# Could I roll up old magazines into logs for the wood stove? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 6, 2005, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-roll-up-old-magazines-into-logs-for-the-wood-stove/288714 "2005-02-06T23:22:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-roll-up-old-magazines-into-logs-for-the-wood-stove/288714/1 "2005-02-06T23:22:35Z")
I have a bunch of old magazines that I have long grown out of—mainly old issues of _Maxim_ and their ilk. Nothing worthy of saving or giving away, in my opinion. I could throw them away, but I had the idea that they could be rolled up, bound with twine, and used as cheap—if quick-burning, I’d guess—fuel for the wood stove. How would this work? Would I poison myself with the burning of the ink? Would the by-products of burning these magazines clog the flue? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-roll-up-old-magazines-into-logs-for-the-wood-stove/288714/2 "2005-02-06T23:34:24Z")
Newspapers, [yes](http://www.ehow.com/how_1746_make-paper-fireplace.html) . Slick magazines…I don’t think so. Too small, too loose. All you will get is tons of ash and floaters. Even the above site says don’t use paper in a wood stove. ---
**Author:** ![Spongemom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Spongemom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spongemom)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-roll-up-old-magazines-into-logs-for-the-wood-stove/288714/3 "2005-02-06T23:34:27Z")
If you like the idea of filling your house with the stink of burnt paper, I say go for it. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-roll-up-old-magazines-into-logs-for-the-wood-stove/288714/4 "2005-02-07T02:27:22Z")
Slick magazine paper is coated with clay. Doesn’t burn real well, and the clay adds a lot a volume to the ashes. Newspaper, as noted by **Silenus** , works just fine; I burn lots of it. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-roll-up-old-magazines-into-logs-for-the-wood-stove/288714/5 "2005-02-07T02:36:16Z")
I used to have a wood stove at my old place, and I tried burning old magazines once. Only once. The smell they made as they burned was horrible! ---
**Author:** ![rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rabbit)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-roll-up-old-magazines-into-logs-for-the-wood-stove/288714/6 "2005-02-07T15:16:59Z")
Ive tried this, doesnt really work very well. Basically all that happened was the surface sheets would burn, then the rest would just sort of smolder for a while till the ashes choked it up. As mentioned, you get a LOT of ashes. Only way I could see it working is in a furnace type scenario where its REALLY hot and air gets forced into it. Otherwise, recycle em. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-roll-up-old-magazines-into-logs-for-the-wood-stove/288714/7 "2005-02-07T15:23:19Z")
Another vote here for that being a terrible idea. Bound newspapers can make good burning material but slick magizines absolutely do not. It is difficult to get them to burn through at all and they just make a big mess. I have heard that some of the fumes from them are not healthy also but I don’t know if that is true.