A simple fireside homemade tool that I use every day

Hey everyone, you know that video with the guy who shows you how he burns fresh cut green frozen wood? Well here is the link in case you want to check it out, but I warn you, you may die of smoke inhalation before the end of the video.

The video basically boils down to a guy who cuts live pine wood in the middle of winter into small rounds like little frozen pucks and with some paper and small kindling blows on them using a garden hose apparatus for 30 minutes to eventually get a very weak smoky fire started. Now he gets a lot of criticism in the comment section, but in his defense he says it can help in a survival situation.
Anyway I happened upon this video 4 years ago and though it is a bit unorthodox and laughable at times it did give me a real good idea to make something that has become my "go to tool" I cant live without. His use of a hose to directly blow into the embers creating a small concentrated blast forge effect was very smart. We all know the frustrations of leaning close and blowing on a struggling fire only to have the smoke billow right out of the stove into the room! Well I didn't see that so much with his hose and thought dayem! So I ran down to my basement to find some old hose and I couldn't find any, but I had some scraps of 1/2 inch electrical pipe. I ran upstairs to blow on the embers and it was like my world changed. Now some of you may already know this trick and if so I'm sorry for wasting your time, but I wanted to share it early this season to help others who have not tried this.
So since then I have cut a little 36 inch long piece of 3/8 copper pipe into my little blow stick that I keep right next to the other fireside tools. I found the thinner the tube the better for making a small powerful blast of air. I made one for my brother out of a scrap piece of 1/4 inch copper refrigerator pipe, the kind that feeds the automatic ice tray and it works just as good. So my fire is started up every morning using this tool to activate the embers from that nights fire, but I really use it all the time when reloading. Load your wood on the embers as usual, point and blow with the pipe now just an inch or two away from ignition zone. Instant super heated embers with no smoke and no kindling necessary!

 

Interesting. Wonder how my leaf blower would work

 

I know. We of course need a pump or a fan to kick start it.

Me personally, I just leave the door cracked a little, and that really gets the coals firing on the new splits. 10 minutes if that and it is ready to set the choochin' valve and fully close the door.

 

Or how about blowing some high test booze through the tube?

 

Yes I do that too, but sometimes the embers have been left to burn out for too long and haven't got much life left. If you rake them into a small pile and load the wood as usual this tool is good for immediate gratification and saves the neighbors from smelling a smoldering start up. Now you can use a ball of newspaper to help with that, but this blow pipe is great because it takes up no space and is a real convenience. My wife loves it and because of that she's more prone to start the fire in the morning when she wakes up. I like a little more time under the covers. Does that make me bad?

 

Might look something like your avatar?!

 

A trick I have been using is too drop a single wooden match on the coals and shut the door, with the air wide open its usually not more than a few seconds to ignition.

 

Not sure if I like the idea of a tube going into my mouth where the other end is in the wood stove. I just open the ash pan so the draft takes off, if it does not then time to add some small pieces and some newspaper. Has anyone tried a good old turkey baster? They have lots of uses.

 

Yes, The Burninator!!!

 

You mean a Turkey baster as a small bellows? Interesting. Anyway, your comment reminded me that we are all not in the same boat. I don't have an ash pan in my fireplace insert. Many times my embers are sitting in with a good layer of ash and below that firebricks. Its tough to get airflow under them and I have to manually shovel out. But yeah if I had an ash pan to cull the embers from the smothering ash I may have no need for the pipe.

 

Yes, a small bellows. I have an old stove without an ash pan but piling the embers up is good too. One of the best types of wood I have found for starting fires is old plaster lath. If there is an old place being demolished I have gone in and scrounged it. Wood that has been inside a wall for 100 years burns better than matches.

 

I was just wondering if you get any ashes blowing around when you stick your pipe in there to restart a fire. That would bother me as much as smoke in the room.

 

No it is really clean and focused. Blowing into the fire chamber with no pipe would have ash and smoke blowing out everywhere! You can focus it on 1 or 2 chunky embers and you make white hot heat with very little flying ash activity and certainly nothing exiting the stove.

 

Yes I too have scrounged plaster lath and love it! Can do without the splinters though

 

Small poplar scraps swept off the FIL's cabinet shop floor take off about like paper too...

 

I use a small radio antenna with the ends cut off. Super convenient to carry in your pack when you are in the back country too.

 

Hollow metal arrows work pretty good with the tip broke off.

 

I just use my bellows, old school always works best. It's over 50 years old or more. Handed down from my stepdad. Gets the coals & fire ripping, and saves my breath.

 

Not if she is under the covers with you.