Fat pine/ maya sticks

[Toddy]

There have been a couple of threads recently on Maya sticks/ dust and firelighters.
Maya sticks don't grow here and firelighters are usually made from petrochemicals.
This isn't a *these aren't good enough* type thread, they both work and do so reliably under adverse weather conditions
That said, what can we do to enrich standard pine sticks so that they work like the fat, waxy pine found in some dead UK pines?

I've got a mix of resin and real turps in a jam jar and some sticks soaking end on into the liquid, just now. I'm going to let it sit for about a week and then try shaving some off with a knife and see how it works. Eventually I want something stable and dry not oily in my pack.

Anyone got any other suggestions for natural materials found in the UK that we could trial?

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[weaver]

That said, what can we do to enrich standard pine sticks so that they work like the fat, waxy pine found in some dead UK pines?

Cheers,
Toddy

The fat waxy wood found in dead pines IS exactly what you need.

I go out and look for rotten pine trees that have just a bit of a limb sticking up. Chop around that bit and take it to a stump where you can bust it up into smaller bits. That is your fire starter.

Also look for a round hole in the ground amidst a pine forest. In that hole will be a rotten stump. Dig it out and split it into small sticks. Best fire starter you can get!

 

[Toddy]

We have a fair number of pines but very few seem to turn into *fat* pines. No idea why Species? Climate?
Any ideas?
atb,
Toddy

 

[Fenlander]

The Sammi look for pine trees where the bark layers have been removed (for whatever reason) to expose the main trunk. This wood should be greyed and weathered and will have a high resin content to protect the tree. They chop pieces off with an axe and use them as firelighters. I don't have a picture of an example unfortunatley, but found lots of evidence of this when walking in the forests.

 

[weaver]

Could be species or climate, not sure what makes it. I use almost a 5 gallon can a year in the wood stove. One or two pieces will get a small log burning. Don't use much else when I have it.

 

[OzaawaaMigiziNini]

The Maya sticks are Fatwood kindling. Fatwood is from the states, native to Georgia and other southern swampy states (Florida, Louisianna, etc.)

Peel the bark off the side of a pine and let it die for a year. The reason you do this, is the bark is like skin, and the pine resin is trying to heal the wound you just made. You tear off a big line of bark from the pine or spruce (I think pine would work better), and let the tree die from disease or sap loss. Sounds cruel to the tree, but now you have a tonne of resin soaked wood. One match baby, one match!

 

[Wayland]

My Nan used to get some of the local lads to lift the old sleepers from a disused section of railway cutting for a few quid.

It would then be our job as kids to chop them down to kindling for the coal fire.

Some of these then went into a bucket with a couple of inches of paraffin in it which she kept a revolving stock of these kindling sticks.

After some time the wood was saturated with the paraffin and were stacked on the shelf to dry.

Now I know this is very "petro product" rich but the principle is pretty close to what you're trying.

Her's made fantastic fire lighters so I think you're on the right track.

 

[British Red]

Toddy, I'd be tempted to try birch bark tar thinned with turps in the manner Wayland describes. Loads of VOCs in there.....

 

[bambodoggy]

Blimey...something I do know the answer too

The cause of resin soaked pine in for example Sweden and I presume the rest of the Scandi countries is caused by a fungal infection that in the end kills the tree. If you look for a dead pine that has blackening on it's trunk about 3/4 of the way up then that pine will yeald what you are after.
This is different to digging up a stump that has died and been preserved in mossy wetness which will also create the same thing. There are a few other tips to help you find these pines but you'll have to find them out for yourselves

I cannot speak for Cananda or the USA as I've never had chance to speak to a forestry expert over there but I would assume it's from a similar thing that causes it.

You can get small ammount of this type of saturated pine wood in the UK but you need to know where to look and what you are looking for. Also, hating to point out the obvious but it has to be a Pine....a spruce just won't do

Hope that helps and sorry if some of my answer sounds a bit cryptic but it'd be no fun if I told you everything and you didn't go and find stuff out for yourselves! lol

Cheers,

Bam.

 

[Toddy]

Cheers Bam; that explains so much :You_Rock_

So I'm looking for pines with that kind of grey rot disease. You don't know if it happens to eventually erupt out of the bark in fungus, do you?
I wonder if it's kind of rare here because most of our pine woods have only been planted since the war?

atb,
Toddy

 

[C_Claycomb]

I have been told that "fat wood", in both the Americas and Scandinavia, can be farmed and harvested. The description was something to do with topping the trees so that resin flowed up the trunk to seal the wound. Not sure how that would work, but since I have found resin soaked wood in the sawn ends of branches it doesn't seem beyond the possible.

In any case, the volume of fatwood sold in the Americas, and the fact that some buildings in Scandinavia were built entirely from such logs, would suggest that there are ways of inducing the condition on a large scale.

 

[big_swede]

Bam is probably right on spot. But in my experience there is a geographical preference too. Pine that has died on root close to marsh lands (doesn't have to be soaked in mossy wetness), or bogs, or whatever they are called usually end up with a high level of resin. Quite common here.

I will go and look for fungal infections though, so I know where to get my kindling wood in thirty years time or so

 

[bambodoggy]

But in my experience there is a geographical preference too.

South facing hillsides are always a good place to start looking

 

[big_swede]

Ouch, got me!

 

[Fenlander]

The Sammi look for pine trees where the bark layers have been removed (for whatever reason) to expose the main trunk. This wood should be greyed and weathered and will have a high resin content to protect the tree. They chop pieces off with an axe and use them as firelighters. I don't have a picture of an example unfortunatley, but found lots of evidence of this when walking in the forests.

This is what i was trying to describe Mary;

[/IMG]

and having cut some pieces off here it is burning;

[/IMG]

 

[spamel]

I've found a number of stumps around here that have contained a fair amount of resin. It's not quite maya wood but it works very well. The stumps have had time to mature a bit, moss has started to grow on top so that gives you some ide how old they are. I just saw into them and then chop from the side with my axe to get little chunks of resin rich wood. Great for firestarting!!

 

[weaver]

You know another thing we make is little wax/sawdust cakes about the size of a golf ball.

Either gather sawdust from the shop, a mill or just shave a stick with your knife. Then gather some of those little paper cups at the burger place that they use for ketchup-catsup or some people use paper egg cartons. Melt some wax in a double boiler or in a tin can set in a pot of boiling water. Fill the paper cups with sawdust, pour in the wax and let it cool.

To use these just tear a bit of the paper round the edge and use as a wick. Light it and set in the kindling. Or you can scrape up some flakes from the top and strike with a flint.

 

[Shewie]

How did your little experiment go Mary, did the soaking do the job ?

 

[spiritofold]

The scots pine round here can be carved up/shaved the same as maya wood and does the same job, its just more sticky. The stumps of any trees that have been felled are always rich in resin, it really stinks!

Andy >>>>>---------------------------------------<>

 

[Toddy]

Wow, this is a blast from the past, isn't it ?

Yes, it worked very well indeed. I get 5lts of real turps for £18 and I need tiny quantities to make fire starters. I just cut down sticks really fine and soak them in a jam jar with some of the turps.

I had a go at the wax and turps too........soak in turps and then seal the sticks with wax. That kind of seals in the volatile oils and resins and it's not greasy or sticky to handle or carry Matchstick sized bits are awfully good, but big bits light anything.

I also make the, " cardboard coiled up in cat food trays", type candles thingies too, though, using the leftover scraps of wax from candles and they work really, really well. To be honest they have a great appeal since it's using up waste materials. Small ones done in the little tea light cups are incredibly effective and easy to carry.........might have a try, I know that one will boil water in my SA stove quite happily, but I haven't timed it yet.

cheers,
M