# Does anyone have any clever ways to store & manage kindling?



## lopro (Oct 4, 2010)

I'm looking for some neat ways to deal with kindling. I don't have much & and I can always split some logs to get more...just wondering if anybody has some ideas on kindling stacking/storage/whatever? I don't like looking at kindling just laying around after spending hours trying to make neat stacks of split logs.


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## ShoerFast (Oct 4, 2010)

Just stacking it with the firewood. 

It also helps to rip off the lose slivers and jagged pieces as you fire-up, that way you will have a handy supply for reviving the fire after being away.


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## never2muchwood (Oct 4, 2010)

*Kindling storage...*

I got tired of having a big mess laying around, so I threw together a couple storage boxes that don't take up to awful much room....works pretty good for me.


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## o8f150 (Oct 4, 2010)

we fill those plastic storage totes i think they are 48 quart size but anyway i keep 3 of those filled and stacked in the shop


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## NorthernOntario (Oct 4, 2010)

I'm a beekeeper, so I have extra boxes kicking around... just yesterday I took two deep brood chambers and put plywood bottoms on them... and loaded them up with kindling. Very handy. 

Plastic totes would also be handy. Stack till full, put on the lid, stack another one ontop of it, fill... only downside is if you have any moisture in there, it won't dry out as quickly.


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## CountryBoy19 (Oct 4, 2010)

I don't normally intentionally split kindling. I always end up with lots of splitter trash that is next to impossible to store in any sort of compact manner because it is all odd shapes and such. I just go ahead and throw it all in big boxes and stack them in the garage. As I use them I either save the box for the next year if it's still in good shape or I get rid of it. For anything that isn't small slivers, trash, and odd shapes "pieces" (note pieces does not = chunks) it just gets stacked with the wood, even if it's a really small split; it makes it convenient to have smaller stuff mixed right in with the larger stuff.


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## avalancher (Oct 4, 2010)

Kindling?Whats that?

In all seriousness, I gave up on the kindling thing years ago.I keep a squeeze bottle of diesel fuel by the stove.Load the wood, squeeze in a couple of ounces of diesel, throw a match in, slam the door, and be done with it.


I used to drive me crazy trying to keep the wife stocked up on kindling, now its not an issue.


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## savageactor7 (Oct 4, 2010)

We keep our kindling in that drawer under the wood rack. Except for shoulder season we don't use much as we're 24/7 burners.

Our kindling is splitter trash that drys in a cardboard box outside but under a lean-to.


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## lopro (Oct 4, 2010)

avalancher said:


> I used to drive me crazy trying to keep the wife stocked up on kindling, now its not an issue.



:agree2:Exactly...that's why I'm looking for clever ways of storing kindling. I shoulda asked for "cute" ways to store kindling, but I'm sure I woulda caught hell from everybody here


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## CountryBoy19 (Oct 4, 2010)

lopro said:


> :agree2:Exactly...that's why I'm looking for clever ways of storing kindling. I shoulda asked for "cute" ways to store kindling, but I'm sure I woulda caught hell from everybody here



Eh, don't worry, a lot of us guys have wives as well. The only guys that would truly give you a bunch of crap for that are the ************ ones...


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## avalancher (Oct 4, 2010)

If ya want cute, watch for that friggin poodle from next door.Catch em in the front yard taking a dump, put a nice clean shot between the eyes, and tear the ribbon off and make up a nice cute bundle.That will be sure to wow the wife.


Okay, just kidding.Ive tried everything, and being short on patience, I decided to show the wife how to make a fire man style.Sure, you might lose a few eyebrows, but nothing wakes the whole clan up faster than dad racing through the living room in his skivvies with his bangs on fire.I have been known to invent six new cusswords before reaching the sink.


Ive tried nice little tupperware boxes, she left it too close to the stove and it melted.We had a grand old time one evening trying to guess what the hell it was.Kept us intertained for hours.We are simple folks I reckon.

I tried a nice little wicker basket I bought from some mexican at the flea market, he didnt have any arms and wove it with his toes.The dog wasnt impressed, and managed to chew it down to the floor in one long night to pay me back for not giving him is nightly hot dog.

Took some time and made a real nice sturdy little rack out of wrought iron. Came home one day and found that the wife thought it worked better as a stepping stool for the kitchen.

Made a nice little box out of oak strips.Rounded the bottom so that it couldnt be flipped over and stood on, dog wouldnt chew it,and it wouldnt melt. Last time I saw it, it was out on the front porch with some kinda stupid weed looking things in it, my daughter proudly claimed later it was her "herb" garden.I always thought "herbs" grew in walmart somewhere, but I hear you can grow the dang things too.

Nope, gave up on kindling.


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## cnice_37 (Oct 4, 2010)

avalancher said:


> We had a grand old time one evening trying to guess what the hell it was.Kept us intertained for hours.We are simple folks I reckon.



ayup.


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## leon (Oct 4, 2010)

*kindling*

I must be really ************ if I use 5 gallon pails to store kindling, pine cones, hard wood nut shells, wood chips from my processor etc. MEEEEOOOOW!!!!


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## o8f150 (Oct 4, 2010)

NorthernOntario said:


> Plastic totes would also be handy. Stack till full, put on the lid, stack another one ontop of it, fill... only downside is if you have any moisture in there, it won't dry out as quickly.



i don't put the lids on them just for that reason,,i just leave the lids off and stack them


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## SpiralAcacia (Oct 4, 2010)

savageactor7 said:


> We keep our kindling in that drawer under the wood rack. Except for shoulder season we don't use much as we're 24/7 burners.
> 
> Our kindling is splitter trash that drys in a cardboard box outside but under a lean-to.



Say, savageactor7, your woodstove looks hauntingly familiar... Is it EPA approved? I like the blueish glow. Where is the door and air inlet?


SA


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## nixon (Oct 4, 2010)

Nothing clever ,or special here . I just use cheap plastic garbage cans to collect the splitter trash as I make it . After every couple of splitting sessions I collect what I think will be decent kindling and put it in one of the cans , the rest goes to the burn pile . When a can is full ,it goes in the shed . I keep one can on the porch ,I have a small metal bucket in the house that I refill as needed .


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## lon (Oct 4, 2010)

I use banana boxes from the grocery stores. They also stack nice.


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## DSS (Oct 4, 2010)

CountryBoy19 said:


> I don't normally intentionally split kindling. I always end up with lots of splitter trash that is next to impossible to store in any sort of compact manner because it is all odd shapes and such. I just go ahead and throw it all in big boxes and stack them in the garage. As I use them I either save the box for the next year if it's still in good shape or I get rid of it. For anything that isn't small slivers, trash, and odd shapes "pieces" (note pieces does not = chunks) it just gets stacked with the wood, even if it's a really small split; it makes it convenient to have smaller stuff mixed right in with the larger stuff.



That's my story too. I burn 24/7 when it gets colder, but this time of year I go through a lot of splitter trash.

Good post.:biggrinbounce2:


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## rancher2 (Oct 4, 2010)

I collect splitter trash in plastic 55 gallon barrels. That works perfect for storing and managing the kindling.


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## bushinspector (Oct 4, 2010)

I have picked up two poly carts that is used for trash. Just fill up with splitter trash and flop the lid shut. I roll ours to the back door and leave it there.


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## CWME (Oct 4, 2010)

rancher2 said:


> I collect splitter trash in plastic 55 gallon barrels. That works perfect for storing and managing the kindling.



Same here, except 55 gallon trash barrels with the wheels. That way I can roll the barrel to the saw buck or splitter and toss in all the small stuff.

A 55 gallon drum with a 2X6 laid a cross the top makes a nice chopping block for splitting the shortpieces for kindling. The pieces fall into the barrel and your done. No bending over or picking up 1000 pieces.


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## slowp (Oct 4, 2010)

Milk crates. They have good ventilation.


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## lopro (Oct 5, 2010)

leon said:


> I must be really ************ if I use 5 gallon pails to store kindling, pine cones, hard wood nut shells, wood chips from my processor etc. MEEEEOOOOW!!!!



^^That's what I'm doing now...but it won't last for long. Guess I should just carry on as I am. I'm sure the wife will come up with something before the weekend is over...never fails.


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## esshup (Oct 5, 2010)

I use a decorative metal log rack that's made for people in the city. I look at the local cabinet shop parking lot every time I drive by, and when they put out their pile of scraps I grab the trailer and beat feet back there. Their scraps are hardwood, no particle board, and anywhere from 3/4" thick x 3" wide x 12' long to 12' long thin strips. They stack a pile outside in front in a metal rack that's 3' wide and 3'-4' tall that's free for the taking. I think they'll get upset if I take the rack too, so I leave it there. 

One afternoon on the chop saw gives me enough kindling for a year or 2.


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## STLfirewood (Oct 5, 2010)

Take a log and noodle it. Put the noodles in a bad and use them. The work great. Or just buy kiln dried firewood from me and you don't have to worry about much kindling. 

Scott


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## Upidstay (Oct 5, 2010)

I have a virtually unlimited supply of pallets at work, so I just cut them up. I usually only use the horizontal slate, cut them to 6" or so. I split some in 1/3's with a hatchet. My clever way of storing them is an old book shelf and cardboard boxes.


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## Cambium (Oct 5, 2010)

Yeap...I was tired of the mess and boxes so I decided to invest in buckets. I'll bring one in from the garage to wood stove...Each bucket of kindling lasts a week. Once empty either I go outside and refill it let it dry in garage or use it in summertime for something.


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## Wood Doctor (Oct 5, 2010)

*Here are some ideas.*

I have more kindling than I know what to do with because the logsplitter leaves it behind as wood scree. 

I fill up a couple of old trash containers that have holes in the bottom of them with logsplitter scree. Draining stagnant water from the trash cans is rather important. Otherwise you collect sewage water in the cans.

As posted earlier, I also stack kindling with the split wood whenever I can. This year I might split some kindling from short rounds down to 2 x 2 size and store them in ordinary cardboard boxes because I have a whole bunch of those available.

On the other hand, these days I seldom need that much kindling. I fill small boxes or leftover potato chip canisters with sawdust or planer shavings from my workshop. Then I wrap that in a section of newspaper. Surround it with ordinary logs, touch a match to it, and the fire gets lit.


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## kerf (Oct 5, 2010)

At the grocery store we sometimes get paper bags instead of plastic. I fill each bag about 1/3 full of kindling and keep it in the shed. When I need to start a fire, I just throw a bag in the stove over some newspaper.

BTW, we use the plastic bags from the grocery store for trash so we don't have to buy trash bags.


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## chowdozer (Oct 5, 2010)

Couple of 5 gallon buckets


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## deerlakejens (Oct 6, 2010)

I second the paper grocery bags. I keep some in my wood working shop for cutoffs and sawdust, fill them until about 2/3 full and then stack them in an open cabinet. When I need to start a fire, I just place a bag in the stove and light. The bags with the paper handles really work great!


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## REDnekburner (Oct 6, 2010)

i use spacle buckets


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## 727sunset (Oct 7, 2010)

I have 3 shopping carts that I brought home from the dump. They are used for storing and drying kindling that's mainly cedar as well as any twigs that fall on the lawn. Once dried I move it to cardboard cartons and keep them in the garden shed. 










There was really no reason given for all the shopping carts there that day but I wasn't long grabbing them. The wheels and handles served no purpose and were simply cut off. The carts are sitting on pallets in their own section of the wood shelter...works for me!


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## Oldtimer (Oct 7, 2010)

I collect the bark and slivers that result from the cutting and splitting.
I use cardboard boxes I get for free at the local store. 15-20 boxes is more than enough...and they stack!
On years I don't have enough of my own, I go to the local log concentration yard and pick up boxes full of dry bark. There's 40 cords of dry bark there in late July, most of it dry oak bark. Works tha balls.


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## lopro (Oct 7, 2010)

727sunset said:


>



^That one gets the prize for "Most Original"



savageactor7 said:


>




^This one is runner-up


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## osujake (Oct 7, 2010)

$9.95 ace 30 gal garbage can longer stuff, 5 gal buckets shorter stuff, fruit and produce baskets for old newspaper.


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## Willh5080 (Nov 29, 2021)

I use these (https://www.bestadvisor.com/deck-boxes ) things as a kindling storage


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## GeeVee (Nov 29, 2021)

11 year old thread, but welcome to the site....


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## Mad Professor (Nov 29, 2021)

Pine cones to get things going stored in large plastic tote. Put a couple handfulls in a paper bag.

Kindling goes on top of the woodrack.


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## michael j (Nov 29, 2021)

11 year old thread...but I'm game.
View attachment IMG_2152.MOV


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## lwmibc (Nov 29, 2021)

Hey!--that's what I do in my shop too! Kindling comes in a 20# bottle. Never fails to light, either.


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## Cricket (Nov 30, 2021)

Somehow I've inherited a number of big lidded wheeled Herbie Kerbie type trash containers. A bit of a pain if you're only five feet tall, but even quite full they tip to the back well, so you can easily get to the bottom when they're down that far. Also, free. (I swear I didn't steal them - both of my current ones have the name of a now departed trash company on them, so I assume they were discarded? Don't notify the FBI...  )


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## woodpecker59 (Dec 6, 2021)

I gotta tell ya, the guys that mentioned trying to keep up with the wife going thru the kindling caught my attention. I had the same problem going on, and I was getting down on my knees and splitting the kindling with a hatchet. Well, I finally had enough of that crap and started looking for a better way. Now remember, I said easier, not cheaper. I found a 7 ton electric splitter made in the USA, that fits perfectly on top of an old dresser. The amazing thing is, I actually enjoy filling the kindling bucket once a week! I use one of those wide round tin troughs, and keep it within tossing distance from my tabletop “kindlingator“. Not sure if I’m gonna violate the rules of this forum, but it’s made by boss, and available on that website that’s named after a big river in South America If anyone wants I can take a few pics and show you the set up, but the wife, the knees, and the back, have all been happier since!


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## muddstopper (Dec 15, 2021)

I gave up and went totally all electric.


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