On a recent trip to Sweden, I encountered a new way to use my chainsaw on short logs that is really astounding. At a Swedish style Barbeque, I noticed some logs turned on end lined up by the driveway. Upon closer inspection I found that they had been cut with a chainsaw to enhance burning them vertically. At the beginning of the Barbeque, the host began lighting them. They burned brightly and cleanly, even in the cold wet weather that happened to be occurring in Sweden at the time. They burned like magic, like something you would expect if set on fire by Gandalf himself, the great wizard from “The Lord of the Rings”!
I investigated these magic log candles and found you need three things you may have had access to all your life to make these, but never thought of using them in this way – a chainsaw, short pieces of logs, and elbow grease. Its a simple idea, and very easy to make. No magic is needed, just some basic chainsaw techniques.
To make a Swedish Log Candle, 4 cuts are made vertically in the log to within 4″ of the base of the log. Cut the log as you would a pie with the chainsaw blade held perpendicular to the end of the log. The top of the log should have 8 equal pie pieces showing when you are finished. On logs larger than 12 inches in diameter, it is better to make more cuts than 4 – maybe up to 8 cuts on these bigger logs.
The cuts in the log provide plenty of air to the fire in the center and funnel the air up the middle to make a hot burning fire.
These logs are the perfect example of the Fire Triangle, the concept taught to all firefighters and forestry burning crews. These crews try to take away one of these legs of the Fire Triangle – either Heat, Fuel, or oxygen, in order to put out the flame. The forestry burning crews doing a controlled burn also use the Fire Triangle to determine if they can have a successful controlled burn in forested areas. The Swedish Log Candles have all three of these working together to make a perfect burning fire. The log itself is the fuel, the cuts supply a huge supply of oxygen, and the adjacent triangles of wood burning provide heat to each other.
The candles need a little encouragement to get them going in the form of some kind of accelerant, such as lighter fluid, diesel, or kerosene. If they have been allowed to dry awhile they will start easily. If the logs are green or wet, they will need a good bit of accelerant. If you have dead pine trees on your property, this is a great use for them – a fun way to dispose of the logs. Dead pine logs will burn almost immediately with little drying. Just make the cuts and pour on the lighter fluid. Put a little lighter fluid in the cuts and wait a few minutes before lighting. Light with a piece of paper. Having the lighter fluid in a squirt bottle helps to keep the fire going until the log catches up and begins to burn the wood. Once the wood gets to burning, the fire will need no more encouragement and will just grow stronger on its own.
Depending on the log size, these log candles will last upwards of 2 hours, burning cleanly throughout the evening.
Log candles are the perfect addition to a night outdoors. They can be set on the ground with minimum danger to setting anything else on fire. If it is a dry time of the year, of course, precaution should be taken to make sure they do not set the grass on fire. The fire burns vertically, and very few coals will fall out of the fire. They burn almost completely up, so little ash is left. The base is easily disposed of if it is not burned up completely. Do not set a Log Candle near a building or a car and be careful of burning in windy weather. They are best burned with little wind in the area, as then you will get an even burn all the way through the log. The cuts in the log funnel the air up from the bottom through the middle of the log. They burn so hot in the middle, we have melted glass bottles set in the middle of the log after it has been burning awhile.
These are the perfect companions on a camping trip. Just light it up and you have the perfect campfire, where you have a built in stove top for a pan to boil water in or saute something in for your meal. They are also great for roasting marshmallows, and much safer to be around than a traditional campfire. But, the best use for them is for outdoor lighting. They burn brightly, and on a dark still night put out lengthy streaks of light on the ground from each cut, and the fire will burn up to 2 feet in the air when they really get going!
Make the logs about 2 feet tall and make the cuts down to within 4 inches of the base. Make the tip of your chainsaw bar dig into the middle of the base of the log so that lighter fluid will pool there and will help fuel the initial fire.
A good sharp chain on a powerful chainsaw is a must for making these log candles. Be sure and wear the proper protection equipment when operating the chainsaw, such as gloves, hearing protection, saw chaps, and boots.
It was told to me in Sweden that a famous hobo in the last century had invented the log candles as a way to provide heat through the night while waiting on a train to come by. I didn’t ask where the hobo got the chainsaw for this trick, but it certainly is a good idea he came up with. (Maybe he was one of Gandalf’s long lost descendants.)
