'Star of David' fire?

[TurboGirl]

I apologise if anyone has a thread running on this already, I've had a look and can't find one.. but as a noob, that surely doesn't mean there isn't one out there!

When at a festival over the summer, I saw a couple of 'star fires' or 'star of david' fires where a trunk section was chainsawed into a cross (I think) of some kind, apparently packed with the chippings and a fire started in it, wherein it burnt away merrily from the inside out with surprisingly little help (again, this is hearsay, I didn't see anything beyond the interesting remains).

Can anyone point me to a thread describing how to prepare & achieve this? Or offer words of wisdom/ experience on the subject please? Much gratitude! The best visual description I've found of what I mean is linked below, from a fired furniture maker in Germany- the fire stage looks much like I imagine the idea, as opposed to the usual 'star fire' of many different longer logs...

http://www.dezeen.com/2011/03/03/ausgebrannt-by-kaspar-hamacher-at-20-designers-at-biologiska/

 

[Retired Member southey]

Your looking for the Swedish candle just trying to find the thread on here matey!

 

[Shewie]

Some folk refer to them as a swedish candle too, you should get a lot more google hits if you search for that.

Basically you need a log, how tall is up to you. With a chainsaw you can cut a deep cross without the log splitting, with an axe you're more likely to split it right through. They're intended to be used in deep snow so are self supporting when stood on end, you can bind the quarters back together if you use an axe or on open ground.

Supertramp uses one on here ..

[video=youtube;krZm9a7153Q]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krZm9a7153Q[/video]



EDIT:

Too slow, Southey beat me to it

 

[Retired Member southey]

Please see ShaggyStu's sig as to why i beat you!

 

[Retired Member southey]

If you do split the wood which is easier if you dont have a chainsaw, then just point the ends and drive into the ground wit a twig thick gap between the quarters, then stuff with sticks, twigs and tinders(birch bark at regular intervals helps a treat, then light from the bottom and off you go!

 

[TurboGirl]

Oh, you guys are SUCH legends! The vid up afterwards ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjQRLQTNsJo&feature=player_embedded#! )was a real good instruction on actually prepping the log and theres a few others showing different preps using multiple branches whipped together at the bases- spose they'd burn much quicker with the airflow.... I'd not thought about how brilliant they'd be as a cooking fire!! Totally superb =)

All those knotty leftover trunk noggins that made such good garden seats are about to meet their fiery nemesis now... cheers and again, huuuuuge thanks for putting the noob on track!

 

[lannyman8]

i use pine wood (trunk) and split the log 3/4 of the way down where a lashing stops it spliting all the way, then hammer a stick into the middle to split the saw cut open, put some tinder and small twigs into the cuts and light, it should burn inside out and you can cook on top of them too...

the hardest bit is cutting the log....

 

[Retired Member southey]

Ere! wy dont we try and get some vids\pics up of how each of us gets on making one in the next month? like the skills schools on another forum but chilled!

 

[Man of Tanith]

i've got some pine doing nowt i might be game young southey
in seriousness its something on my to try list this winter

 

[Shewie]

If I remember next weekend I'll have a bash too

 

[Man of Tanith]

question does it have to be seasoned pine?
mine is still a bit green as its from a tree my folks had down this summer

 

[TurboGirl]

One of the vid links said it was an advantage that the pine didn't need to be particularly seasoned... can't remember which tho I do fancy extinguishing it to create the stool effect too

 

[lannyman8]

the pine is probably better a little damp as it will help stop it spliting, it does not have to be pine though any wood will do, probably better to use a soft wood as it will burn better....

i have one ready to use in my survival store at work, if i remember i will go over and take a pic for you all...

 

[TurboGirl]

Well, that was a MOST succesful mission! I just wish I could upload a pic but between Opera and incompetence, it isn't happening.... we burnt a prepared 'nurding' (points for technoword at Rough Close this weekend and were hugely impressed at how long it went and how brilliant a cooking fire it'd be!

Ours was some indeterminate pine/ spruce, probably cut this year, truncated to approx 50cm with 2 90degree cuts across the diameter along the grain (which the chainsaw was pretty miffed about). One cut went well down to within 15cm of the base, left the other a bit shorter as we'd run outta chain lube- it affected the resultant burn quite a bit with too much base left uncombusted, probably since there isnt enough airflow with the slits short.

The 'walls' that the fire makes of the bark are easily touched n handled but they tend to keep the heat going up so its not the best warming fire. Its a great contained fire off the ground though the embers do spill a little out the cuts and excellent with tiddlypeeps around as it doesn't spread n they can get close to have a good look n learn in relative safety

Next bits will be axe cut through and tied with twigs between em at the base so I expect it'll burn much further down- we want to get more light so maybe we'll aim for 6 sections (depending on how exact my aim is!) and have a shorter duration fire as pay-off. I think the last bit of trunk will be 6 way chainsawed.

I'll play with cooking on em too though I think with that heat, it'll be very much about choice & timing to get the best results. When the log was at the last stages of burn with embers all down the 4 uprights, you'd make a super kebab cooked bunny with a skewer across the top of the log

 

[Qwerty]

I was just looking at the photos of the Rough Close meet and was just wondering what that was all about, thanks for the post!

 

[santaman2000]

...I'll play with cooking on em too though I think with that heat, it'll be very much about choice & timing to get the best results. When the log was at the last stages of burn with embers all down the 4 uprights, you'd make a super kebab cooked bunny with a skewer across the top of the log ...

If you cook kebabs then you need to use something other than pine (or any resinous softwood for that matter) Resinous woods impart a rather nasty flavor.

 

[AuldJum]

Was taught how to make these by Mors Kochanski nearly 50 years ago.

He would use anything that was at least two inches wide and drive them a third the way into the ground, Stuff it with birch bark and twigs, lash it all together and your set.

Perfect for deep snow.

 

[lannyman8]

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=79919&p=969993#post969993

hey up turbo girl, you missed a good meet, it was really good appart from the fact Toilet digger broke his leg and i had to do the medic bit...

you will see from the above link some pics of the fire log i talked about, gives you an idea of how i do my bad boy when ever i get round to using them...

regards.

chris.

 

[TurboGirl]

Cheers for the advice there santaman, it'd be a shame to cook one n find it was horrid.... and I'm not surprised to hear its been around upwards of 50yrs, there sounds like so many adaptions on the theme that its a great option in many situations Auldjum! I'm afraid as an auldgel myself, most of my snow days find me infront of a pub fire (after some gentle DPM sledging and mulled wine

Gosh, lannyman, toilet digger sounds like a generous chap to give you such a realistic and hands on experience I thought good karma atcha from Rough Close, can't have worked that well!

Anyhow, heres ma swedish candle from sat nite cos I'm a well cool pic uploading chick now =)