Fire Starter, home made

[Qweaver]

My Daughters pellet stove does not have a built in fire starter but it starts easily with a small chunk of fire starter or the gel.  Both are a little expensive and I was thinking of making a home made version for her.  Anyone have a recipe for that.  Saw dust and candle wax ( paraffin ) should work I think?

Quinton

[DeerMeadowFarm]

My neighbor used to make them all the time. He was an amateur woodworker so he always had a supply of sawdust. He also (at the time) worked for BFI so when the load from the Hallmark store would come in he'd pull out all the candles. He'd mix the paraffin with the sawdust and pour it into old cardboard egg cartons. 12 fire starters in each carton!

[Raider Bill]

I soak wine bottle corks in rubbing alcohol. Seem to have a never ending supply.

[John Mc]

My wife's girl scout troop uses dryer lint and wax. They'll put lint in the egg carton spaces and pour wax over it, or use old toilet paper tubes (close off one end, put in the lint and pour in some wax). Often they'll add some string coated in wax to use as a "fuse" - makes it easy to light when you've covered your fire starter with tinder and kindling.

[bucknwfl]

Cotton balls and petroleum jelly works

60/40 shredded paper and sawdust works very nice  you can make a brick out of it. It is more of a log than fires starter.  I also made starter out of the lint paper and sawdust combines with wax too

[Qweaver]

I'm going to try the saw dust and wax in egg cartons.  These are for starting pellets so they need to be small.

[Woodey]

Fire Starter that we use when starting camp fire.
Used cardboard Egg carton,
Fill each slot with dryer lint,
take your bacon grease and pour over lint,
let set over night and get firm.
Cut in sections and you have 12 fire starters.

[Ox]

Years ago we had a pellet stove with no ignition system.  I didn't like buying the starter gel, which was just gelled alcohol of some sort that cost a fortune.  I got a heavy duty spray bottle and used kerosene.  Fill up the tray with a handful of pellets, spray those pellets until slightly wet, hold a match to them until lit, it'll take right off and work great for next to nothing.  The "extremely sensitive probe" that wasn't to be messed with and can "only handle the expensive starting gel or else your stove will blow up and murder all your family then the end of the world will be your fault because you didn't use our expensive starting gel" didn't care.  All was well for many years. 

[John Mc]

I wonder if that starter gel was just Sterno. Sterno burns cleanly (which is why you don't see crud accumulating on the underside of those restaurant warming dishes).

[DDW_OR]

......Anyone have a recipe for that.  Saw dust and candle wax ( paraffin ) should work I think?

Quinton

cotton balls and Vaseline.
could add sawdust 

[gspren]

  I only have experience with one pellet stove and for it many of theses suggestions are too big, on mine 3-4 toothpicks soaked in kero would work.

[DaveinNH]

We have an older pellet stove in the barn, my wife's studio. The best, cheapest and most consistent way I have found to start it is with a propane torch. Place some pellets on the burn plate, turn the stove on and start them with the torch. Make sure they are glowing in addition to flames and shut the door. A small disposable propane tank will last more than a season. 

[Bruno of NH]

I  started my pellet stove for 8 years with a small propane torch .
Works great !

[KirkD]

I have used both the torch and starter gel for years on ours you don't need wax or anything special. A

while back I saw a video a guy did all you need to do is wad up a small piece of paper just enough to half fill the firebox and then a handful of pellets on top.

Take some charcoal lighter fluid and give it a liberal squirt and light it.

Close the door and turn it on.

It will get hot enough to start feeding pellets way faster than the gel and at very little cost.

When my fluid is gone I am going to try some diesel.