Since I started burning only Beech the last 7 years or so I have not used much kindling at all. Maybe 6-8 times a season. Even in shoulder season when I don't refill the stove in the morning there's always enough coals to get the fire going. Going away for the weekend would be when I need to add kindling.
I use a 2 1/4 Lb hatchet with a wooden mallet that I carved with the hatchet. I will take some of my existing splits and then split them down more with the hatchet for kindling. The mallet was piece of ash I had here. When it wears out, I will make another. Saves the hatchet.
All good ideas. I have a tote bladder that came out of my cages I bought. I think I’ll cut the top off and save the top to cover it and fill it with pieces as I go. With a drain on the bottom and propping the top open for ventilation, it should allow the pieces to dry. The current three shelves in the wood shed aren’t saving enough to make a season. About 10 cubic ft roughly. The hatchet in the vise trick works well for me. My fingers appreciate it more. I put the hatchet sharp edge up in the vise and use my 2-3lb shop hammer to tap the sticks down on it. Board cutoffs are the best. I usually grab cutoffs, lay them on the mitersaw and cut to 12” or so. (That’s the distance from the edge of the saw base to the blade). We also pick up sticks before each mow during the summer. Most of that has went to the pile by the firepit. Never seem to break them down and store for the stove(s) though. The reason I asked is I had a big spruce blowdown last winter and I blocked it up then made kindling size pieces out of the rounds with the splitter. It took me a while. I didn’t want the missus chunking a big piece of spruce in while I wasn’t there someday. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Three fatwood strips and dry splits. Up it goes. No kindling required. Sometimes in the early fall I’ll make some kindling if the wood seems damp on the outer skin. I tend to bring the driest wood to my mom and sister. Stuff that may have seen some rain recently gets put in my basement. Within 2-3 weeks it’s all good.
I can take as many broken pallets as I can fit in my truck from the warehouse at my office. I cut the slats (that are hopefully free of nails) free of the three support pieces with my small top-handle saw. Takes about 10 minutes to get a whole cartful of slats about 12"-14" long. Then I take the slats to my "kindling cracker" and split them a bit smaller. Safe enough for a kid to do, hence the picture of my nephew helping me out. Nice, dry pine. Goes up like matchsticks.
