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View Full Version : how to light paraffin ??


roncoinc
05-24-2017, 04:17 PM
Silly question,,but i put some on a dry piece of pine lumber and tried to light it with a torch..
all it did was melt,some caught fire,,,spread around,,,didnt even light that piece of kindling ??
how does this deal work ??

SmokinJohn
05-24-2017, 05:21 PM
Is there a wick in the paraffin?

Put the paraffin in a can/tin. Gently melt it. While it is melting, coil up a strip of cardboard and place in the can/tin, making sure some of the cardboard is above the level of the paraffin.. Let the paraffin cool. Light the cardboard.

mchar69
05-24-2017, 05:25 PM
Parrafin itself won't light, it melts and feeds a wick.
For some reason as a kid we put our preserves in jars and melted parrafin on top.
Half the time, we'd open a jar of blackberry jam, and three would be mold on top.
Scoop that out, and eat the rest......

Happy Hapgood
05-24-2017, 05:31 PM
Weber starter cubes. One match and it's on. Cheep too.

roncoinc
05-24-2017, 08:36 PM
And that is paraffin wax.. sez right on the box.

SmokinJohn
05-25-2017, 12:01 PM
Hmmm...

I think I'm revoking your Boy Scout firemaking badge.

How big was the pine? Log? Chunk? Chips?

pjtexas1
05-25-2017, 12:32 PM
lighter fluid and match...

luberconn
05-25-2017, 01:25 PM
ive been using weber cubes for years. like toast said, they are cheap and work well. before that i used newspaper, but got tired of all the ash they left behind on my patio.

BigKing
05-25-2017, 01:50 PM
I use the cubes as well. Super easy.

4ever3
05-25-2017, 02:01 PM
And that is paraffin wax.. sez right on the box.

With a combustible mixed in, paraffin itself won't burn.

SpratBoy
05-25-2017, 03:38 PM
Silly question,,but i put some on a dry piece of pine lumber and tried to light it with a torch..

Might be a silly answer, but I think the paraffin needs to go below what you are trying to light, not on top - then again, I was never a boy scout:redface:

SmokinJohn
05-25-2017, 05:26 PM
This might help

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-AMAZING-fire-starters-BoyScout-Style/

Paraffin by itself will not burn that piece of pine. You probably should put a starter cube (or 3) on the bottom of your rig. Surround it with some sawdust. Place some long strips of wood over the top. Then put your pine on top, and light it.

If this doesn't work, might I suggest soaking the end of the pine in lighter fluid (or olive oil)?

Peteg
05-25-2017, 11:34 PM
The torch blows out the fire before it's sustained (I use them all the time). Just use a match or a cigarette lighter, or anything that doesn't blow out the flame. It would also be good to throw some charcoal in with it.

mwmac
05-26-2017, 11:03 AM
For years I have used the following as a fire starter when camping. Take a pressed paper (not Styrofoam) egg carton and fill it with the small pieces of lump charcoal that end up in the bottom of the bag. Top it off with some melted paraffin wax and allow to cool. Works great...one is usually all it takes.

bwram1
05-26-2017, 12:35 PM
Weber cubes and one of those long-necked point n shoot lighters.

Displaced Texan
05-26-2017, 02:53 PM
Paraffin wax won't burn.. it just melts. Maybe you are thinking of paraffin oil (aka lamp oil)?

roncoinc
05-26-2017, 05:11 PM
" Get grilling sooner with our easy lighting fuel cubes. The Cubes are odorless and non-toxic and are designed to light quickly even if wet. The Cubes are made of paraffin wax and come 24 to a box. "

Thats all i can find.

gonna try the egg carton with hard wood sawdust in it and pour the melted paraffin over it.

4ever3
05-26-2017, 07:55 PM
Has anyone said that wax doesn't burn yet?

HankB
05-26-2017, 09:33 PM
Wax will burn but works better if it melted and soaked into something to act ad a wick. I like the idea of charcoal fines in a cardboard (or is that paper mâché?) egg carton.

I use Weber cubes wen I'm camping and don't want to mess around and tear up pieces of the charcoal bag at home. With either I use the official Weber charcoal chimney (large or small depending on how much I want to light.)

roncoinc
05-27-2017, 06:01 AM
Has anyone said that wax doesn't burn yet?

Says right on the box " caution flammable "

also the weber starter cubes are paraffin wax and they do burn..

bucko
05-27-2017, 06:43 AM
I thought everybody knew how to start a fire your over thinking here

4ever3
05-27-2017, 07:38 AM
Says right on the box " caution flammable "

also the weber starter cubes are paraffin wax and they do burn..

That's because there is a combustible in the wax! The wax is there to retard the fire and make it burn longer, wax, does not burn!

Lay out a cotton string and light it on one end and watch how fast it burns, then take another string that is the same as the first and dip it in wax and light one end! It will be a slow steady burn because the wax is retarding the fire.

mwmac
05-28-2017, 09:27 AM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraffin_wax