The Liberal Gun Club Forum

So, as a wood worker I end up with a lot of sawdust. I mean A LOT. I currently have two 50 gallon trash bags of the stuff sitting around.

I imagine every one has seen the fire starters you can make with sawdust and wax. (One example: http://www.instructables.com/id/The-wor ... e-starter/ )

My question is: If I were to make and sell these do you think people would buy them? I guess it doesn't really cost much to make some, maybe I'll just whip up a batch and try it...

Comments?

Be careful around that much saw dust. But yeah, if you can stick it in an indoor fireplace, that'd be a cool natural alternative to the fake firestarters they sell at the store. Cash in on the organic craze.

Parafin works better than 'normal' wax, just be careful it doesn't flash over when you melt it.

Drier lint and sawdust - especailly fine dust from sanding - would be awesome in a parafin base. I have plans on making some myself and have been saving the lint for a while now.

I actually have a large block of paraffin that we used for making candles with the kids, a long time ago... Guess this would be a good use for it.

A double boiler for melting is your friend.

Most of the how-to-make videos and articles I've seen suggest just mixing. I might also try making a mold (a box) and a punch that fits the mold so you can use a hammer to compress the sawdust before pouring in the wax. That would increase the density and also use less wax. Burn time would be increased and production cost reduced.

You might try making larger blocks of the stuff and cutting it up on the bandsaw rather than trying to mold individual sticks/blocks.

I like this idea.



Now this just sounds messy. I think the friction from the blade would melt the wax and just gum up the saw.

Some ideas to play around with anyway. Thanks!

You could create a wood block mold with indentations to break the individual bricks apart.

It's like you are reading my mind...

Screw that crap, make molds that actually look like stuff. If you come down to georgia and make some cross shaped ones, you'd make a killing. Alabama? You'd be rich.

All joking aside I wouldn't mind a Guy fawkes visage

I would buy them from you. I use them so why not support you.

Thank you. When I get some made I'll put up a posting about it.

It's kind of low on the priority list though. Lots of other projects in line before it.

Well it ain't winter.

The ones the Minnesota State Parks sell are poured into a little paper cup, about the size of a half a shot. Maybe they can be found at a church suppy store used for ceremonial wine/water.

I've also seen them made in paper egg cartons broken in to individual cups, but they tend towards ugly.