Dryer lint/wax firestarters how to..........

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Dryer lint/wax firestarters how to..........

Posted: 10/15/2008 5:50:44 PM EDT

Saved up a week of lint and decided to try it.

Ingredients-
Dryer lint
Wax
Cardboard egg container

Melt the wax, I used a double boiler......

Pack the lint into the egg container

Pour melted wax over the lint

Let the wax harden.

Ignite

the canning wax was a poor choice, I need something that burns better. But it still burns like mad, it was a little hard to start.

Posted: 10/15/2008 6:11:24 PM EDT

[#1]

Use Paraffin wax

Posted: 10/15/2008 6:13:26 PM EDT

[#2]

Suggestions:

These work better, in my experience, if you leave the lint a bit loose. I think packing them into the egg crate may be part of the problem.

In boy scouts we made these by loosely rolling the lint, wrapping the roll with some thread, then dipping it briefly in the wax by the thread 'tail.'

Usually they'd go up damn near instantly by putting a match to a thin edge.

Posted: 10/15/2008 6:23:14 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
Suggestions:

These work better, in my experience, if you leave the lint a bit loose. I think packing them into the egg crate may be part of the problem.

In boy scouts we made these by loosely rolling the lint, wrapping the roll with some thread, then dipping it briefly in the wax by the thread 'tail.'

Usually they'd go up damn near instantly by putting a match to a thin edge.

I'll try that, got plenty of lint.......

I'll try to find paraffin wax, too, bangstick.........

Posted: 10/15/2008 6:41:36 PM EDT

[#4]

We just made a batch a couple of weeks ago. We use the cardboard egg carton but we use sawdust and paraffin wax.

It burns like a mother

. We have the boys keep one of the starters,dryer lint and flint and steel in a ziplock bag in their backpack.

Posted: 10/15/2008 6:44:30 PM EDT

[#5]

where to find paraffin?

Posted: 10/15/2008 7:20:42 PM EDT

[#6]

cotton balls & vasoline

Posted: 10/15/2008 8:21:46 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
cotton balls & vasoline

much easier to make and store.

Posted: 10/15/2008 8:31:22 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
cotton balls & vasoline

How long could you store those for? just curious.

Posted: 10/16/2008 2:01:36 AM EDT

[#9]

Maybe throw a some vaseline in the mix when you're melting the wax.

Straight vaseline and cotton balls is good stuff though.

Posted: 10/16/2008 2:37:01 AM EDT

[#10]

height=8

Quoted:
where to find paraffin?

Local grocery store .

Posted: 10/16/2008 3:27:56 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:

Quoted:
cotton balls & vasoline

How long could you store those for? just curious.

No shelf life so long as it is kept in a sealed container. Even if left exposed to the air I would expect it would be years before it became unusable.

When my sons were babies, 24yrs ago, my wife bought a big jar of petrolium jelly. I just used the last of it this past weekend to make somemore cottonball & vasiline tinder.

Posted: 10/16/2008 3:43:49 AM EDT

[#12]

If you use the lint from a clothes dryer in a house with small children, most of their clothes are made of fire retardant material and you'll have a time trying to ignite the lint. I learned the hard way.

Posted: 10/16/2008 3:48:09 AM EDT

[#13]

I scrounged up old left over candle wax for mine. Every thing was discards of some sort, the egg carton, lint, and wax. Also leave the lint and wax in the carton and cut the carton up. the paper is good for that extra burn.

I worked pretty good. Also the better you can compress the lint the better.

I also made a batch where I took a brick-et of charcoal and quartered it and stuck it in the middle of the lint it burned pretty good but was to time consuming to make.

Posted: 10/16/2008 3:52:16 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:

Quoted:
where to find paraffin?

Local grocery store .

What section? I can't find it anywhere.

Posted: 10/16/2008 4:01:18 AM EDT

[#15]

I skip the wax and use petroleum jelly. A cottonball sized chunk will burn for 5 minutes with a 3 inch tall flame.

Posted: 10/16/2008 6:21:39 AM EDT

[#16]

I swept up all my sawdust from my besement project to make some firestarters.

Posted: 10/16/2008 8:38:11 AM EDT

[#17]

Generally in the canning section or maybe the spice aisle....

Posted: 10/16/2008 12:37:11 PM EDT

[#18]

Spread a layer of Petroleum Jelly onto a hard surface. Pull your lint out into a flat piece and lay it on the jelly- press down. Turn it over and do it again.

Now it is completely coated with the petroleum jelly and you can compact it very small (I stuff as much as possible into old 35mm film canisters.) When you need some, pull out a pinch and light with whatever you have; it should light instantly and burn well. I have been using this technique since I was very young. Good luck finding some old 35mm film canisters!

Posted: 10/16/2008 1:17:12 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Spread a layer of Petroleum Jelly onto a hard surface. Pull your lint out into a flat piece and lay it on the jelly- press down. Turn it over and do it again.

Now it is completely coated with the petroleum jelly and you can compact it very small (I stuff as much as possible into old 35mm film canisters.) When you need some, pull out a pinch and light with whatever you have; it should light instantly and burn well. I have been using this technique since I was very young. Good luck finding some old 35mm film canisters!

I'll do that next. I have a bunch of canisters from college. I know hwy I saved them now.

Posted: 10/16/2008 1:41:38 PM EDT

[#20]

Just curious, but why add the wax? I've found lint lights up quickly and easily already.

Posted: 10/16/2008 1:51:29 PM EDT

[#21]

The lint will burn very quickly without wax or petroleum jelly. Both slow down the burn rate, but the petroleum jelly helps it burn hotter as well. The jelly also makes sure it lights, even if slightly damp.

Posted: 10/16/2008 2:01:36 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:

Quoted:

(I stuff as much as possible into old 35mm film canisters.) Good luck finding some old 35mm film canisters!

I'll do that next. I have a bunch of canisters from college. I know hwy I saved them now.

Skoal cans.

Posted: 10/16/2008 4:35:10 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:

Quoted:

(I stuff as much as possible into old 35mm film canisters.) Good luck finding some old 35mm film canisters!

I'll do that next. I have a bunch of canisters from college. I know hwy I saved them now.

Skoal cans.

+1

Posted: 10/16/2008 5:01:21 PM EDT

[#24]

I never fail to find some 35mm cans. Go to the local place that develops film and ask them. I usually get a dozen or so. Use them to measure out charges for black powder shooting.

Posted: 10/16/2008 5:04:16 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:

Quoted:
where to find paraffin?

Local grocery store .

What section? I can't find it anywhere.

Baking. It's the stuff you use to make chocolate harden.

Posted: 10/16/2008 6:19:17 PM EDT

[#26]

This is way too hard. I use cotton clothes line (be sure it's 100% cotton). Melt your parafin in a steel can on the stove, drop in a length of line, let it soak, pull it out to cool some, cut to what ever length, coil tightly, wrap in wax paper. It lasts forever, packs well, and you only need about 3" to start a fire witih reasonable tinder.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Dryer lint/wax firestarters how to..........

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