Tree torches not only provide light and warmth, they are also highlights in the garden and can create the necessary atmosphere at the next party or barbecue. The so-called Swedish fires burn slowly and create an unparalleled eye-catcher, but they also have to be properly prepared. Some measures are necessary to ensure that the torches are real highlights and not a safety risk on your own green space. The following instructions reveal what you should pay attention to.
Types of wood and their advantages
Basically, the Swedish fire simply consists of a piece of tree trunk and a lighting aid. Nevertheless, the tree torches can have very different effects. Above all, the type of wood, the water content and the size are crucial. As a selection aid, we give hobby gardeners the following tips:
- Coniferous trees burn with greater flames than hardwoods
- Dry wood burns more and faster, but smokes less
- Moist or young wood can burn longer but can sometimes smoke heavily
- Thicker and longer tree trunks burn longer, but the flame development can vary greatly
- Logs with small diameters dry more evenly and therefore burn more evenly
- Very old and dry wood is usually brittle and can therefore hardly be used as a Swedish fire
- good diameters for the Swedish fire are 15 to 50 centimeters, conifers reach this more quickly and are therefore cheaper
Tip:
Processing young, damp wood accordingly and then allowing it to dry produces the best results. The material, which is still quite soft, is particularly easy to cut and is less brittle, and it dries faster and more evenly.
Materials
Necessary for the Swedish fire are:
- A wooden trunk with a diameter of 15 to 50 and a length of 30 to 150 centimeters
- A saw, depending on the diameter and length a circular, motor or hand saw
- Fuel and lighters
- Possibly nails and hammer
- A spade or fireproof bucket, gravel and stones
Cutting types
So that the Swedish fire burns from the inside out, it must be cut accordingly. A circular saw or a chainsaw is required for this. However, for small logs, a hand saw is sufficient.
The larger the diameter of the log, the more unusual and complex the shape of the cut can be.
There are the following options:
Cross
The trunk is cut twice from top to bottom, with the two cuts crossing in the middle. The tree slice shows a simple cross. This shape is particularly suitable for narrower trunks, but as a traditional cut it basically fits any size.
Star
Whether three, four or seven cuts are made across the entire diameter - this cutting shape is ideal for large tree trunks. The result is a star on the tree disc or a “cut cake”. Since the trunk is divided into several small logs, it is advisable to mark the cuts beforehand.
Rhombus
A total of four cuts are made, leaving a small square or parallelogram in the center untouched. Since the cut outer parts are rather thin, the shape is better suited for thicker trees.
Chessboard
The checkerboard pattern only requires a few more cuts than the diamond pattern. So three or more cuts horizontally and the same number vertically. When you look at the tree disc, small boxes or chessboard fields appear.
In addition to the shape of the actual cut, a burning trough can then be made. However, if there are larger gaps between the logs anyway, this is not necessary. Otherwise, it is sufficient to remove the inner corners of the logs with a jigsaw or remove them with a chisel and hammer.
Stands and Fixtures
So that the Swedish fire stands upright and doesn't fall over at the first breath of wind or if it burns unevenly, it needs stability. To do this, it is necessary to either place the tree torch in a bucket and surround it with stones or bury it. Alternatively, it can also be placed in a Christmas tree stand and fixed here or made to stand stable with a simple, nailed wooden cross.
Construction instructions
The tree trunks have been selected and now it's time to start building. If you follow these building instructions, you will quickly reach your desired destination:
- Place the tree trunk in a tree stand or bucket and fix it, or build a stand yourself from two slats and nail the trunk to it.
- Cut the desired type of cut into the tree with a saw. Leave about ten to fifteen centimeters intact at the bottom.
- If necessary, form a burning hole in the tree trunk. To do this, either cut off the inner corners with a jigsaw or remove them with a chisel.
- Place the selected fuel or ignition aid into the recesses in the trunk and press down as deep as possible. Since these function as a wick like a candle, at least a small amount of them must be sticking out. Otherwise lighting will be difficult or even impossible.
Tip:
If you can only find very fresh, still damp wood, it can be nailed onto the stand and sawn. Afterwards, however, it should rest and be allowed to dry. The lighter will also only be used later.
Security
Swedish fires can create a great atmosphere and provide both warmth and light, but they are also dangerous due to the open fire. If sparks fly, the fire can spread unintentionally and uncontrollably to nearby plants. Especially in summer, trees, bushes and shrubs as well as taller grasses are often very dry and therefore material that quickly catches fire. Even dry grass can burn down and set fire to other things.
When using tree torches, a safe distance of at least two meters must be maintained from all plants, furniture, buildings and other combustible materials. In addition, the following precautions should be taken:
- Keep water ready. Whether it's a garden hose or a bucket filled with water, in the event of strong sparks or a torch falling over, everything you need must be ready to extinguish the fire.
- Keep the immediate surroundings moist. In times of little rain, in hot weather and in light winds, flames spread very quickly and almost everything becomes flammable material. To maintain safety and reduce risk, all furniture, plants and, if necessary, even paths and buildings should be well moistened. Immediately before using the tree torches, it makes sense to spray everything with the garden hose or water it thoroughly.
- Swedish fires along the garden paths look pretty and light up the routes, but they are also dangerous. Especially on paths, it is difficult to avoid bumping into corners or being too close away, so it is better to set up the tree torches slightly offset from the paths.
- Never leave the tree torches unattended or trust that the open fire will go out by itself. It is better to extinguish the logs again with water, even if the logs appear to be clogged, in order to completely remove unnoticed embers.
Fuel and lighters
So that the tree torches burn quickly and evenly, the fire must be started from the inside. Lighting aids are necessary for this. Suitable are:
- Charcoal or grill lighter
- Old scraps of fabric, a rag or thin piece of wood soaked in oil or spirit
- halved beer mats or cardboard coasters, solid cardboard or wood chips
- Wood wool that has been strongly compressed and inserted deep into the cavity
Paper can also be used, but this usually burns down too quickly - without the wood also being ignited.
Tip:
Be careful with burning aids such as spirit and lamp oil, at first they sometimes create very high flames, which makes lighting difficult and dangerous.
Burning time
The burning time depends on many factors. Unfortunately, there is no way to calculate the exact burning time of a Swedish fire, as it depends on size, thickness, strength, type of wood, air supply, wood moisture and many other things. So it's better to plan more time and always have extinguishing agents on hand if you don't feel like waiting for it to burn down completely.
Conclusion
Swedish fire or tree torch, the small, fiery accents are an eye-catcher and illuminating at the same time on the summer night. They are also very easy to build yourself, require little effort, but make great gifts or lighting. Anyone who also pays attention to safety can have a lot of fun with the individual torches.
