Hi Folks,
After just finishing my season and doing the final cleanup, I was just about to throw out some slum gum left over from recovering wax and was wondering if there was anything I could use it for. I usually add it to the garden beds but today I thought about another way of utilising it. I?ve never made any fire lighters before so I had a bit of a quick think about it and this is what I came up with.
I decided to use some dry slum gum (that still had some wax in it) and also some wax/ propolis mix that I?d melted off all the queen excluders that I?d cleaned. Due to the process that I use, the wax was badly discoloured and basically overheated. I also decided to add some used vegetable oil to the mix and some material that I could use as a filler and a wicking agent. A large handful of wood shavings from one of my machines was exactly what I was after.
[attachment=0][/attachment]
The ingredients were placed in an electric fry pan, melted and then mixed.
An old egg carton was used to contain the mix.
[attachment=1][/attachment]
When the mix set, the fire lighters were cut into individual blocks.
[attachment=2][/attachment]
One was lit on a concrete paver as a test.
[attachment=3][/attachment]
It was easy to ignite the block and a good flame was produced.
The same block was still burning well after 10 minutes.
[attachment=0][/attachment]
You may notice that some of the mix had liquified and flowed onto the paver.
The flame was still present after 15 minutes.
[attachment=1][/attachment]
Some of the oil/ wax mix had been wicked up and burnt at this stage.
Quite a pleasing result really. They were quick and easy to make, used only natural, waste products and worked exceptionally well. I would be interested in hearing about other methods or variations of what I have just done.
Cheers for now
Les
Hey, that's really creative! I've heard of people making fire starters with wax and pine cones or scrap fabric or old socks, but that's a great idea with the egg carton, quick and easy.