Organic Fire Starter

Abstract

A fire starter device manufactured from natural, organic components and designed for igniting combustible materials in wood stoves, fireplaces, firepits, and camp fires, or igniting charcoal briquettes. The device is moldable as it solidifies during the cooling of a slurry of coarsely ground pine cones and beeswax, soy wax, or a mixture of beeswax and soy wax. A cotton string coated with beeswax and inserted into the fire starter during the manufacturing process serves as the initial ignition point for the device. No petroleum products or derivatives of petroleum (paraffin) are used in the production of this fire starter. The components of this device are naturally occurring and renewable resources—pine cones and either beeswax, soy wax, or a blend of beeswax and soy wax. The burning of this device as an ignition source produces no noxious fumes, a pleasant odor, and minimal residue.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A fire starter, which is a manufactured article fabricated from a composition comprised of pulverized dried pine cones and beeswax, soy wax, or a blend of beeswax and soy wax. A waxed cotton wick provides the ignition site for the device. In the manufacturing process, dried pine cones are coarsely ground and mixed with liquified beeswax, soy wax, or a blend of beeswax and soy wax to form a viscous, moldable slurry of non-homogeneous pine cone shreds. This slurry is poured into a mold and rapidly cooled to preserve the shape of the mixture and prevent differential settling of the component parts. A cotton wick, coated with beeswax, is added to the molded shape during the later stages of the cooling process. The final composition of the fire starter is: pulverized pine cones in the range of 25 to 40 per cent by weight, beeswax, soy wax, or a blend of these waxes in the range of 60 to 75 per cent by weight, and a wax coated cotton wick in the range of 0.2 to 0.5 percent by weight. 
     
     
         2 . The fire starter of  claim 1  wherein the imbedded particles are comprised of coarsely ground pine cones shreds. 
     
     
         3 . The fire starter of  claim 1  wherein the binding material is either beeswax, soy wax, or a blend of beeswax and soy wax. 
     
     
         4 . The fire starter of  claim 1  wherein the moldable forms are either: a) a truncated cone, b) a rectangular solid, c) a cylinder, or d) other easily moldable shape. 
     
     
         5 . The fire starter of  claim 1  wherein the surfaces are highly textured and comprised of wax coated, pine cone shreds. 
     
     
         6 . A process to manufacture the fire starter of  claim 1  comprising: a) drying pine cones, b) pulverizing the pine cones through chipping and grinding processes, c) liquifying by heat either beeswax, soy wax, or a blend of beeswax and soy wax, d) mixing the liquified wax solution with a specific weight of pulverized pine cone shreds to form a slurry, e) pouring the slurry into a mold, f) rapidly cooling the mold during a solidification process, g) inserting a cotton wick, coated with beeswax during the solidification of the slurry, and h) removing the device from the mold.