I used to be a big kindling man - I’d cut up old dry-as-the-desert pine boards into 1x1x8 pieces of fire starting gold. - Collect up all that juicy mess from the splitter and save it. - Even used to buy those pack of 24 “Vermont” fire starter squares from Tractor Supply. Which were 1.99 when I started burning, now they cost 3.49 - Holy Smokes! I find now that I have a regular supply of dry wood and a stove that usually has coals waiting; kindling is not so much a worry. Clear skies to all
`I had a branch bust off of an arborvitae. I will try it for kindling. Does it need a year or more to dry?
I usually hand split some of the straight grain oak real small for kindling. I keep an old wood Remington shot shell box full. There's a large size Kindling Cracker under the tree that I'm waiting to try out!! As far as bark goes, if it falls off before it gets into the house, I throw it in the fire pit pile. Otherwise, I burn it. My neighbor tells me, "That's where the creosote comes from". I just laugh, he's the kind of wood burner that nightmares are made from. His chimney is always belching heavy smoke. He cuts a tree down in the spring, leaves it lay there till fall so it's "seasoned" then cuts and splits it as he needs it. I try to explain the three year thing to him but he tells me that my wood is "Too dry" and won't be any good when I burn it.... LOL...
My friend, just gave me a beautiful Norlund head, she was moving and found it in her garage. Divorced husband probably left it
I burn arborvitae too. It dries in a summer or faster, depending on how small the splits. I cut it short, split it small, and store it in milk crates.
I’m not a fan of bark either. I’d rather it fall off. Doesn’t bother me if it doesn’t but I’m happier spreading it out on the muddy trails.
Woodshop. When the kids are waiting for their glue or stain to dry they enjoy making kindling. Win-win all around!!!!!
I have lots and lots of pine branches that bust up fairly quickly into nicely varying sizes of kindling. I have sat and used a hatchet to split up some pine splits that weren't knotty into much smaller splits as well, just not recently. It really doesn't take much to get some well seasoned splits of pine going and then come back in a little while and put some real wood on. If I didn't have acres of pine I'd probably invest in some more hatchet time or wax starters or a blow torch.
