Homemade Firelighters

[pagan witch]

I have to agree that making something for yourself that is only pennies anyway seems odd if you are looking at thye cost factor alone. What concerns me is the fact that generally speaking we in this country are becoming so unable or unwilling - and sometimes both - to do much for ourselves because it is so easily available so cheaply, or worse than that the skill has been lost by simple long term underuse.

 

I guess it is all a question of individuality. Pefectly agree that what can be made at home as beer doesn't taste much like what we now think of beer a tasting like, but I wonder how much of that is just because we've got used to what the commercial breweries now offer us as beer ? The fact that countless thousands continue to make home brews of various sorts indicates that they either like the taste or consider the cost saving worth it.

 

Wine as has been said seems hardly worth the effort of making when as you say it can be bought so cheaply. Yet my ex father in law makes fantastic wines that I have no doubt you could run an engine on. The time and effort he puts into this are surely more than the cost of a decent bottle of 'ready made'

 

Roll up fags being another example. Again, not being a smoker I am in no position to argue here but why go to all the trouble when 'tailor mades' are everywhere.

 

Splicing is a good example. Why bother at all ? Why not just tie a bowline instead ? Purists could argue that any knot weakens a rope but even the small diameter ropes we use for mooring are massively over spec for the actual forces they encounter. Same goes for back splicing the end of a rope. Why bother ? Those heat shrink wrap things are cheap (a few turns of insulating tape is even cheaper), easy and quick and if you hot knife the ends you don't even need to do that. Yet despite this I splice for the enjoyment and back splice for the same reason along with the added bonus of knowing it will last forever and won't cut my fingers.

 

My beloved makes cabin crochet lace - try finding someone who can make that. Takes her hours to create a beautiful and indivdiual object yet in the local haberdashery shop they sell it on rolls for less than she pays for the cotton.

 

What I am getting at is sometimes knowing that you have made the thing is more important than how much it costs.

[chris w]

Hi,

 

I used to make firelighters by rolling up some old cotton/denim and dipping in paraffin.

 

A roll a bit bigger than a chocolate 'miniroll' was enough to get Homefire and Phurnacite going, with no need for kindling.

 

cheers,

Pete.

 

Great, there's another 6p saved!!!

[John Orentas]

Ah - How refreshing it is to have John's enlightened (no pun intended), thoughtful and constructive contribution added to yet another post.

 

 

Hi Witchy.

 

I think you are picking on the wrong chap here, if you were to look at the photo's of my boat you will realise I rarely buy anything that cannot be made by myself. I don't however make any claims to personal virtue or 'treading softly on the planet' as others do, I am just mean.

 

The average membership of this forum however appears to be the most profligate bunch of people I have even known, every thread begins "Where can I buy this" or "Who will do this for me".

 

Never bothered to do the sums, but I suspect that making a home on a 20 ton steel narrowboat as the majority of the membership seem to do, or aspire to do, must be the most greedy lifestyle it is possible to imagine.

[Maverick]

I have to agree that making something for yourself that is only pennies anyway seems odd if you are looking at thye cost factor alone. What concerns me is the fact that generally speaking we in this country are becoming so unable or unwilling - and sometimes both - to do much for ourselves because it is so easily available so cheaply, or worse than that the skill has been lost by simple long term underuse.

 

I guess it is all a question of individuality. Pefectly agree that what can be made at home as beer doesn't taste much like what we now think of beer a tasting like, but I wonder how much of that is just because we've got used to what the commercial breweries now offer us as beer ? The fact that countless thousands continue to make home brews of various sorts indicates that they either like the taste or consider the cost saving worth it.

 

Wine as has been said seems hardly worth the effort of making when as you say it can be bought so cheaply. Yet my ex father in law makes fantastic wines that I have no doubt you could run an engine on. The time and effort he puts into this are surely more than the cost of a decent bottle of 'ready made'

 

Roll up fags being another example. Again, not being a smoker I am in no position to argue here but why go to all the trouble when 'tailor mades' are everywhere.

 

Splicing is a good example. Why bother at all ? Why not just tie a bowline instead ? Purists could argue that any knot weakens a rope but even the small diameter ropes we use for mooring are massively over spec for the actual forces they encounter. Same goes for back splicing the end of a rope. Why bother ? Those heat shrink wrap things are cheap (a few turns of insulating tape is even cheaper), easy and quick and if you hot knife the ends you don't even need to do that. Yet despite this I splice for the enjoyment and back splice for the same reason along with the added bonus of knowing it will last forever and won't cut my fingers.

 

My beloved makes cabin crochet lace - try finding someone who can make that. Takes her hours to create a beautiful and indivdiual object yet in the local haberdashery shop they sell it on rolls for less than she pays for the cotton.

 

What I am getting at is sometimes knowing that you have made the thing is more important than how much it costs.

 

A True Blue Peter fan if I'm not mistaken

[blackrose]

The average membership of this forum however appears to be the most profligate bunch of people I have even known, every thread begins "Where can I buy this" or "Who will do this for me".

 

Never bothered to do the sums, but I suspect that making a home on a 20 ton steel narrowboat as the majority of the membership seem to do, or aspire to do, must be the most greedy lifestyle it is possible to imagine.

 

I think you need to get out more John. Try a cycle ride through my nearby neighbourhoods of Chelsea or Kensington (or practically any afflent UK town or city suburb), and it might help you get things in perspective...

[John Orentas]

I think you need to get out more John. Try a cycle ride through my nearby neighbourhoods of Chelsea or Kensington (or practically any afflent UK town or city suburb), and it might help you get things in perspective...

 

 

I get out quite a lot, not too sure though how you can hold up Kensington & Chelsea as a shinning example for anything that could be described as a sensible sustainable lifestyle.. Anyway you don't take cycle rides through those places, push your way through the peasants in your five litre 4 x 4.

[fuzzyduck]

John, that whoosh was Blackrose's point going right over your head.

 

I'm a firestarter ... twisted firestarter ....

 

Bang up the volume and start pogoing and mooshing...... tee hee hee

D

 

In a Narrowboat??? Wouldn't the roof end up with lots of lumps in it?

Edited November 3, 2007 by fuzzyduck

[pagan witch]

Hi Witchy.

 

I think you are picking on the wrong chap here, if you were to look at the photo's of my boat you will realise I rarely buy anything that cannot be made by myself. I don't however make any claims to personal virtue or 'treading softly on the planet' as others do, I am just mean.

 

I apologise unreservedly and as publicly as I made my comment. I stand by the idea of making things if you want but there was no need for me to slate J O for expressing his views.

[andywatson]

Maybe an easier way to make firelighters is to have a jar with a couple of inches of paraffin in it and keep a few sticks soaking in it. Hey presto! Instant, cheap, no effort firelighters. I've not tried this myself but I've seen it done by model engineers when starting the fires in 5 / 7" gauge model locomotives.Coincidentally this morning I was given a box of firelighters which you strike. Now that's natty!

 

 

 

Hi Witchy.I think you are picking on the wrong chap here, if you were to look at the photo's of my boat you will realise I rarely buy anything that cannot be made by myself. I don't however make any claims to personal virtue or 'treading softly on the planet' as others do, I am just mean. The average membership of this forum however appears to be the most profligate bunch of people I have even known, every thread begins "Where can I buy this" or "Who will do this for me".Never bothered to do the sums, but I suspect that making a home on a 20 ton steel narrowboat as the majority of the membership seem to do, or aspire to do, must be the most greedy lifestyle it is possible to imagine.

 

I agree........Before we all start to congratulate ourselves on being green, the embedded energy (ie that used to make it) in 20 tons of steel is very high. I'd guess though that it's less than used in firing bricks to build a house so step forward for your halos those who live aboard.

Edited November 3, 2007 by andywatson

[Halo]

course you should make things!, why not add a bit of semtex and have a self clreaning chimney too?

[debbifiggy]

John, that whoosh was Blackrose's point going right over your head.

In a Narrowboat??? Wouldn't the roof end up with lots of lumps in it?

Depends on how tall you are! ;-) and what state you're in

 

Bring this back on topic .... Personally we tend to use Zippo brand firelighters. I've been pleasently surprised by the effectiveness of their "natural" firelighters. They work well, are less smokey and apparently less damaging to the environment. We have also resorted to making our own firelighters using the tried and tested method of making "bows" of tightly rolled up newspapers. Takes a while (and I don't really have the knack whereas my partner does) and you need quite a few but they work very well especially if you have a little bit of wooden kindling too.

D

[chris w]

Anyway you don't take cycle rides through those places, push your way through the peasants in your five litre 4 x 4.

 

I actually do have a 5 litre 4x4. Fantastic for luxurious hi-speed cruising up the motorway from Chelsea, in order to meet up with lots of other 5L 4x4 drivers in Scotland where our vehicles easily wade through knee-deep mud to where the "peasants" drive the unwitting pheasants towards us so we can blast them out of the sky (the pheasants not the peasants!) then return in our 4x4's to the warming log-fire of our hotel for the aprés-shoot where we swap tales of derring-do and the one that got away while the "peasants" continue to serve our every whim with brandy and Havana cigars.

 

Ah, it's a 4x4 life!

 

Chris

[Halo]

we have enough with one Anhar without someone else starting! lol

[Cris P]

Firelighters ?

What's wrong with crumpled balls of newspaper and twigs from the hedge. Never failed me yet.

[BlueStringPudding]

Bring this back on topic .... Personally we tend to use Zippo brand firelighters. I've been pleasently surprised by the effectiveness of their "natural" firelighters. They work well, are less smokey and apparently less damaging to the environment. We have also resorted to making our own firelighters using the tried and tested method of making "bows" of tightly rolled up newspapers. Takes a while (and I don't really have the knack whereas my partner does) and you need quite a few but they work very well especially if you have a little bit of wooden kindling too.

D

 

 

Those Zip "natural" firelighters are really good. We bought them only by necessity when we'd run out, and the local shop only had those in. Again, they're just made of wax and wood, which is what inspired us to look for a way of making our own without needing all the packaging etc and to recycle some of our old bits and bobs (candles and eggboxes, and the like).

 

-----------------------------------------------------

 

And (this is not referring to you Debbi, but please excuse me for tagging on to the end of my reply to you) for some of the other people contributing to this thread in perhaps a little less than helpful way , as has been said here, there's nowt wrong with wanting to make you're own stuff!!!!!!!!! I shared this recipe idea in case people were interested. For those who aren't interested, you neither have to try it nor comment on it!

[Maverick]

Firelighters ?

What's wrong with crumpled balls of newspaper and twigs from the hedge. Never failed me yet.

 

You had any idea wots probably bin dun on those twigs from the thousands of boaters that have passed that way?

 

No wonder your chimmney smokes? I thought smokin a bit of shit was druggie slang.

Edited November 5, 2007 by Maverick

[carlt]

For those who aren't interested, you neither have to try it nor comment on it!

Now come on Lisa, you know that there are those of us that have to comment on everything. For the record swmbo used a very similar recipe for her firelighters (I'm afraid I can't be bothered and kindling dipped in red diesel always seems to work).

 

Now we've got central heating in the house (yuk) and one of those fancy diesel heaters on the lifeboat, those days are now behind us.

[BlueStringPudding]

Now come on Lisa, you know that there are those of us that have to comment on everything.

 

 

Now we've got central heating in the house (yuk) and one of those fancy diesel heaters on the lifeboat, those days are now behind us.

 

We too have diesel-powered central heating, as you know, (as does everyone else know too from my rantings on other threads!) but since having the stove installed we've not needed to use it. Something we're all too happy about, what with diesel leaks, it cutting out, filling the boat with fumes...

 

Plus it scares the jee-willakers out of us!

[grahoom]

Maybe an easier way to make firelighters is to have a jar with a couple of inches of paraffin in it and keep a few sticks soaking in it. Hey presto! Instant, cheap, no effort firelighters.

 

or keep your eyes out for old pine trees and cut some of the heart wood around joints where there is often loads of resin. perfect for fire lighting.

[Yoda]

I find that powdered aluminum oxide and iron filings mixed together tend to get fires going.

[bottle]

[Yoda]

 

More like Shuttle booster engines actually!!!!

[fuzzyduck]

I find that powdered aluminum oxide and iron filings mixed together tend to get fires going.

 

but what do you do when it burns through your hull?

[Halo]

sink?

[blackrose]

I get out quite a lot, not too sure though how you can hold up Kensington & Chelsea as a shinning example for anything that could be described as a sensible sustainable lifestyle.. Anyway you don't take cycle rides through those places, push your way through the peasants in your five litre 4 x 4.

 

I wasn't holding K&C up as an example of sustainability - quite the opposite. You said that boaters were the most profligate bunch of people and I was showing you that they weren't.

 

Oh and I used to cycle through K&C every day and if you take the back streets it can be a very pleasant though humbling experience.