How to make a Roman candle from a log. DIY Finnish candle

Many tourists, hunters and fishermen, in order to boil water at a rest stop, had to decide how to light a fire in windy weather. More than once or twice they thought about how to make it so that they did not have to constantly adapt to the changing wind, placing firewood on the right side, or moving a stick with a pot hanging on it. And the way out of this situation is not difficult. It is enough to light a “Finnish candle”.

This memorable name hides a whole group of wood structures that allow you to warm up and cook food in hiking conditions with sufficient comfort. The ability to make a Finnish candle, both among tourists and among hunters, fishermen and simply lovers of outdoor recreation, is not common. Let's try to fix this. So, let's start.

Today there are many names for this method of making a fire:

• Finnish candle;
• Swedish candle;
• Indian candle;
• hunting candle;
• wooden primus stove.

Beneath them are hidden fires that are fundamentally similar in design, built inside a specially prepared chock or between several combined chocks standing vertically.

Application area

Such options are suitable for both cooking and heating.

Moreover, a full-fledged fire can be lit even with a lack of fuel, sometimes making do with just one log.

This long-burning fire It tolerates windy weather well, it is quite compact, economical, does not require the installation of additional devices for cooking and tolerates precipitation quite tolerably. Since even heavy rain, with the pot on the fire, will not be able to extinguish it.

During its use, many changes were made to the design, depending on the conditions of use. The classic “Finnish Candle” fire originally consisted of a log split into two halves, which were then fastened together in places where they were chipped using wire, rope or other available materials. Over time, for better combustion, the chock was no longer split into two halves, but into more parts. Then, instead of splitting, they began to make cuts and even assemble a fire from several logs pressed vertically against each other.

How to make a Finnish candle

First of all, you need to decide on the design. This depends on several factors:

• the presence of thick logs at the resting place and good tools;
• the presence of wire for tying thin logs and split logs;
• soil composition;
• number of people in the group;
• the need to dry things.

Almost all options are divided into two groups according to manufacturing method:

• from one fairly thick piece of wood;
• from several logs with a smaller diameter.

Now let's proceed directly to manufacturing.

Solid block with cuts

To do this, take a piece of wood with a diameter of 20 cm. We make cuts in it so that we get several lobes. Usually their number ranges from two to eight. Then, in the center of the log, using wood chips and available materials, a fire is lit. To do this, you can lightly chop off the central parts of the lobes.

Gradually the fire spreads down the cuts. The fewer cuts, the longer the combustion, the more of them, the hotter the fire. The cuts are made to a depth of up to 3/4 of the height. Oxygen penetrates through the cuts to the combustion site. Over time, this version of the Finnish candle burns out top part middle, and the open fire turns into smoldering. After this, cooking will be quite difficult, but for heating it will be quite suitable.

Split Wood

This option is very similar to the first. In it, all parts of the initially chopped lump are tightly connected with wire to each other. First, the central parts of the lobes are slightly planed. This will provide enough wood chips for ignition and create channels for air draft. After this, the parts of the chock are tightly tied together with wire, starting from the middle.

You need to tighten the bottom especially carefully, otherwise your fire will fall apart as it burns out. You can also use rope instead of wire, but this option is less reliable. Please note one nuance: unlike sawn wood, the chips are pressed very tightly. There is practically no fire coming through the sides, so this option cannot be used as a heater. But it burns longer without disintegrating, it can be moved quite easily from place to place if necessary, and it has a fairly strongly directed flame.

Chock with two holes

As the name suggests, a couple of holes are made in a vertically standing block. One from top to bottom, to the same length as the cuts in the first option, at 3/4 of the height. The other is at right angles to the first at a height of 1/4 from the bottom of the block, so that the holes are connected.

You can ignite both through the top hole and through the bottom. This method is the most effective for cooking, but also the most difficult to make due to the need to use additional tool.

Assembly of thin logs

The option will do in the absence of a tool. In this case, from three to five logs are placed on their ends and tied in a vertical position.

Such a stove is easier to manufacture and ignites much easier, which is important if you have insufficient experience.

The first three options require a log with a diameter of 20 to 30 centimeters. Large diameters are not advisable. The height should be approximately twice the diameter. With this ratio of diameter and height, your hearth will be the most stable.

Now let’s take a closer look at perhaps the most important issue. How to light a fire, which is described above. Even for experienced tourists, this problem will arise during their first attempts. How can you make a Finnish candle burn faster? Yes, very simple. It is enough to remember the elementary laws of nature:

• the flame burns only if there is a sufficient supply of oxygen;
• heated air always tends upward.

Therefore, for successful combustion it is necessary to ensure that these two conditions are met. Namely, there must be at least a small gap between the parts of the chopped wood so that the flame moves freely upward, and there must be a free flow of air from below. This can be achieved in the following ways:

• slightly cut off the central parts of the chopped logs with a knife or an ax;
• using available means (for example, stones or a pair of thin sticks) raise the fire above the ground;
• chop off the lower parts of at least two adjacent parts so that a small channel for air flow is formed into the center of the fire.

The second option is not very successful, since a fire lit in this way will not be stable enough.

Cooking

Finally, let's move on to the most “delicious” part. How to cook on a Finnish candle? It turns out that it’s also nothing complicated. Any cookware that can withstand cooking over a fire will do.

But we must not forget that the fire must be provided with a way out. If you place a saucepan or kettle directly on the chock, the fire will stop burning normally and the water will not boil. This issue can be resolved in the following way:

• place a stand on top of the log in the form of two freshly cut sticks up to 5 cm thick;
• When assembling, two or three parts of your candle should be higher than the rest by the same distance.

In the second case, this can be achieved different ways. If we assemble a candle from several thin logs, then in advance, when cutting, two of them are made longer than the others. When placed vertically, they will provide the necessary gap between the dishes and the surface. Or, when assembling, you can move two logs slightly upward compared to the rest. You can do the same in the case of chopped logs. This method allows you to simultaneously provide two channels for air supply from below. And the fire will burn more steadily and hotter.

Happy travels!

A Scandinavian or Finnish candle is a very common fire design among experienced hunters, fishermen and lovers of outdoor activities. This design good because it is represented by one single vertically installed log. Moreover, such a fire is ideal for cooking.

1. Make a Finnish candle with an ax

For this method you will need an ax and a log with even fibers without knots. First, we split the log into 6-8 logs. The wedge of each log is cut off with an ax so that when reassembly it turned out to be a tube. We lay out the logs in a “daisy” pattern, take the wire and put the log back together. The wire will hold the entire structure. The chain left over from the logs can be used to kindle a Finnish candle.

2. Make a Finnish candle with a chainsaw

One of the most simple ways. We take our chainsaw and divide the log into 6 segments, making cuts approximately 2/3 of the height of the piece of wood. That's all that needs to be done before ignition. All that remains is to place some dry wood chips in the very center and set it on fire. The only “but” is that there is not so much fuel to fit into such a Scandinavian candle. Therefore, you can add a little gasoline directly from the saw’s tank.

3. Make a Finnish candle with a drill

Here we need a wood drill bit with a diameter of 20-30 mm. The length of the drill must exceed 2/3 of the height of the log. First, drill one hole exactly in the middle. After this, another side hole needs to be made so that it connects with the first one made along the core of the log. Lighting such a candle does not cause any difficulties.

How the candles burn

If a Finnish candle was made with an ax or chainsaw, then it will burn very quickly and will give a lot of heat and fire. This candle will burn out in about 3-5 hours. There is no fundamental difference between fires created by the first two (described here) methods. Another thing is the Finnish candle, created by drilling. This will burn almost twice as long, but the heat will be less. The latter also flares up the slowest.

Video

Continuing the hiking theme to the delight of the traveler.

On a trip to Lake Chepolshevskoye in July 2012, I decided to make that famous stump with vertical cuts, with which a young Finnish woman surprised experienced Siberian lumberjacks ( funny story!). It turned out exactly like in that story: first I was subjected to public ridicule and criticism, and then the critics themselves used a chainsaw, making more and more logs with cuts...

Take a piece of DRY pine or spruce log at least half a meter long and from one end with a chainsaw two cuts are made “crosswise” along the log at about three-quarters of its height. A certain amount of gasoline or other flammable mixture is poured into the center of the cut and set on fire. The flame spreads upward in the center of the log; the side slots serve to supply oxygen to the combustion zone. The log burns for a long time, several hours, and during this time you can not only warm the kettle, but also prepare serious dishes...

Some people call this type of fire a Finnish candle, some an Indian candle, and some Swedish candle. Sometimes you can hear the word Volya or even "turbopen".

My main mistake in making the first Finnish candle in my life was that I took a damp pine log, almost completely soaked by rain. After several unsuccessful attempts to set fire to its center from below, under the ridicule of friends, I placed this log on a regular fire with the sawn end facing the fire. It only took a couple of minutes for the wood in the cut to dry out, start fire, and my first Finnish candle started working, and how it worked!.... Laughter gave way to exclamations of surprise and approval, people immediately began to offer options with a large number of cuts, even eight

While former critics were extolling the simplicity and genius of this human invention, I cooked food for my fox terrier Bundy, and called out to the camp; “Hey, people, who needs a new stove?!”

It should be noted right away that the pot or kettle stands on the end quite securely and conveniently; putting dishes on and off the fire is also convenient. These are the advantages. The downside is that the dishes still get dirty

We remembered that we need to boil the crayfish while they are still alive

And now the main critic of my idea with the log - Viktor Lobachev - with undisguised pleasure he cooks lake crayfish for dinner on a Finnish candle

It seems that later our women also heated water on a candle for washing dishes. When it got colder, a candle that continued to burn was used for heating.
We’ve just run out of ideas on what else can be cooked on one log.

Already in Obninsk, they told me that one wonderful company has long been going to the forest in winter to make dumplings, having only one pre-prepared log. You don’t have to trample snow in search of firewood, or destroy trees in the forest near the city, but it’s light, hot and the whole company feels good around a big cauldron of dumplings

The more side slots, the more intense the supply of oxygen to the combustion zone, the stronger the flame and the shorter the life of the candle. The picture shows how big the flame is on the Finnish candle with 8 side cuts. One such Finnish candle replaces an entire fire. And pay attention that behind Dasha’s back there is a smoldering old fire that no one needs anymore - everyone has enough light and heat from one pine log

In the near future I will write a note about an Indian candle - a fire based on one log, but with a slightly different design

We're talking about a Swedish candle. It also has other names, for example “ Swedish Primus" or " log candle».

That is Swedish candle is burning log.

The idea came from Sweden - it was here that they figured out how to decorate a picnic on fresh air in the dark. And it is no coincidence that this design was called a “log candle” - if executed correctly, it burns long and evenly, like a candle, although it is still a log.

I want to talk about different technologies making a Swedish candle.

Option 1 – classic.

We need a log. Important - dry! We are looking for dead wood in the forest. It’s better if it’s pine – resinous conifers burn beautifully in candles.

The diameter of the log is such that it can be cut. It is advisable that the diameter is no larger than the length of the saw.

We need to cut off one block of wood from the entire log, from 50 cm to 1 meter long (whichever is more convenient).

That is, we cut crosswise with an asterisk.

But don't cut all the way through, because the log should not fall apart.

Here's a video for clarity:

In principle, the smallest thing left is a catalyst is needed to start a fire- kerosene, diesel fuel, fuel... They say that the easiest thing is - a mixture of gasoline and oil from the same saw.

And after the barbecue I still had “ lighter fluid- I used it.

I didn't pour a lot. But I found pieces of birch bark and stuck several strips into the cracks. The task is simple - give starting fire.

And when it flares up, there is no need to do anything further, the wooden candle itself continues to burn. The side vertical cuts here ensure that the air goes to the center, to the middle and at the same time to the top, which makes the flame even and quite large.

Maybe you will say - “ it's all pampering».

I disagree!

Imagine situations when we want to fry fish in a frying pan(we are fishermen, remember? J)

AND if there is no stand, then the task becomes difficult. And if blowing strong wind ? But with the Swedish candle we can do everything!

After all, this A wind-protected stove with a level base and stable combustion.

Photo for clarity (I fried eggs because J didn’t catch any fish).

Swedish candle option No. 2.

It is done like this:

We take a thick (later it will be clear why) block of wood. We use a chainsaw to cut square cuts from one end. Let's go as deep as possible.

(When sawing like this, sawdust flies upward like a fountain! We were covered with sawdust from head to toe!)

And then we cut the same square cut on the side of the log:

The task is to make a hollow chimney inside a log in the shape of the letter “L”.

The 236th Husqvarna coped with the cutting task easily.

A difficulty has arisen with picking out pieces of wood from a log. I had to use an ax (they used it as a lever).

And when they dug it out - it turned out to be a wooden stove - with a firebox and a chimney.

Attention - error!

I thought that if I put a frying pan on top, then I'll close the top hole- and the craving will disappear = burning will be bad.

Therefore, I made cuts along the entire top part (see photo) to provide oxygen access. But that was a mistake! The log burned too hot and burned all over the surface:

And it was impossible to fry over such a powerful fire.

All in all, I didn't like this option– it’s not easy and quick to do.

And for those who wants it fast- There is option No. 3

The bottom line is this - you need to put together something similar to option No. 1, but from thin logs.

This option is suitable for those who do not yet have a chainsaw.

There are one or two short logs in the center of the structure, and they are surrounded by long ones. We secure (wrap) the entire structure with wire. That is, we tie together a bundle of firewood. We fill the void in the center with “kindling” - dry twigs, birch bark, etc.

Disadvantages of this option are obvious: the structure is not very stable, and besides, the wire cannot always be found. Although some craftsmen fix willow twigs(weave a ring from them).

But this option flares up very quickly!

So - the advantages of the Swedish candle:

• Smooth, stable combustion for a long time.
• Eat mounting surface pots/pans.
• Can be provided combustion in difficult conditions: for example in winter just stuck in a snowdrift, set it on fire and that's it. This candle can stand at one end in a puddle of water. The main thing is that the tree on top is dry from the beginning.
• We save wood. During the time this log burns, the fire will consume several times more. And with a Swedish candle we will have time to boil the pot, fry the fish, and boil it again...
• Aesthetics. Of course, we are tough fishermen, but we also have a sense of beauty. J Damn, it’s just beautiful! And the children absolutely squealed with delight!

In general - try it, you will like it!

Especially for FION.RU Andrey Medvedev (Medved)

What could be better than a fire on a cool evening in nature? Only a properly designed fire, which is capable of continuously giving maximum light and heat to others. We offer you several interesting options, which are called “Finnish” or “taiga candles”.

The model of the first “candle” is quite simple: three blocks are placed close together, and a fire is lit between them. This design is very stable. It will take only 20 minutes to boil 5 liters of water in a saucepan without a lid on such a fire. As the logs burn out, they gradually take the shape of a hut and, in order to maintain further combustion, you can throw firewood under them. To ensure uniform burning, the height of the logs should be selected correctly. The optimal height would be 2 log diameters. The flame of such a candle is quite bright and can illuminate a large area around.

To create the second “candle” you will only need one log of wood, split into 4 parts. The flame from a lit fire turns out to be quite high, but not as intense as in the first case. You can also cook food on such a fire, but for a very short time, since after the core burns out, the structure becomes unstable and the logs simply fall apart.

The third version of the fire-candle, better known as the “primus”, has a concentrated stream of fire. The basis for it is a log with a hollowed out core and split into four parts. The resulting elements are fastened with wire or nails. The two opposite parts must be placed a few centimeters higher. Due to this, you will ensure the flow of air to the fire in the middle of the “primus” and the exit of flames from above the structure.

Such a fire has one significant drawback: all the combustion energy is concentrated inside the log and produces virtually no heat. However, there is an advantage: you can make such a fire almost anywhere, even on wet soil and, if desired, simply move it in your hands to another place.

To make the base for the last “Finnish candle” you will need to make two or three cuts in the upper part of the block. Lighting this fire will not be easy, so a little gasoline or oil is often poured into the center for this purpose. Such a fire burns downwards, providing a lot of heat and light. When the flame subsides, you can throw firewood inside the resulting bowl, and the fire will flare up with new strength. This “candle” can be effectively used as long-term illumination of a large area. To make such a fire you will need a log 2–3 meters high. Use a chainsaw to cut its end into 6 pieces, light it and place it vertically. Such a lighting pole will illuminate the clearing for at least three hours.

Assessing the effectiveness of each of the described options for “Finnish candles” 3 hours after lighting, it should be noted that the second and third options will most likely have lost their shape by this time, and the fourth, despite its unsightly appearance, will still be able to give off intense heat, which will last no more than half an hour. The first “candle” will be the most durable, useful and productive. Even 6 hours after ignition, this fire will have an excellent shape and flame, which will allow it to be used to heat water and illuminate the site.