LumberJocks

Firestarters from Old Candle Wax and Sawdust

Project by itsme_timd posted 578 days ago 3466 views 9 times favorited 21 comments Add to Favorites Watch

I posted a blog entry on making these and naturally someone asked for pics. I decided to post this as a project with instructions and pics. Hope this is useful to someone!

SUPPLIES LIST:
  • Wax (old candles work great)
  • Sawdust
  • Something to melt wax in (double-boiler method is best and safest)
  • Something to mold them in (paper cups, paper egg carton, cupcake cups)
  • Craft paper and string if you want to wrap them.

1) Here are the materials I used. Since my wife makes candles we’ve got plenty of wax around the house – I’m using a few melting tarts, an old jar candle and some various scraps. I also have a melting/pouring pot and some votive cup molds.
Firestarter supplies

2) Next, it’s time to melt the wax. NOTE: Wax is flammable (duh…) so it’s best to use a double-boiler if possible. Otherwise use low heat and keep a close watch on the wax until it’s melted.
Metling the wax

3) After the wax is fully melted it’s time to add the sawdust, mix enough in to make a heavy sludge. It should be pretty thick when mixed together.
Adding the sawdust

NOTE: Pouring these can be very messy, it’s probably best to let the mixture cool down some and thicken. Then, when pouring, you can use a spoon or stick to make the process a little neater. I prefer to have a lot of sawdust and enough wax to bind everything together.

4) Now it’s time to mold the starters, simply pour or scoop them into whatever you’re molding into.
Pouring into candle molds

5) After a couple of hours these will set up, if you’ve used a metal mold you can pop them out now – if they stick a little you can put them in the fridge for a few minutes and they should come right out.
The finished starter

6) Now you can finish these if you want to. I like wrapping them in brown paper and tying the ends. You can stack these by the fire and they look nice.
Wrapped and ready for use

7) When you’re ready to get a fire going just drop one of these below the wood pile. Light both ends and the center and it should burn for 15 minutes or more – plenty of time to get the fire going!
Lighting the starter
Starting to burn
Fully involved!

-- Tim D. - Woodstock, GA


21 comments so far

View Brad_Nailor's profile

Brad_Nailor

1081 posts in 709 days


posted 578 days ago

Thanks for the how to! I wanted to make some of these for my fire pit after I read your first post.

-- David, South Windsor, CT "I love the smell of sawdust in the morning"

View David's profile

David

1972 posts in 890 days


posted 578 days ago

Tim -

Great idea!

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

View RobS's profile

RobS

1191 posts in 1058 days


posted 578 days ago

Thanks for the pics, Tom will be happy now….ha. They look great.

-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX

View RobS's profile

RobS

1191 posts in 1058 days


posted 578 days ago

..and I guess that there would be some saw dust you would not want to use, like maybe treated lumber dust for example? Any others?

-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX

View scrollsaw's profile

scrollsaw

132 posts in 605 days


posted 578 days ago

Great idea!I am going to make some,so when I go hiking overnight or camping I will have something to start camp fire with.

-- Todd from KY

View MsDebbieP's profile

MsDebbieP

13441 posts in 912 days


posted 578 days ago

how wonderful of you to do this and get pictures!!

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

View Betsy's profile

Betsy

2291 posts in 647 days


posted 578 days ago

Excellent, excellent, excellent. These will be great by the fireplace and to boot, you can make little gifts of them for people you know. Thanks for sharing.

-- My digits count!

View itsme_timd's profile

itsme_timd

663 posts in 582 days


posted 578 days ago

Rob, I can bet there are several types of wood that would not be well suited for this. If anyone has some info as what we’d want to stay away from I’d appreciate it!

-- Tim D. - Woodstock, GA

View mot's profile

mot

4892 posts in 788 days


posted 578 days ago

Nice!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

View Karson's profile

Karson

21155 posts in 1152 days


posted 578 days ago

Nice job.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

View SPalm's profile

SPalm

833 posts in 633 days


posted 578 days ago

Wow, blast from the past. My sisters and I used to make these and sell them door to door when we were little (back in the Stone Age). We would plane down cedar planks that my Dad got for us and mix the shavings with old melted candles. We used muffin tins for molds, and included the wick. I still remember trying to say “Wanna buy some Cedar Scented Fire Starters” while shivering during a Minnesota winter. Thanks for the memories. I’ve got to call Sis tonight.

Steve

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

View jockmike2's profile

jockmike2

5707 posts in 998 days


posted 578 days ago

Great Idea. I got to make some for my wood burner in my shop. That and a blowtorch and would really do the trick in a short time. mike

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

View Keen1's profile

Keen1

68 posts in 598 days


posted 577 days ago

Would these work on a grill? I’m curious about the wax. Would it just end up all over the bottom of my grill or does it burn up?

-- Dad to 5, Son of The One

View itsme_timd's profile

itsme_timd

663 posts in 582 days


posted 577 days ago

Keen-

When these first start to burn they do make a ‘melt pool’, however if the mix includes a lot of sawdust with enough wax to bind them then the pool will be fully consumed during burning – about 15-20 minutes in my experience.

-- Tim D. - Woodstock, GA

View Mike Shea's profile

Mike Shea

137 posts in 746 days


posted 575 days ago

probably would not be good to use any dust from MDf, Particle Board, or certain exotic woods that have natural oils that are toxic when inhailed. but nice idea i have never heard of that im gonna have to try that for when i go camping

-- i can do all things through christ who strengthens me

View scottb's profile

scottb

3341 posts in 1078 days


posted 508 days ago

I knew you could make these with dryer lint and paper egg cartons. I’m impressed to learn that these sawdust ones will burn for 15 minutes.

Oh I have a shopvac full of christmas presents in waiting!

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

View ryno101's profile

ryno101

203 posts in 416 days


posted 396 days ago

Just came across this… Love it!

I’ve made these in the little paper cups you put cupcakes in as well… instant mold and instant place to light to get ‘em going.

Nice!

-- Ryno

View Michael Brailsford's profile

Michael Brailsford

210 posts in 345 days


posted 318 days ago

This is a great way to get rid of some of our waste.

-- Michael A. Brailsford

View Joe 's profile

Joe

5 posts in 58 days


posted 58 days ago

WOW! just what I was searching for. I make wood ASH & Maple Baseball bats, business is growing, not sure what to do with so much waste. I didn’t want to throw it away and I couldn’t find anyone to barter with me. So I am gonna start making firestarters. Heading over to A.C. Moore for wax molds, great addition to earn extra dollars from waste material. 100% kiln dried and very clean.

Joe
www.lumberkings.biz

View a1Jim's profile

a1Jim

5826 posts in 329 days


posted 52 days ago

Thanks for the info

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

View Joe 's profile

Joe

5 posts in 58 days


posted 52 days ago

Purchased Bees-wax today, mixed in ash and maple shaving. Made first batch of firestarters came out perfect.
I filled Ice Cube trays. perfect. Thank to all.

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