I used to go to church with a guy who made similar fire starters, but instead of lint, he used sawdust. I remember those working really well too.

@MaxGiganteum

10 ай бұрын

Excellent tip... but an even better tip is to use a combination of lint, fine sawdust and coarse sawdust or shavings. Even very small chips work well too but I've found that lint or shredded paper (paper shredders in the office are a good source or even a hole punch) plus some sawdust & shavings works more than well enough. Another thing to do is make a "paste" from your wax, lint and sawdust then roll some of it up in waste paper. You can cut the rolls of your desired diameter into the lengths you want or leave them long for easier packing. I roll mine into longer lengths and pack them into an aluminum case I made which fits your average 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of notebook paper when used as a rolling paper (junk mail!). I cut a piece from a longer length based on what I'll need to get my fire going with what other tinder and wood I can scrounge up. Sometimes I can use a 1/4 inch long little guy, other times I'll need an inch long piece due to having damp or wet wood. The point is I select what I need when I use my fire starter as opposed to just burning the same length every time whether I need it or not. As for materials other than the wax... I've known guys to use dryer lint, shredded paper, shredded clothing, hole punch waste, fine or coarse sawdust, wood shavings, wood chips, rubber dust, shredded plastic, shredded cardboard and shredded fiberboard to make fire starters. Obviously, those materials are used in whatever combination each guy chooses to use. The problem with using egg crates is the size... they take up too much room and they don't pack efficiently. Yes, you can cut them down with a sharp knife but I've found that rolling a fire starter is the most compact way to go. YMMV so choose what's best for you. Peace & good vibes to all! - Max Giganteum

@mixedmartialnutrition1746

9 ай бұрын

better than toxic synthetic lint

@scottsyoutubeworld1824

5 ай бұрын

I love the idea, but I don't really get a lot of dryer lint being that I live alone. So I went to the dollar store and bought cotton balls. They work great! 2 cotton balls per egg container, kind of pulled apart.

@huntsman1771

3 ай бұрын

I was taught to make them with sawdust in the scouts when I was a kid. They work great .

What a dad. Doing a project with the kids. They will remember these moments for the rest of their lives. Makes me miss my dad.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Really appreciate it Cindy! Makes me remember to do this kind of stuff as much as possible 👍

@purebloodheretic4682

Жыл бұрын

@@CliffGray Great Firestarter Mate! If your Lazy I've found that Sliced up Waxed Cardboard Cartons from the Greengrocer or Fruit & Veggie Vendor are Awesome, & Water Resistant, Just Chop them into convenient sizes & your set!! Carry them when your Hiking or Camping - Not quite as good as your Recipe but pretty good non the less & Usually sourced for Free! -Cheers 👍

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

@@purebloodheretic4682 good tip! Thanks

Back in the early 80s as a boy scout we took a Tuna tin, cut carbord to fit, rolled it up tight pressed it in and then poured wax in . Easily packed easily stored and has been working great for over 30 years.

@lanecountybigfooters5716

Жыл бұрын

I remember doing that in Camp Fire girls. Nice.

@sandygillilan1169

Жыл бұрын

I love buddy burners I like to use the small fancy feast cat cans and you can reuse them and they burn most of the material used in it!

@stevenhall1097

Жыл бұрын

Learned this also in Boy Scouts.

@gunsnwater2668

Жыл бұрын

We did that in Boy Scouts also.

@brianlevine5213

Жыл бұрын

I got the tuna tin tip from my Mom. An old Girl Scout trick. The other tip was using a large can as a support for a skillet. Use a can punch to make 6 holes around top rim and 6 holes around the open bottom. Percolators also work well on these supports.

Very polite children well mannered. That was worth watching this video on its own.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Mike!

I am a old guy. And from what I see is that your a good dad. More important than being a good guide. So proud to see a young dad doing a good job. Enough with the soft. You rock on your hunting advise.Keep it up.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Thanks man! Really appreciate it

I use the same eggs cartons, but melt some old candle wax in a coffee can and mix sawdust directly into the melted wax until it's a thick, almost "dry" consistency while stirring. This allows the wax to soak into the wood over heat. Then I spoon the mixture into the egg carton and press it in. The paper carton soaks any excess wax which "glues" it all together and makes it the "wick" to light. I haven't tried dryer lint yet because I always have so much sawdust on hand. Love seeing the children learning hands-on how to do things!

I have seen this formula before but the interaction with the kiddos and them being a part of dad's hobby gets an enthusiastic like and follow from me!!

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

👍thanks! It’s fun having the kids in on these projects

I just did that for elk camp this year for the first time. This works awesome and I was acting like a kid with how excited I was to start the tent oven every morning and night with these starters! Great tip!!!!

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Good stuff!

I've been making these for years!!! I use one every time I start the woodstove.

Thanks Cliff. You have a beautiful family.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Thanks James! 👍

I've seen something similar (my Dad) but he used tablesaw sawdust instead of dryer lint. Works like a boss!

This makes an awesome Scouts BSA project, and saves on the frustration when the Scouts are trying to learn/start there own firses

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

I bet! 👍

Great tip! I use a 28 oz. Veggie can for the wax. Discard after use. Really enjoy all your videos. Please keep them coming.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Thanks David!

@cheryl4860

Жыл бұрын

I wonder if you could spray said can with a non stick before use so it could be reused? I don't know, maybe that's a stupid idea.

This is a great project! I’m going to do this with my five-year-old this weekend. normally I carry 1” gorilla tape around my Ferro rod & regular dryer lint in my fire kit for wet weather fires. I’ll bet a couple of those can get compressed pretty easily into an Altoids tin for keeping emergency fire starter on deck. So cool!

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Good deal! If you want to get them in an altoid can, you probably want to manipulate them a little before they completely cool off 👍

Dude, these are amazing! My daughter helped me make about 20 of these today. We took one outside in dry weather to see how long it would burn and it finally stopped after 13 minutes!!! Stoked to use these in the mountains. Thank you for the awesome video.

you could also cut cardboard toilet paper tubes in half and stuff those with lint and wax em up if you wanted a longer burn time.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Mark… I’ll try that

We’ve been making these for years, nothing beats them. And they don’t gum up the chimney with crud like the store bought ones can after a season of burning. We clean our chimney pipes religiously every spring and it’s always clean as a whistle.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

👍

Now that was an awesome DIY tutorial/demo Cliff! And you even got the whole crew in on it. Very cool! Definitely gonna be adding some of these in with my trusty ol' vaseline soaked cotton balls. Thanks man!

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Thanks man! 👍

@IntenseAngler

Жыл бұрын

@@CliffGray Anytime brother... anytime!

Awesome video! These lint and wax starters are really good. It can be extremely difficult to build a fire when you really need one. Altitude above 10,000 feet combined with days of rain and cold can make for a fine challenge.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

👍👊

I cooked lunch in the woods today and something like this would have been very useful! You bet I'll be making a dozen of these asap.

"teach me and I learn, involve me and I understand" A good lesson on how to involve kids in life and learning.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Thanks John!

Just a note to everyone...if you do this and clean the pot repeatedly in the sink you'll need to get your waste pipes rotorouted out eventually. At the very least run hot water and follow the cleanup with a bunch more so it will mostly flow to the sewer system...either way the moment it reaches the temp needed to solidify it will and stay there for years until it gets ground out by a plummer

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

👍 good tip for folks. Thanks. I usually just fill up a bowl of hot water and then run outside and do the first rinse out in the yard.

@robertwillis4061

Жыл бұрын

I just keep the one small pot in the shed for making fire starters, candles etc. Never clean it, as any left will do next time. I only use white / opaque candles so color doesn't matter. Just add as much wax as needed and heat it on the wood burner.

@brokenbravo83

Жыл бұрын

I clean the bowl out as good as I can with a paper towel and that wax covered paper towel is also a great fire starter. I use the same bowl each time and don't scrub it out and never pour any of it down the drain. It will forever become part of your piping as soon as it cools

I smash a big old candle with a hammer to get the wax, then a soup can in water to melt, then dip strips of cardboard. Very similar.

Cliff, I'm home with a case of bronchitis. I found your channel and I'm a fan. I think the videos are making me feel better.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Hahaha Good deal man! Get better

Love it! I've been doing this for years--mainly to start fires in my fireplace, and of course camping. I also soak cotton rope in wax while laughing at the blackbeard firestarters! Thanks for the DIY vid! Oh--btw, you don't have to go buy wax--use old broken holiday candles, yeah it might smell good and have glitter, but you're gonna burn it! :)

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

thanks Ben. Great additional tip on the use of old candles!

Love it bro. Involving the kids is exactly why I do what I do. I recently had an opportunity to show mine how to find lighter knot and use it sparingly through the season to start the camp fire. I will definitely use this as a learning experience. Thanks for sharing the family mentality.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

for sure!

This is great. Thanks for the information. It really helps for when you are really out there and it is hard to start a fire. Thanks again for posting.

These things work well. I use jelly cotton balls but my wife used to make these with her girl scout troop and I stole some once. They worked great!

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

👍

I made Firestarters with wax. The idea of the flint is genius. Thanks.

learned this in scouts 65 yrs. ago. it works. pine sap's good in an emergency.

I just fell through the ice today here in western Montana. Luckily it was only knee deep and the weather was mild. I was able to get a fire going without too much issue. Definitely makes me want to carry some backup though in case things were worse

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Yeah I hear ya, starting a fire when you really need it makes you realize how important it is! 👍👊

great tip! thanks to the kiddos for the video!!!

I made some of these and they work great! Thanks for the tip.

This is amazing. I took some pyro putty out on my first hunt last month and was really underwhelmed by its performance. Will need to track down some egg cartons and make this happen. Thanks much for the great content.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment Don! Give them a try... it is amazing how well they work.

I'v been using these for a while, O add a little lamp oil to the wax. Best I've I ever used.

Great video, thanks. It made it more appealing because you involved your kids

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

👍

This is so underutilized. Neat demo with the kids. I use cardboard paper towel tubes. Cut them in half, stuff them full of lint, cotton ball, wax mix, then put them in a quart Ziplock. Cut off an inch or two when you need a fire starter. Keeps the mess more contained and you can burn the entire thing. The hardest part is cleaning the wax off my knife after cutting one.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

👍sounds like a great way to do it

@jeffreyschmidt3997

4 ай бұрын

Why not just heat the knife over the fire to melt the wax and wipe it while the wax is liquified?

It's cool that he included his kids

If you don't have dryer lint the shreds from a document shredder work very well. Any small cardboard container works for a mold and I use a bit of twisted waxed paper for a wick. 🤓🍻

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

great way to do it! thanks Al

I learned how to make these when I was a kid in scouts. They're awesome! I can't wait to make some of these with my son when he's old enough. Another useful vid, Cliff 😁👍

@CliffGray

10 ай бұрын

👍

Excellent video. Just what i was looking for

I have cut these into blocks of four and cooked/reheated food over them. Use some rocks around the edge of the block to support your soup can, pot, or pan and light one corner of the block. You can get a nice slow burn for 20-30 minutes. I have also pulled wood out of a lake and gotten it to burn using a couple of these. I have no idea how long the wood had been in the water, but it was not soaked all the way to the core.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

wow! so it sounds like I cut the test way short. Thanks for the additional info on their effectiveness. I'll have to try the cooking with them! thanks Robert.

i do something very similar for my hunting firestarters. use a little butchers twine and melt some wax to the bottom of the carton first then stuff and fold over and you have a handy wick for this as well

@CliffGray

11 ай бұрын

I like it! I'll try that next time

Awesome video Cliff, good job kiddos !!

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! 👍👍

I made some of these over the summer with the grandkids. Very simple and very effective.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

awesome! they really do work well

It's awesome that you had your kids involved in the project. Their mom will be so proud of them. Okay kids, your dad is taking you out for pizza 😂!

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

ha! thanks

An extra tip is to line your melting bowl with aluminum foil. Then your clean up is easy. Great video thanks.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

👍 I’ll probably start doing that kind of setup

Great family project and it works awesome!!!!!! thanks

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

👍

Propane torches work awesome too!

I’ve also used sawdust from my chainsaw instead of lint and it works great. I’ve also been collecting pine sap to use instead of the wax. The draw back of the sap is it burns smoky but it’s free. I was saving old candles but that only goes so far before running out.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Good tips. Ever notice any odd smell from bar oil in the chain saw chips?

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

@@dentside78 i gotcha!

Also, just go to a junk shop and get a dedicated pot for stuff like this, that you don't have to clean. That way you're not messing up your sewage lines.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Great tip 👍

Great job Dad! Nice kid's project.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

👍

Your kids in your video are a loveable bonus.

made some with the kiddo today, thanx cliff!

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Awesome 👍

We have 10 5 gallon buckets full of our fire starters. Toilet paper tubes cut in half ,stuffed with shredded paper,used a paper shredder. We have a 5 gallon pony keg full of wax,heat it up and dump them in to "fry" ,drain and cool and they are good to go. Doesn't smell like burnt pubes.

I have a 5yr old son. When yours fell off the counter i could relate haha. Ive been saving lint for this very reason but to use for starting my bbq. Great family video I'll show my kids before we make ours. Thanks for all the quality content.

@CliffGray

11 ай бұрын

👍 for sure! Thanks for watching man

Outstanding video. Thanks for sharing. I learned something about starting fires and parenting.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

good deal! thanks

It appears you are a great father figure to you kids. Be blessed!

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

thanks Andy!

Hey thanks for this dude. I did this with my kids and we took them fishing to Pyramid Lake in Nevada last weekend. Worked awesome. And in the rain. BTW, nice job on Rogan. I enjoyed it.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Marshall! glad the firestarter project worked out with the kiddos!

Nice work Dad. I have a few, going to make more now.

Egg cartons, sawdust, wax….Boy Scouts 50 years ago and who knows how many years before that! They burn a long time, you can pull wood from a creek and get it lit.

Thanks for the video, Cliff. I would love to see a DIY meat care and processing video from you!

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Sam! I’ve got a couple in the pipeline on meat care 👍

I use 3 storm matches wrapped in cotton wool, then dipped into melted parrafin wax then rolled into a candle shape in cling film.

Very handy Thanks

Obviously the secret to being so successful is having such a great team!

I'm gonna use such a fire starter on my Montana elk hunt. Thanks!

@CliffGray

10 ай бұрын

good luck on your hunt!

Fun and education project plus a great father-kids bonding time ... may God bless you all.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

thank you!

AWESOME" THANX!

Adorable kids. Awesome video. We are doing it. Thanks n

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! 👍👊

Been doing roughly the same thing with dryer lint, shredded bills ( 😁 ), empty toilet paper rolls, and paraffin wax. Works great for family camping, though I've never tried it in the rain, and their too big to backpack. The wax your using is probably better, and the size most definitely is.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

I gotcha - yeah sounds very similar. For backpacking - I still use these but I just chop them up into smaller pieces. If I shove a ton of dryer lint in there, they are actually pretty light. If a guy is pretty competent, he can actually start 5-7 fires off one of these things, even in the rain/snow.

@rockytopwrangler2069

5 ай бұрын

...What bills burn best ,, $1's , 5's , 10's , 20's or 100's ..??

I made something like this, but my only problem with dryer lint was there was some hair in it and it kinda smelled bad. So i switched to cotton balls on my next batch

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Yeah that does happen 👍

Good video ive made some before but with sawdust and wax, I've been carrying multiple ways to start fires and one of my favorite is a piece of rubber intertube it can sit in standing water remove it shake i off and light it. never fails to start

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

I'll have to try that intertube setup! thanks

Old idea but a good one ….. I add a pinch of magnesium to each before I add the wax . 🔥

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Nice tip! Thanks Scott

❤️Thanks for sharing

Waxed Cheese Bacon Grease Lint Egg Crate Steward the Planet while camping... you pack it in you pack it out... can be done at home as well

Add 1 more to the sawdust list. I have a 5 gallon bucket of sawdust after having a couple trees taken down that's 2 years old at this point. I also have a good bit of sawdust from lighter/fatwood from cutting up those stumps (I have an insane amount of lighter wood). I can never get enough of the hair out of the lint. I think my daughter sheds worse than a dog 😂

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Ha! Yeah the hair in the lint can be an issue. I’m going to try the saw dust 👍

Thanks for putting this content out there.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

for sure!

great idea! thanks for sharing! cute kids!

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! 👍

You can get a 20 minute plus burn if you lose the lint and use sawdust or a cotton ball soaked in petroleum jelly.. Also, I use a tomato juice can 52oz and use that for my wax. Your system of using a double boiler is ok, but with the cleanup, you're pouring wax down your drain which eventually will solidify and clog your pipes and or septic. Love the kids, btw.

Good job pops!!¡

Love it! 👍🏼

Cardboard boxes that produce comes in for restaurants or grocery stores are often soaked in wax. You just tear what you need from the box. They make awesome fire starters and free if you can get them.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Nice, great tip. I’ll track one of those down and try it

Very smart idea,,,,thanks for sharing

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

thanks for watching Benton!

When I was a kid we used to sell these at the farmers market every summer, we made some good money on it for a couple kids doing it

Great great tip.. thank you

Excellent helpers!

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

They are! 👍

I have a ton of shredded paper that I bet would work great for this too. I’ll have to give that a try.

I do a similar thing with toilet paper roles, lint and wax. I flatten four tp roll centers, then stuff them into a fifth roll. Then I cut the resulting roll into four sections, stuff any gaps with dryer lint, then dip them into melted wax. Works well.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

👍I’ll try it

Cooking oil and wax works great as well and would add an extra 1.5 minutes

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

👍thanks for the tip. I’ll give it a try next round

Man not only do I have a new fire starter to make I have something that my daughter can do with me! Thank you cliff for another good one!!!!

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Right on man, have fun! thanks

I came across tea lights at the Dollar Tree. Shaving these is not hard. A decent knife makes a good amount of wax shavings. I did it with my kitchen paring knife. Also at The Dollar Tree I found cotton balls. (I already had egg cartons.) Don't buy ingredients for more than you have to. Y'know, plastic does burn. My advice is to store them in a glass jar in case they decide to get chummy and want to start a fire. A glass jar will contain them till they are extinguished. Oxygen in a small glass jar is quickly used up, and carbon dioxide snuffs out fire.

@ginnyjollykidd

11 ай бұрын

A soda snuggy can be put over the jar if you are afraid of breaking it. A canning jelly jar could be used, I think, or empty out a glass jar of food for your purposes. Or crochet a little cozy bag the size of the jar out of size 4 (worsted or sport weight) yarn or even 5 weight (chunky) and make it into a drawstring carry bag. Protection and carry all in one.

I just go with pieces of duck tape. It doesn't take any space and is good to start fire for twigs stove.

By using laundry lint you as part of your starters, you are most likely burning synthetic fluff and thread. Sure it burns well but it won't be producing clean smoke.

That was a awesome video buddy! household materials and a torch lighter. i have a gas station one; are they waterproof?

Family fun 👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻😁 my very first video was on fires starters daughters got tired of me teaching them 😂

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Ha! 👍👊

Yeah you should be using the cutting board! :p

Hey just found your videos and have really enjoyed them . This video triggered a comment because my two children's names are Wyatt and willow . I thought that was crazy . Iam from Maryland but spent 8 years guiding in Alaska for Dall sheep moose ,grizzly and the occasional black bear . I've been watching alot of elk hunting content because i have always wanted to hunt elk and now iam 41 and haven't made it happen yet I've been applying in Arizona the last two years and this year iam applying for Wyoming. I have zero elk experience and am planning on winging it in a way I have good buddy in Arizona and he hunts elk . I am probably going pronghorn hunting this fall so I figured I may as well apply for an elk tag in a general unit and take a swing at if I get drawn . Thanks for the tips man keep um coming

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

thanks Wade! sounds like you are a good name picker! hahaha. love it. good luck on your hunts man. Great to hear that the videos have been helpful

@wadehays2349

Жыл бұрын

Thank you .. yes Apparently weare very good name pickers lol . Good luck on your hunts to sir .

I learned that in the scouts. don't forget to reming users to use the paper ones not the foam ones for moulds. I graduated to waxed jute twine. Just submerge a whole roll of jute twine in melted candle wax and allow to harden. Roll off 5 or 10 3 inch strips and put them in your wallet. Take each strip and fluff it to catch a spark from a farrow rod. It will burn for a long time. I've lighted them after 3 years in my wallet and they lit right up, even wet.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Great tip, I’ll try it

I use cotton balls and wax. Just pull the cotton ball to make it oblong and dip 1/2 way into wax and set on aluminum foil or wax paper to cool. I have even unrolled the cotton ball and wrapped it back around a couple wooden matches w/match heads exposed. Both ways work well and burn time is about 6-7 min. I can start a charcoal chimney with 1 cotton ball and some sticks from the yard. If you don't want to mess with the sticks, 3 cotton ball starters will do the job. I recycle my wife's candles into fire starters. I use a tin can as a dedicated melting pot. I heat a burner on the stove and turn off and place the can on the hot but "off" burner. I use an old pair of hemostats and clip on to the can as a handle.

@CliffGray

Жыл бұрын

Sounds like a good setup 👍

No wax in your sinks guy please. Haha I’m plumber trust me. Even it’s a hot. It does 10 times the damage in your pipes then oil does.