EASY LINT FIRE STARTERS

Intro: EASY LINT FIRE STARTERS

So you are stuck out in the middle of nowhere on a very cold night with no fire to cook your food and to keep the animals away. If you want a roaring fire in no time look no further than these easy and effective fire starters. Since they use lint they have an increased burn time, compared to cotton wool fire starters, and it is recycling. One of my main concerns about this project was to make it using regular household items. This was my inspiration https://www.instructables.com/id/Waterproof-Dryer-L... Please feel free to comment, favourite and ask any questions.

STEP 1: Gathering What You Need

This is what you'll need for your little kick ass fire starter.

- Lint. That is not hard to find, look no further than your clothes dryer.

- Tin/ aluminium foil

- Melted candle wax

- Firelighter, or something to light your firelighter

- Scissors

- Some sort of fuel for your fire starter. I used methylated spirits.

Once you have got these easy to find materials you can start.

STEP 2: The Lint

Make about a 5x5cm diameter ball with your lint you have collected. Try to cram in as much lint as you can. Then dip your lint ball into the melted candle wax and stick it onto some tin foil. Leave for about 5 mins to cool and dry on tin foil. The reason I chose to stick it onto tin foil is because you can then peel it off easily and stick it where you want it.

STEP 3: The Tricky Part

Cut a 10x10 square of tinfoil. Place your lint ball in the middle. Then fold in each corner so it touches the ball. Now you fold up each side. Make sure the ball is fitting quite snugly. Not too tight and not too loose. Once your ball looks like diagram 4, with all the sides folded up. Fold down each side so now about half of the lint ball is showing. Now soak the lint in methylated spirits. Be sure to wipe off any methylated spirits that is on the outside of the tin foil.

STEP 4: Light This Thing Up

Now you can feel comforted that you have some source of fire. Now you can not have that lonely feeling when you are camping out in the wild. There is nothing more reassuring than the crackling of a nice fire.

I only used one of the fire starters and it was very successful.

All you have to do is let a flame hit the lint.

TOP TIP:IF YOU WANT AN EVEN LONGER BURN TIMER PULL AWAY SOME OF THE TIN FOIL FROM THE LINT BALL BY A COUPLE OF MILLIMETERS.

STEP 5: The Test

To see just how good this mini fire starter was I timed its burn time. The final time was 28mins 40secs. Very impressive. Please feel free to comment, favourite and ask any questions.

Comments

[RobW6]

I use a paper egg carton for the form instead of a shot glass, and tear off one firestarter at a time as needed.

[Logan302]

Very good idea. Thanks for telling me

[momoluv]

Nice work

[Pyrate51]

Unless you are certain that your dryer lint contains 100% natural fibers such as cotton or silk, keep your mouth and nose a safe distance when you light synthetic lint. Otherwise you might breath in a head-spinning toxic cocktail.

[Logan302]

Ok, I tried to move items i thought shouldn't be there such as hair and other objects. I see your point and will take this into account next time i make one.

Thanks for telling me

[Logan302]

Thanks for the compliment

[Logan302]

Thanks

[fraser02]

you didn't click reply, so momoluv wouldn't have got your message...:) i did this the other day.

[Logan302]

ok i get what ya mean

[fraser02]

very cool, thanks for the instructable!

handy idea...;)

[Logan302]

ok, i must try using your idea one day

[Kurt E. Clothier]

For the past year or so I've been collecting lent from the laundromat driers whenever I do my laundry to use as fire starters. I'll have to try this method as well for an extended burn.

[Farmer Bean]

Is the methylated spirits necessary? Does'nt it dry up? Thx. Gonna give it a try.

[Logan302]

i don't think that you need it. I'm not sure whether it does or not. Another option is fuellite, I hear that you get a much bigger flame and it doesn't dry out. thanks

[Logan302]

ok that is a very good idea. since they are waxed that would mean they are waterproof wouldn't it.

[discowhale]

I make these in the old style fiber egg cartons.

I just stuff the lint into the egg pockets, as tightly as I can get it.

I put a sheet of aluminum foil in a sheet pan.

Melt old beeswax, candles or new paraffin and over the lint

Let the wax cool and harden

Cut the sections apart, and I store then in a zipper head bag.

I break off any wax that has dripped out or through the sections, and throw it in a bag with the wax for next time..

If well packed, each fire starter will burn for 12 to 15 minutes..