self Igniting

• Sone have integrated Safety Matches or Storm Matches
• One has some sort of pull cord start
  • It’s probably just an enclosed match type thing, but very goofy
  • ’’in theory’’ it’s so that you can ignite it after putting a pile of wood on top, but it still ends up being very looney tunes-esque
  • It’s a bit impractical/wasteful but some have suggested that Road Flares could be used for a similar use

Existing DIY/OS Designs

• Shove video links here but basically compact fuel powder of choice into muffin pan or similar mold, then pour in paraffin wax
  • Most use storebought “Gulf Wax” but 1kg or more via online is probably going to reduce costs a good bit (aimed at candlemaking typically)

Plotting by User: Eric

• My design is going to be based around a Spent Toilet Paper Cardboard Tube
• It’s going to be filled with a mix of:
  • Sawdust
  • Wax
    • Probably Paraffin Wax , although comparing with Soy Wax , Beeswax , or novel/diy F-T Wax , Bio-Asphalt etc
  • Also potentially other additives:
    • Starch (As a Binder )
    • Charcoal (To potentially increase temperature or reduce Ash Content or maybe increase burn time? Unsure on what it would do if anything)
    • Dryer Lint (May burn better/hotter, but also would be a good way to destroy the Microplastics
    • Wood Chips / Wood Wool (May act as a wick/extend burn time)
    • Wicks (Either string or something like a Lantern Wick / Carbon Wick again to enhance burning and make lighting it easier)
    • Some sort of Solid Oxidizer like Sodium Perchlorate maybe
      • Having it be a full on Solid Rocket motor would be bad, but basically making the ‘whole thing’’ into a Storm Match would be neat, also maybe burn hotter/in more “smothered” fires
      • Adding sugar to be more like a sugar rocket may be neat, although a bit of a waste of sugar