# Wood stove heating



## goatlady (Nov 7, 2011)

I have read for years about all those "fancy" fire starting tools, strikers, magnesium curls, all kinds of things to make sparks. As I was striking a match last night to start the wood stove I'm thinking those tools would be very difficult to use to start a fire IN a wood stove. They all seem to require a "pattern" of starting with a small amount of fluff/duff/tinder and once you get the spark to catch you slowly and gradually add larger and larger pieces of wood. Somewhat difficult to do that trying to work inside a firebox, at least in my stove. Workable suggestions on using those tools to get a fire going inside a wood stove without smoking up the house would be welcome.


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## horseman09 (Mar 2, 2010)

Not quite answering your question (sorry), but the easiest way I've found to start a fire in our cookstove is to buy the fire starter blocks at the Dollar store, cut them in to 1 inch cubes (seal them in a zip lock 'till you need them). To start a fire, you only need to put just one 1 inch cube on the grates near the front, add some kindling, then reach in with a torch to light the cube. A fire every time.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

goatlady said:


> I have read for years about all those "fancy" fire starting tools, strikers, magnesium curls, all kinds of things to make sparks. As I was striking a match last night to start the wood stove I'm thinking those tools would be very difficult to use to start a fire IN a wood stove. They all seem to require a "pattern" of starting with a small amount of fluff/duff/tinder and once you get the spark to catch you slowly and gradually add larger and larger pieces of wood. Somewhat difficult to do that trying to work inside a firebox, at least in my stove. Workable suggestions on using those tools to get a fire going inside a wood stove without smoking up the house would be welcome.


A little bit of hand sanitizer on a egg carton type of firestarter will usually light quite nicley with a spark type fire tool , and from there it is just the same as usual. Bacon fat should also work for a starter fuel.


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

You might try a fire piston. No striking/sparks involved. Just get the char going, with an air-pop, then hold against the tinder. Used to be popular for lighting cigarettes in some circles due to speed and ease of use.


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