Those of you that process a lot of kindling, what’s your best way you’ve found? I usually pick up scraps around the splitter, run some spruce, pine, or cedar through the splitter into 1-2” pieces and clamp my hatchet in a vise to to split board cutoffs with a hammer in the shop on cold days. I picked up an electric splitter used last year to do this in the shop while watching tv but never seemed to take to it very well. Looking to have dry kindling when winter comes rather than “get it as I need it” like this last two winters. Thanks, Lenny Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have a similar system to yours. Splitter trash is my favorite because it’s a byproduct that I don’t have to intentionally make. Along those same lines, any bark that falls off works well after a couple months of drying. I’ll save any (untreated) scraps from projects around the house for kindling as well. When those resources are exhausted I’ll sit down with a few splits of conifer and a hatchet and intentionally make some kindling. I found that if I do that throughout the year a little at a time it’s easier to stay on top of inventory.
Wooden pallets cut to short lengths with a jigsaw. If I had a chopsaw I would use one. Then I use a kindling splitter like this to split the pallet wood, similar to your axe clamped in a vise but purpose made. It's safer than chopping with a hatchet.: If I'm feeling nostalgic I use the vintage kindling splitter that I found a while ago: Vintage Kindling Maker - Just Hit It To Split It
I scrounge scrap lumber from jobs/work/supply houses etc. Sometimes pallets too. When i have a pile ill cut them to 16" on my beater chop saw then hatchet them to smaller size. Scraps for fire pit. Ill box and bundle for storage. Ive taken a liking to red cedar for this too and will turn that into kindling from time to time. Ive saved feed bags of black locust splitter crumbs too.
I'll use splitter scraps, pine, lumber waste and have a kindling cracker if they need cut down smaller. Got the cracker on sale. Well worth it.
I've always used either basswood or pine for our kindling, I'll split almost a face cord this spring from rounds bucked up in 2018 so it will be ready for this fall.
I save splitter scraps and put it in 2 blue 55 gallon plastic drums that I cut the tops out of. That, combined with a handful or 2 of noodles makes a really quick fire. I save noodles in garbage bags after they've dried.
I always just use an axe, but for the last couple decades I've switched to using about 3/4 gallon of diesel in five gallons of sawdust. I use a cup of sawdust to start a fire with no kindling really. Never had a smell or death of a cat in the new stoves. I never need more than one 5 gallon pale a year as I keep coals going for 9 months of the year. What I liked to do was use a 3 wheeler tire for the straight pieces of rounds. Really made things fast.
Haven’t split good wood into kindling in many years. There’s just too much great kindling laying around anywhere trees grow. I wait for a dry spell then take a trash can out behind the house and fill it up with nice dry sticks in about 15 minutes. A few cans will get me through the year. I won’t deny the appeal of some perfectly split ash kindling, but it always killed me to pick the nicest splits from the pile to turn into fire starter.
I prefer splitter slivers. I think they start easier and quicker since they are usually thinner and stringy, but sometimes there just isn't enough of them.
I collect splitter waste, and store it in 3 trash cans I have. I put a piece of kindling between the lid and can for ventilation, and weigh it down with a rock.
We collect splitter rubble, but that wasnt enough...2 fires a day in the fall ate that up. I found some pine logs, built a sawbuck, and noodled the logs. I cut the log, which was an inch longer than my bar, into slabs, rotated the log 90° and cut it again. I kept the noodles for composting use, and ended up with a ton of kindling. Tben, we made firestarters with the noodles and candle wax. Noodles, $10 of wax from the dollar store and egg cartons, made 60 fire starters. Now the kindling just sits out in the shed. Since we use the noodles, ill continue making them, and using some of them for firestarters. Will give the resulting kindling away. Also, now that Im splitting by hand this year, I'm not making the usual pile of splitter scraps. Sca
I don't use kindling much anymore now that I make my own firestarters, but last week i took a couple shorts and split them into kindling with the hydo. Made a plastic barrel full. Splitter fodder and bark is getting composted for the garden mulch.
I have a local company here that makes cedar posts, I get all the cut offs for free, rough split with the splitter then finish with the axe
That's how I split mine with the splitter then stack in the slab form, finish with an axe when needed. In those slabs, I've found it easier to move around and stack.
I have an old riding mower tire that sets on a vertical log, short dry firewood is placed in the tire and an axe is used to bust in to small pieces . the tire keeps the log upright and hands clear of the working end of the axe. it also reduces bending to pick up the wood as it's split.
