Firestarter FAQ
There are a number of live links at the end of this file in the Net Resources Section, and here is a file of questions people have asked me, along with answers I've provided.
This is my FAQ about firestarters and wax as a hobby. If you have any additions, suggestions, comments, questions or the like, please direct them to Don Buchan at malak&pobox.com (&=@) (that's me, the author.)
Copyright (c) 1995-1997 by Don Buchan, all rights reserved. This FAQ may be distributed to any USENET newsgroup, on-line service, archive or BBS or by any other means (such as, but not limited to, printouts and floppy diskettes) as long as:
- A) it is posted in its entirety, including this copyright statement, and
- B) no fee is charged to anyone
- i) downloading this file beyond nominal online fees, or
- ii) receiving the information beyond nominal format charges.
This FAQ may not be distributed for financial gain. This FAQ may not be included in commercial collections or compilations without express permission from Don Buchan (malak&pobox.com (&=@))
GENERAL:
G01. What is my hobby?
G02. Where do I get my wax?
G03. Why not just buy candles and wax blocks?
G04. How did I start my hobby?
G05. How do I classify my wax?
G06. How do I melt the wax?
G07. How do I get rid of sediments and wicks?
G08. Why not just buy candles or wax blocks?
G09. How do I make my firestarters?
G10. What, pray tell, is a firestarter?
G11. Are there other kinds of firestarters?
TROUBLESHOOTING:
T01. All the wax is seeping through the cartons. Why?
T02. These things don't light a fire. Why?
NET RESOURCES
GENERAL
G01. WHAT IS MY HOBBY?
I scrounge wax from all sorts of sources, mostly friends, but also from just about anywhere effectively expired, almost effectively expired or not so effectively expired candles can be found, candle drippings, and other sources of wax such as crayons and the like can be found. Then, every once in a while, I melt it all down, dip paper egg cartons in it, and make what I call firestarters.
G02. WHERE DO I GET MY WAX?
Mainly from friends and acquaintances whom I ask if they'll save me their candle stubs and broken candles, old crayons, wax seals from their homemade jams, candle drippings, and cheese sealing wax. I have carefully (and discreetly) "kept the tallow clean" by removing such drippings from various candles I've come across, and collected stubs that were about to be thrown out, and so on.
I could buy new candles or blocks of wax, but, why bother? Which leads to:
G03. WHY NOT JUST BUY CANDLES AND WAX BLOCKS?
For one thing, I think that scrounging the wax is fun. For another thing, buying means I have to fork over money (why pay for something you can get for free?) Further, I sell my firestarters; the higher the profit margin, the better. Another thing, I can use a catchy name for my firestarters along an environmental theme as I'm recycling both wax and egg cartons. And you'd be surprised how much wax is out there for the asking. I collect several kilograms (yes, several kilograms!) per year. Think along the lines of about six or seven (at least) of the below-mentioned cans filled SOLID, to the top, with wax per year. Think well over one or two thousand firestarters per year.
I must confess that I have purchased broken candles for a great deal from a dollar store going out of business.
G04. HOW DID I START MY HOBBY?
I was on a pleasure trip a month before I started as a Scout leader, and came across a lot of wax drippings from what was obviously the site of a bunch of teenagers playing with candles on the beach. Making the connection between the wax, remembering the usefulness of wax as a fuel for things like pocket stoves and makeshift lanterns from when I was a Scout myself, and my soon becoming a Scout leader, I quickly collected the wax and brought it home. I've been scrounging wax since.
G05. HOW DO I CLASSIFY MY WAX?
I melt it all down into coffee cans in three colours: White (either clear (when melted) or coloured white), Green, and all the rest which, when melted together, form colours ranging from various shades of Red to various shades of Brown. I melt down blue and yellow wax along with the green as the mix of the two produces green.
I keep these three colours for the following reasons: Red and green are Christmas colours. I sell my firestarters at a Christmas craft fair in bags of 6 and 12. The white is used as makeup for either or both colours, or to dilute the colours a bit.
The kind of wax doesn't matter; it all goes in with the rest of the wax of the same colour. Therefore my wax can and often does include beeswax, wax seals from jam making, candles, birthday candles, crayons, the wax that they use to seal cheese, dyes, and occasionally scents.
G07. HOW DO I MELT THE WAX?
I put the old bits of wax in a large tin can that holds about 2.5L (about 2/3 USG). If your can held coffee like mine do, it held about 1kg (2.2lbs; 40oz) of coffee. Then I pull out my gas camping stove and carefully heat the can and melt the wax. I then let it cool for storage until I use it to make my firestarters.
This last allows for
- A) more wax to be stored per can as I'm eliminating the airspace between wax pieces
- B) avoids an accidental mess all over if the can is knocked over and
- C) gives me an idea beforehand what shade of whichever colour the wax is might turn out to be.
Because I use gas and melt the wax directly over the burner, two safety concerns arise: A) the possibility of flareup because of the direct heat, particularly near the smoke point (when you see smoke :) ) and B) the possibility of flareup because I'm using gas. That just means that the safer (and slower) way of melting wax is by putting the can into boiling water to avoid overheating the wax, and electrical burners can be safer.
Another good way to melt the wax is in a crockpot; it holds the temperature of the wax longer. (bibben&aol.com (&=@))
G08. HOW DO I GET RID OF SEDIMENTS AND WICKS?
Many candles have solid decorations (sprinkles and the like) on them, some have metal wick holders on the bottom, and all have wicks. When the wax is melted, these usually fall to the bottom.
A friend of mine carefully pours off almost all of the wax and puts the rest in another (usually way smaller) can and lets it harden, and repeats the process several times with more melted wax until this small can is full. Then she melts the small can of sediments and pours off the liquid wax (to use it again) and gets rid of the bit of sediment on the bottom. She also suggested using a container with no ridges on the side that would allow you to pour in the wax, let it cool, then take out the solid wax and trim off the bottom layer of sediment.
I use rags as a filter. Once the wax is melted, I pour the wax over the rag into another can; most particles and all the wicks are filtered out. The shaggier the material, the more particles are filtered out.
I've also found that old fiberglass insulation (pink) makes an excellent filter. I would suggest to only use it for large amounts as it tends to soak up a lot of wax.
G09. HOW DO I MAKE MY FIRESTARTERS?
First I collect paper egg cartons in, you got it, green and red. I also collect yellow and blue egg cartons. The yellow cartons work well with the green wax; the blue ones work alright, but with the wax come out a little dark.
The cans I use easily allow four egg wells to fit in and be dipped in the wax, so I cut the cartons into three parts of four wells each (assuming that they're cartons of a dozen.)
I then drown the cartons in melted wax, take them out leaving the wells about half full, and let the wax cool on a cookie sheet. I cut these into individuals and I have a firestarter. I also trim off the wax that has seeped through the carton and solidified on the outside and throw this back into the can. An easy way of doing this is by using a propane torch set on low to melt it off (letting the melting wax drip into the can of that colour wax.) Keep an eye out for the firestarters catching fire, though.
G10. WHAT, PRAY TELL, IS A FIRESTARTER?
For those who really haven't figured it out yet, my definition of a firstarter is the item I produce through my hobby that can be later used to light a fire. Lay some wood over one in a manner suitable for a fire (even in an unsuitable way, but guess which works better? The important thing is a draught), and light its corners. Depending on the amount of wax in the well it will last anywhere from five to ten minutes and will light just about any fire. It leaves next to no residue and the creosote it produces that potentially could deposit in your chimney and be a fire hazard is virtually nil and, compared to the amount that can be produced by the firewood you're burning, is non-existant.
G11. ARE THERE ANY OTHER KINDS OF FIRESTARTERS?
Sure. Roll newspaper and tie it off at one inch lengths, then cut between the strings, and dip in wax. Harder to make and light in my experience.
Dip pinecones in wax.
I'm experimenting with other parts of the egg boxes dipped in wax.
Pour wax into cupcake papers and add a wick and/or a pinecone.
Experiment with sawdust and wax, or pinecone crumbs and wax in your firestarters.
When candle making, use a piece of paper towel to pick up spilled hot wax, and use these as firestarters.
Wrap a light-anywhere match with cotton string, and soak in wax.
Soak dryer lint in wax and light.
Use an old ice cube tray as a mould for your wax and add a pinecone and/or wick.
I'm trying to figure out a way to mould a candle onto the end of a stick to make a firelighter -- more like a long-lasting long match.
Mould wax and sawdust in an eggshell -- coulour it nicely, it's also a great Easter egg gift!
TROUBLESHOOTING
TO1. ALL THE WAX IS SEEPING THROUGH THE CARTONS. WHY?
The wax is too hot, as in it's been sitting on the burner too long. As wax is heated (and its temperature rises), its ability to seep through paper increases. The lower the temperature, the slower it seeps through the paper, and, the faster it cools (further allowing less wax to seep through.)
To correct the situation, either let the wax cool by taking it off the burner (as long as the wax is still liquid you can still make your firestarters) or dip the egg cartons in wax, let cool, then fill the wells afterwards.
If you have a wax thermometer, the temperature should be around 155F for quick cooling and minimal seepage.
TO2. THESE THINGS DON'T LIGHT A FIRE. WHY?
Because there wasn't anything to light over them. These things still need wood OVER them to light a fire, as well as a draught. Make sure that there is wood over them, and make sure that there's enough, not just a couple of twigs. And OK, you have to have some wood that isn't too thick. Enough of anything sufficiently smaller than that log you just split will do.
NET RESOURCES
Sure ... why not?
The following are a collection of net resources related to wax, my firestarters, me, and other resources connected thereto. While at least some are are directly related to my firestarters, many are not necessarily directly related or even at all, but are there on the presumption that at least some people may be interested in them. Most Web sites, email links and usenet groups have been field tested at least once by me. Please direct any errors, corrections, inactive sites, and of course NEW sites to Don Buchan at malak&pobox.com (&=@)
Wax, firestarters and candles:
Give me a call at malak&pobox.com (&=@)
http://www.pobox.com/~malak/waxfaq.html (the most recent copy of this FAQ)
Candles and Candle Making, the Candles You Can Burn Ltd. Homepage
A few crafts involving wax
A joke about earwax candles
InfoSeek search for "candle"
Various kinds of firestarters
A file that appears to discuss how to cut blocks of wax. The site also has
a whole lot of other crafts stuff
A page devoted to boiled leather armour for anachronistic activities;
it has some good tips on handling wax
A page mainly talking about using wax for seals on parchments, and tips on
how to go about handling wax
Candle History
Candlemaking tips
Country Scents Candle Company
Another way to make firestarters.
Historical database on Scottish candle pricing and so on
Anachronistic uses of wax
Another hobby of mine, winemaking:
Give me a call at malak&pobox.com, and I'll send you the most recent copy of
rec.crafts.winemaking's FAQ
http://www.pobox.com/~malak/rcw.faq (the most recent copy of
rec.crafts.winemaking's FAQ)
http://www.pobox.com/~malak/guide.html (my Wine & Stuff page)
http://www.pobox.com/~malak/kits (my kit winemaking primer)
ftp.cam.org/users/malak/wine
rec.crafts.winemaking
My Favourite Drinks:
Iced Tea and other drinks
Scouting:
ftp.cam.org/users/malak/scouting
rec.scouting
can.scout-guide
Choosing a camp for your child
The Super Scout(er) Page
Star Trek:
My Star Trek Link page
My Star Trek FTP Site
Me, Don Buchan:
FAQ's in general:
rtfm.mit.edu
news.answers contains the most FAQ's
*.answers contain FAQ's. Many hierarchies have such a group; explore by changing the "*" variable to the hierarchy name.
gopher.physics.utoronto.ca (FAQ's via rtfm.mit.edu)
