Pyromania

archangel

archangel

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Need some suggestions on a mix of flammable liquids to start and maintain a fire....bonfires of old trees that have been lying about and branches......without starting a small explosion (which I did last week). I had been told to use old motor oil, diesel and an amount of petrol......but it does light up but hours out pretty quick.......
 
mmmm sounds like a recipe for a trip to the local hospital. If you really must do this why not just ordinary firelighters/BBQ fluid.
 
You shouldn't need an accelerant (as the pros call it) to maintain the fire. Just stack the branches that are about to go on it near the fire so it drys them out, then add slowly.

Practically anything will do to get it going. Dry cardboard, newspaper, um firelighters ;) One thing you can try is melting some candles and dripping the wax all over the bonfire. It should feed the fire until it gets going.
 
Tried fire lighters (first choice) and cardboard etc base......but I think the problems is that some of the branches are quite thick and unlike the thinner stuff tends to extinguish quite quickly..... so some sort of sticky stuff that burns would be good


The bonfire I had last week was seen from international space station as it ignited.......:eek:
 
Brush up on your tinder, kindling, fuel theory.
Have a quick read of this maybe.
 
Do not use petrol - thats why you are getting the explosion because the vapour is igniting - thats a swift way to get a trip to your local A&E (not least because the vapour can also hang about in your clothes - Poooof .... often seen in twockers torching vehicles

When i was a contractor we used to reckon an old car tyre with a pint of diesel inside it would get most things going - however with dry wood it shouldnt be necessary , if you chop it up in to reasonable length bits and lie it all on the fire in the same direction so that it can fall down rather than building wigwams which prop up and hollow out, you ought to be able to light it with a shoe box stuffed with scrunched up newspaper and a couple of firelighters
 
big soft moose said:
Do not use petrol - thats why you are getting the explosion because the vapour is igniting - thats a swift way to get a trip to your local A&E (not least because the vapour can also hang about in your clothes - Poooof .... often seen in twockers torching vehicles

When i was a contractor we used to reckon an old car tyre with a pint of diesel inside it would get most things going - however with dry wood it shouldnt be necessary , if you chop it up in to reasonable length bits and lie it all on the fire in the same direction so that it can fall down rather than building wigwams which prop up and hollow out, you ought to be able to light it with a shoe box stuffed with scrunched up newspaper and a couple of firelighters
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Looks like I need to go back and rebuild the timber.....problem is that they are around 7 foot tall and maybe 15ft wide......and I have seven of these monsters to burn....


I do have spare tyres so I will try that method
 
archangel said:
Looks like I need to go back and rebuild the timber.....problem is that they are around 7 foot tall and maybe 15ft wide......and I have seven of these monsters to burn....


I do have spare tyres so I will try that method
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............Seriously? I believe burning car tyres is illegal now and certainly would be very unpleasant for you and the surrounding neighbourhood if you did so.

You will have to cut the wood up into smaller pieces, get a small fire going initially, then add the bigger stuff as it gets going, keep some smaller stuff to keep the heart of the fire going.

Are you really sure you should be doing this?
 
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fracster said:
............Seriously? I believe burning car tyres is illegal now and certainly would be very unpleasant for you and the surrounding neighbourhood if you did so.

You will have to cut the wood up into smaller pieces, get a small fire going initially, then add the bigger stuff as it gets going, keep some smaller stuff to keep the heart of the fire going.

Are you really sure you should be doing this?
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Yep seriously......we have been clearing woodland since last year and they have just accumulated... the local farmer was the guy who told me that they use a diesel/petrol and motor oil mix.......on large fires
But it doesn't work for me.......
 
fracster said:
............Seriously? I believe burning car tyres is illegal now and certainly would be very unpleasant for you and the surrounding neighbourhood if you did so.
?
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Ade is right i have to say - although as a contractor I used the burning car tyre thing back in the day (mosty on rodhodendron,) it is indeed against the law now ( I should have made that clear in my previous post) the other problem with car tyres is that they leave a load of wire behind and can poison the soil (when we used them we were buring on tin)

As I said (and Ade said above) you should be able to get wood to burn without the need for accelerants - but you need to cut it up , no tree is going to burn effectively in one piece

My core point was if you do use accelerants for gods sake use deisel not petrol (or other lighter fraction solvents) - though a better option is to bring in some dry timber/palets or something and use that to get the fire going before adding your wet timber

I also have to say that i'd tend to suggest getting a contractor in who can chainsaw up and either burn or chip
 
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big soft moose said:
Ade is right i have to say - although as a contractor I used the burning car tyre thing back in the day (mosty on rodhodendron,) it is indeed against the law now ( I should have made that clear in my previous post)

As I said (and Ade said above) you should be able to get wood to burn without the need for accelerants - but you need to cut it up , no tree is going to burn effectively in one piece

My core point was if you do use accelerants for gods sake use deisel not petrol (or other lighter fraction solvents) - i'd tend to suggest getting a contractor in who can chainsaw up and either burn or chip
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Okay.no tyre now......but I do have a chainsaw and all the fancy gear...... so looks like my Saturday is going to be busy.
 
Where do you live?
 
I can't help thinking this thread is going to spawn a new one on Monday 'On Saturday I spent 8 hours in A & E'........Hope I'm wrong
 
fracster said:
............Seriously? I believe burning car tyres is illegal now and certainly would be very unpleasant for you and the surrounding neighbourhood if you did so.

You will have to cut the wood up into smaller pieces, get a small fire going initially, then add the bigger stuff as it gets going, keep some smaller stuff to keep the heart of the fire going.

Are you really sure you should be doing this?
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:agree:
 
If it goes out too quickly, you obviously arent poking it with a stick enough.
 
archangel said:
Pangbourne in west Berkshire
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Ah, was going to offer to do it for you, but too far away.

Be careful if you do it yourself fella,chainsaws are bloody dangerous in the wrong hands.
 
boyfalldown said:
mmmm sounds like a recipe for a trip to the local hospital. If you really must do this why not just ordinary firelighters/BBQ fluid.
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I have a recipe. I'm reasonably sure it would be against forum rules to share it.

archangel said:
https://m.flickr.com/photos/michaelrobinsonphotography/12966308005/lightbox/


Plenty of oxygen
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'k I'm out. That's far more than I know how to deal with safely ;)

boyfalldown said:
I can't help thinking this thread is going to spawn a new one on Monday 'On Saturday I spent 8 hours in A & E'........Hope I'm wrong
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Mess that up and you won't be boasting about the waits in A&E on the following Monday.....
 
Just spoke to the farmer up the road....he is coming to do it on Saturday for me on return for some cider and a lunch.....:D
 
archangel said:
Pangbourne in west Berkshire
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I can recomend a good and not too expensive contractor in that area if you want ( I used to manage the thames path so I know a few) - its too far for me to help you out too, but I'd strongly suuggest proffesional help as this does have all the makings of

" yes doctor, in cubicle one we have a young man with 85% burns and a deep laceration in in leg from a chainsaw blade ... "
 
big soft moose said:
" yes doctor, in cubicle one we have a young man with 85% burns and a deep laceration in in leg from a chainsaw blade ... "[/quote
]

I like the fact you called me a young man.......makes me feel special ;)
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archangel said:
Just spoke to the farmer up the road....he is coming to do it on Saturday for me on return for some cider and a lunch.....:D
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Result..................(y)
 
you two can just one F off ;) :lol:

( I suck at double letters, its like neccesary vs necessary - I always get that wrong too)
 
big soft moose said:
you two can just one F off ;) :LOL:

( I suck at double letters, its like neccesary vs necessary - I always get that wrong too)
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Me too, adress or address, recommend or reccomend, but one has to make the effort I think.

Ask me to spell anything wthout double letters though and good chance I'll get it right. Rhododendron, miscellaneous, diarrhoea, antidisestablishmentarianism, you name it.
 
The way i was taught to spell necessary at school was to remember the following phrase. Never Eat Cake Eat Smoked Salmon...ary :rolleyes: :D
 
Easy... 5 gallons of 97 octane fuel... a 25 foot long match... bask in warmth, wrap a few tatties in foil, bottle of favorite beer. Sounds like the typical British barbie.
 
Sounds like you're sorted now Angel but why burn? If you've got a chain-saw why not log it up and flog it? I get £50 for a load of logs in the back of my Hi-Lux. If you don't fancy the job I bet there's some local lads who'll be only too happy to take it away :)

For future reference, you don't need much but a bit of red diesel is good for starting the fire but the important thing is to get a good heart in the fire so start with small, thin kindling and keep building up. Don't let it burn out in the bottom, sometimes you need a piece of tin or corrugated iron to stop this happening if there's a wind ( not uncommon this winter:))
When it starts getting too hot to stay near to then you can go to town and chuck on anything you can get your hands on.
 
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Farmerjim said:
Sounds like you're sorted now Angel but why burn? If you've got a chain-saw why not log it up and flog it? I get £50 for a load of logs in the back of my Hi-Lux. If you don't fancy the job I bet there's some local lads who'll be only too happy to take it away :)

For future reference, you don't need much but a bit of red diesel is good for starting the fire but the important thing is to get a good heart in the fire so start with small, thin kindling and keep building up. Don't let it burn out in the bottom, sometimes you need a piece of tin or corrugated iron to stop this happening if there's a wind ( not uncommon this winter:))
When it starts getting too hot to stay near to then you can go to town and chuck on anything you can get your hands on.
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I have already cut away everything that is suitable for the wood burner......what is left is lots of branches, old rotten trunks and other various wood related stuff.....



bonfire by michaelrobinsonphotography, on Flickr
 
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Don't you have scouts in your area :lol: our village scouts are very adept at getting bonfires much bigger than that going and indeed a mix of diesel and old motor oil is the preferred solution for them
 
archangel said:
I have already cut away everything that is suitable for the wood burner......what is left is lots of branches, old rotten trunks and other various wood related stuff.....



bonfire by michaelrobinsonphotography, on Flickr
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Personally I'd have chipped that lot and spread the chippings on the paths - however it shouldn't be difficult to torch so long as you pull the wood out of the piles to build a bonfire - trying to torch the heaps in situ is never going to work without a dangerous ammount of accelerant
 
big soft moose said:
it shouldn't be difficult to torch so long as you pull the wood out of the piles to build a bonfire - trying to torch the heaps in situ is never going to work without a dangerous ammount of accelerant
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As per Pete`s reply really, you need to get a small fire going and then add to it. A lot of that still looks green and if what is underneath has been there for a while then that is going to be damp if not wringing wet.
 
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