Bruce's Journal

[Mike CHS]

We burn paper trash but everything else gets taken to the recycle drops or the trash drop off center.

 

[CntryBoy777]

We never burn anything but plant material and junk mail to get it started....food scraps go to the chickens and everything else is picked up in the trash. The landfill is a mile and a quarter up the road, so taking things there is fairly easy and doesn't take very long.

 

[Bruce]

Took the camera out today. As you can see, my burn pile isn't near as big as some of what you have!
I was only 6' from the pile in the second picture and you can see my shadow for size comparison. Still looks pretty big to me but as you can see, it isn't close to any buildings.


And because I had the camera - "livestock" photos
Laddie, Teddy, chickens in the barn alley

 

[CntryBoy777]

I wouldn't be too concerned about burning that pile, but I would wait until the breeze is blowing from the house to the pile....that way the smoke won't engulf the house and some things burning don't always have a pleasent smell to them....
The boys and girls look like they are certainly enjoying theirselves and the sunshine too....

 

[Latestarter]

I believe you folks are about to get some snow... Perfect opportunity to get that mess burned. I'd be a bit concerned about all that long dead grass right up to the burn circle, so burning when it's snowing would be good. Either that or mow it down real close for a bit out from the circle.

 

[Bruce]

The pile is in, I guess, a burn pit. Totally encircled with large stones. I suppose I could get the trimmer out and beat up some plastic string, got more gas for it today. How well will that pile burn with 8" of snow on top? I could melt it with with my 500K BTU/hr flame thrower Of course that might make the stuff I want to burn sort of soggy.

 

[Latestarter]

A gallon of diesel fuel, (or kerosene, or gasoline) in that preferred order, liberally applied to the center of the pile with a trail leading off to one "lighting" spot should solve any moisture issues. I roll up a piece of newspaper and dip the end in the flammable liquid as well to ensure it stays burning. I then light the paper and then the pile with the lit paper. I'd had 10" of rain over a week+ period and my pile burned down to an ash pile. No sweat, no strain.

 

[CntryBoy777]

I use waded up paper or a low roll of toilet paper and soak it for just a few seconds in rubbing alcohol put it in under some dry stuff and lite it with a Bic lighter....the alcohol will burn longer than the paper and will catch on the wood....if snow is on top just pull it out some and pour a pint of it on the pile itself and lite it up....as long as the snow isn't dripping directly on what is burning it should continue to burn as the wood thaws and warms....I've used the other too....but, alcohol doesn't have the flash of gas and evaporates much quicker than diesel or kerosene.

 

[Mike CHS]

This is a marathon on how to start a burn pile.

Kerosene is my favorite but I like to do several paper towels saturated with cooking oil (or bacon grease) works just like my grill.

 

[greybeard]

Rubbing alcohol (isopropanol) has a lower flash (ignition) point than gasoline and it's vapor is just as bad to flash as gasoline.....you just don't see it. It burns almost invisible. It is the evaporation that burns the easiest and fastest, but produces fewer BTUs over gasoline--about 1/2 as much. Because of the comparative low BTU rating/gal of alcohol (approx 14,000) versus gasoline (120,000 btu) and diesel (138,000 btu/gal) , alcohol is a very poor fire starter....not to mention 70% alcohol is anywhere from$15-$30/gallon.

If you've ever seen the youtube vids of the "Talledaga invisible pit row fire", that was a form of alcohol..methanol. Rubbing alcohol does the same thing.

Rubbing alcohol very dangerous and is only approved as an energy source in certain alcohol camp stoves. I won't have one around. Curtains and walls have caught on fire when rubbing alcohol reached an ignition source and the residents never saw the initial flames that ignited the home furnishings. It's simply bad juju.
a 4:1-6:1 mix of diesel/gasoline will ignite easily without a big flash off, will burn longer and hotter than alcohol and imo, is much safer than alcohol for starting a fire. This mixture is what Foresters use to safely start back burns and prescribed burns.