I don't have a problem going out of my way, paying money, walking, waiting, getting a shuttle, buying merch, or doing any of the things that go along with the bonfire...but all the times i've been...it's never really burned.

Was this a problem when it was on campus?

The delays in the schedule and culmination of a 10 minute burn of diesel resulting in thick black smoke kind of disenchant the whole deal.

It burned quite nicely in 2003 and 2006.

should have been there last year. Boy was it pretty...

nothing but Diesel and kindling.

Traditionally, Bonfire was soaked with excess jet fuel that had been in holding beyond the FAA guidelines. That fuel is now used at the fire training center near the airport, so it's not available.

A little history:
The first off-campus Bonfire had a mix of diesel and another oil to help it stick on the stack. It worked. The second Bonfire in 2003 probably had more diesel than wood on it. Thanks to the abundance of fuel and a 20mph wind, it burned blue and white. 2004 showed that SB needed something adhesive because the rain washed off a significant portion of the diesel and caused a very slow inside-out burn. There were also some problems with a fuel pump, but they got worked out. 2005 had plenty of diesel, but the bark on the pine trees on stack kept them from burning and it extinguished itself in about 45 minutes. 2006 went perfectly. It had diesel and kerosene (on the bed sheets). Special care was taken to put kindling in the stack and allowing some space for air flow.

Realize that the logs can't be soaked too far in advance (smokers, chainsaws, perimeter fires, arsonists, etc.) or too late. It's not an exact science, but it works.

-------------------------------------------------------
If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you can read this in English, thank a Soldier.

[This message has been edited by opie03 (edited 11/14/2007 10:20p).]

Last year it was 280 gallons of diesel that I sprayed onto stack in a rainshower like fashion.

If there was any significant quantity of another substance used, it was not during my watch, and not by my hand.

the secret to last years burn was in the dried pine slats that went between all the cracks...rumor has it, they will be there again this year.

[This message has been edited by TexasRebel (edited 11/14/2007 10:24p).]

This thread made me laugh for some reason.

It definitely burned nice and long in 06. I left the burn site around 1:00 in the morning but I'm told it burned until 4 or 5 in the morning.

Stay away from pine trees and it should burn.

It used to go up in a heartbeat back in the day with that Jet Fuel. (sigh)

I miss those days.

quote:

---

Stay away from pine trees and it should burn.

---

It's not so much that they need to stay away from pine trees, it's that if they do use pine trees, they need to debark the outter ring of trees to get past their natural defense to fire. Once pine is on fire, it'll burn hot and fast. It's just a matter of getting the fire hot enough to get past the bark.

I think it is safe to say that a bonfire made of pine and successfully burned would be more trouble than oak and should be a last resort.

I think Potatoshack really misses the point. Bonfire isn't an event put on so that a mass of Aggies can come watch a fire. The tradition of bonfire is about cut and stack. Yes, the event is more important now because it's revenue is necessary for the continued success of off-campus bonfire, but the success of 2005 was in all the lessons learned and friendships built during cut and stack.
I am sorry you feel like you don't get your money's worth, but the way I see it, more AGGIES learned how to be REDASS in 2006 because of your support and I hope that is a comfort.

A little tip: If jet fuel is not available, use a mixture of oil, gas, and diesel. Once ignited, diesel burns very hot, but you need the gas to help get the initial spark.

kerosene has a similar effect...but isn't quite as volatile. The sheets that are nailed to stack are soaked in krosene, and we tossed in about 3 gallons of gasoline for good measure around the base...just enough to accelerate the flame, but not enough to create a flash fire from the vapors...like '03 (I believe it was)