Dag Wood Shop Notes: It's Time To Build a Fire

Once a year the family gathers together at some campground that is somewhere in the middle of our extended family's homes. This year the selection was at Halvorson County Park near St. Ansgar, Iowa. This is the ninth year that we have had this family camp out. One tradition is that we always try to find a camp ground that is in the center of all our family members. The second tradition is that we camp in tents. The third tradition is that we play some fun type games that are family friendly. (The fourth tradition is that, for the weekend, I am in command of the troops. Although the last few years, I feel that tradition is not being upheld like it should. The last eight years anyway.) Finally, it has always been a tradition that sometime during our camping weekend, it rains. (Tenting and rain are not a good combination.) It is not planned that way, but it seems like eight out of the nine years it has turned out that way. This being a drought type year, I assumed that we would be safe. (Not so. Two rain showers passed over the campground this past weekend.)

One of the contributions that I make towards this annual camping weekend (and to several others who have camp fires now and then) is the process in which I make my own version of campfire starters. During the year while traveling from garage sale to garage sale I look for candles. Most of the time you can buy a pretty big candle for a quarter and a lot of the times you can find candles in the "free" box. It is my way of finding something to look for at a garage sale while Pam is looking through kids clothes.

During the year, I save up wood filings and saw dust either from the planner or from the table saw. As you can see from the picture on the right, I have an electric skillet to melt wax from several candles, a bag of saw dust or wood chips, and several egg cartons. You melt the candles and mix saw dust/chips into the melted wax. Then you pack the mixture into an egg carton, close the lid and let the wax cool down. This usually turns into a solid chunk. I have to admit, it works better when I do this process in the winter time versus doing it when the temps are 90+ degrees.

(I'm always afraid that when the neighbors drive by the open garage and see my little lab cooking away the they may call the sheriff's office on the assumption that I may be making something other then fire starters. I bet they wonder as the whole neighborhood starts to smell like Lilac, Pumpkin, Strawberry, Cinnamon, etc.) Once the egg cartons have cooled down, I cut the carton into thirds. When I want to build a campfire, I put one or two of those chunks in with the wood, pour a little lighter fluid on the chunks and - poof - instant fire. It works really well. By the end of the day, I had a little over 100 fire starters made. (Guess what you are getting for a Christmas present this year.)

Well, sad to say, there are no pictures of the campfire. We did have one the first evening, but I think it had something to do with the temps being in the nineties and there was no desire to sit around a warm campfire...