How to make firewood fast

You just heard on the news that it will be 40 degrees outside tonight! You look in your woodpile and discover that it is empty from last winter. No one at your house has gone out and bought or chopped any firewood for winter yet and you are in a bind. Here’s a way to make firewood fast! Get with it! While you're at it, better get your plants inside. See How to Store Plants Inside Over Winter

Things You'll Need:

• Old scrap wood

• Hatchet or hammer and long, wide blade screwdriver

• Saw if needed

• Cardboard box

• A solid place to hammer on

1. Scrounge at home in your garage or workbench area for a scrap old wood. It makes no difference if it is new or old. Recycled old fence boards are fine.  The wood can even be full of nails or staples.  They will burn away and fall in ashes in fire.
2. Use hatchet or hammer and long, wide bladed  screwdriver to split wood. Cut your scrap wood into 16-24inch lengths if not already that size or smaller.  Keep several pieces of that size and don’t split them.  With hammer and screwdriver, turn scrap wood on edge with grain exposed and strike hammer a few carefully placed blows, wood should split easily and you can pull apart by hand.
3. Place split pieces of scrap wood in medium sized cardboard box. Place  larger pieces on bottom and smaller pieces on top. That is so you can build your fire quickly using the mall pieces on bottom where firestarter is.  If you do not have a firestarter see article  How to Make A Firestarter From A Recycled Toilet Tissue Round Tube When you have all pieces in box, take inside and place by fire, use your firestarter you made from How to Make a Firestarter from a Recycled Strike Anywhere Matchbox another of the author’s articles, and watch your fire start roaring.  Fix you and your partner a hot toddy and relax in front of your roaring fire!

Tips and Warnings:

• Try to scrounge for old wood that is well dried out and of the size you need, 16-24inches in length.
• Cut with saw if needed to that size.
• Watch out when you cut wood with hatchet or hammer and screwdriver!
• Take care if you saw wood.
• Always use grounded outlet.

For more information see:

How to Make A Firestarter From Recycled Paper Match Boxes

How to Make a Firestarter from a Recycled Cigar Box Spacer

How to Make a Firestarter from Recycled Party Toothpicks

How to Make A Recycled Paper Cup Firestarter

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