Charcoal lighter

[Dog]

This may be old news to some but I just discovered it.
To avoid the "petroleum" taste from using lighter fluid to start coals you can shell out $15-$20 for a starter can at K-Mart or you can make your own from metal coffee cans.
2-3# cans; both have (4) 1-1/2" holes in sides near bottom.
Bottom can has crimped lip on top to stack top can.
Top can has several 1-1/2" holes in bottom.
Loosely fill bottom can with crumpled newspaper or kindling.
Fill top can with charcoal; will hold about 24 briquets; stack on top of bottom can.
Light bottom can through holes in bottom. When top coals are burning, dump can with Channel-Lock pliers or tongs.
If your cast iron doesn't have legs, use 3 rocks or even cold briquets instead.
If I'm not cooking on a big rock, I use an old cookie sheet to cook on and contain the ashes for EZ cleanup.

Dog

[RobS]

Excellent tip Dog. I've got one starter ("chimney") in our camper and a much larger one at home. I really like the larger one, it's a Weber with cool touch handle and all [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Pat]

With a little more manipulation of spare cans and a wood scrap you can make your own cool touch handle.

If you don't have a convenient means of making the 1 1/2 inch holes then instead just use a "church key" to make a series of holes all around the bottom of the can in place of fewer but larger holes. It will work just fine.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Bird]

I'm wondering how many of the readers of this thread are too young to know what a "church key" is. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

[egon]

Oh my Bird; you would not try and be leading the younger ones astray?? [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

There were times when one had to resort to various different forms of lock picks to gain entrance!

Looks like it was Pat started all this! As usuall.

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Pat]

Bird, The more intelligent and observant will know. There has been plenty of reruns of movies with such info.

How many know what a P-38 (AKA John Wayne in some circles) is?

Hint: This is not referring to one of Walther's pistols but was a common item carried by virtually every GI and plenty of civilians many of which carry it on their keyring.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Bird]

Dang, Pat, I'm gettin' slower in my old age. As many times as I've seen and even used a P-38, I'd forgotten and had to go to google.com to refresh my memory.

[Pat]

Bird, I think Google is wonderful! It sort of represents "shared" memory. What a resource.

I wonder how many folks besides you had to google to find out what a P-38 is. It is one of the MUST HAVE items.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[GaryM]

It's a 9MM pistol! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

I used to have one of the P-38s you're referring to on my key ring, but it kept poking me in the leg.

[egon]

And here I was under the impression a P - 38 was a pretty good airplane.! [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]