Fat wood for firelighting

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Fat wood for firelighting

Postby Moondog55 » Tue 27 Jun, 2017 9:56 am

Not something you see here in Australia often unless you buy packs ar Safeway or Bunnings.
BUT
I like a BBQ at home and I get pine pallets from the local aluminium place to use as kindling
I was splitting some yesterday and 3 of the big pieces were of fatwood.
I have put them aside and over the next week or so I am going to shave it and make small bundles to put into my various kits and rucksacks as part of the fire kits I usually carry. I may even make some Maya dust for use with the flint and steel because I have some very dry punk here
So has anybody else ever come across this resin saurated pine? By accident or design?
Ve are too soon old und too late schmart
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Re: Fat wood for firelighting

Postby davidf » Tue 27 Jun, 2017 10:43 am

I had never heard of fatwood. A quick google says you can get it from stumps from cut pines, I live near a pine forest. And how does the dust get made and work? Sounds useful as a second starter in wet conditions. NB I'm a pyro with 2 BBQs, fuel stove and woodshed.. So would love to know more.
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Re: Fat wood for firelighting

Postby Moondog55 » Tue 27 Jun, 2017 12:17 pm

You simply scrape the fatwood stick with a knife to get fine sawdust as youneed it or in advance and keep it in a small waterproof tin
Ve are too soon old und too late schmart
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Re: Fat wood for firelighting

Postby Gadgetgeek » Tue 27 Jun, 2017 6:23 pm

It seems to happen at certain times of year, as the root will push the wood full of sap if the tree is felled. Takes some doing for large scale production, mostly its found by accident.
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Re: Fat wood for firelighting

Postby Neo » Tue 27 Jun, 2017 6:42 pm

Is fat wood the heart wood (centre) with more sap?
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Re: Fat wood for firelighting

Postby Gadgetgeek » Tue 27 Jun, 2017 7:47 pm

No, its generally the whole thing, but I'd guess the sapwood would hold more of the crystallized resin.
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Re: Fat wood for firelighting

Postby Neo » Tue 27 Jun, 2017 7:51 pm

Hmm I'm trying to think of where resin would collect. Usually at a wound which would be external or in a gum pocket.
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Re: Fat wood for firelighting

Postby Neo » Tue 27 Jun, 2017 7:53 pm

Ok looked it up, is the resinous heartwood of either tree, stump or branch intersection of a pine.

I just look for dry gumleaves, but not particularly portable.
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Re: Fat wood for firelighting

Postby andrewa » Tue 27 Jun, 2017 9:04 pm

I've used the wood shavings that come out of my thicknesser ( wood working machine) . Also work great for smoking trout.

A
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Re: Fat wood for firelighting

Postby Gadgetgeek » Wed 28 Jun, 2017 6:48 am

Interesting, because I've certainly found sapwood that was very resinous. doesn't much matter so long as it works.
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Re: Fat wood for firelighting

Postby ozbushwalking » Sat 24 Mar, 2018 9:15 am

Fatwood is an exceptional fire lighting tool but seems to be more popular in the UK and US than here.

You can obtain it from the base/root system of a fallen tree or from the intersection of where the branch meets the trunk. Particularly if the branch has broken of and the tree has pushed the resin to"heal" itself.

To create the scrapings continuously run the spine of your knife down the edge of the fatwood until you believe you have enough to catch a spark. You can then also create feather sticks to grow your fire.
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