Fire Pistons?

[Jeff Wagner]

Where ya been Jeff :wave:

Sorry for my absence. I've been spending a great deal of time in the woods. With our hunting season now coming to a close I should be able to participate more often.

 

[Hoodoo]

Jeff, by all means feel free to use those tinder fungus pics.

 

[TAHAWK]

Rats, I still can't find the source for the transparent fire piston I saw a couple of years ago. Very impressive, because you could see everything working. I'll post a source as soon as I finish trawling through my library.

Transparent model "Hyman Fire Piston" sold in US by Cynmar Corp., a supplier of lab eqpt. to schools. ($50 US, including shipping to US) Probably a counterpart in the UK.

 

[TAHAWK]

As it developes, the transparent "Hyman Fire Piston" is sold by:

Cochranes of Oxford Ltd.
Leasfield, Witney, Oxon. OX8 5NY
Tel.: 01993 878641

Cylinder is about 255 mm long by 15 mm OD with a steel piston with O-ring. Comes with two types of tinder -- pretty good sack of "treated cotton wool which flares" and a 80 x 80 mm sheet of "treated paper tissue, which smoulders." It must be used with a base to which the tube mates. The base containes a holder for the tinder. Also has two extra 0-rings and a tiny vial of lubricant. 321 gs. Lab equipment.

 

[Martyn]

http://www.cochranes.co.uk/edu4.html

£26.85

 

[Stew]

Not a bad price. IIRC most are in the £50-£60 range.

 

[TAHAWK]

Well. I've tried it and it works. This is a "matchless" method relatively unheard of over here.

 

[Billy4bbl]

Rats, I still can't find the source for the transparent fire piston I saw a couple of years ago. Very impressive, because you could see everything working.

I have the video of the transparent fire piston. You can obtain it at http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/System/5102/
or e-mail me at bwells@rogers.com and I will send it as an attachment.

 

[Motorbike Man]

Great topic guys. I look forward to your review. I love that PVC one. I've got to try that. I have used the two shown below quite a bit. The wooden one, IIRC, came from the first link in the thread, the plexiglass one came from a sheath maker in Canada who had them made up by a machinist. Not sure if those are still available.

Hi Hoodoo, sorry to take this a bit off topic, but I couldn't help noticing the piece of stone in the pic and I was wondering what it was? Feel free to take it to PM :biggthump

 

[tomtom]

i got one of those perspecs one from CanRanger for about £17 IIRC.. e-mail Abe for shipping to the UK and he gives an excelent service!

 

[SamHyman]

Hi there. I'm new to this forum - I joined and made another post about my dad's Hyman Fire Piston because I am amazed it gets a mention somewhere by enthusiasts such as yourselves.

I grew up around his stuff and many shapes and sizes of fire pistons. He finally finished the prototype and got it marketed a few years before he passed away. The original idea comes in the form of bamboo used by tribes in Borneo. My dad showed his piston to Ray Mears once, who - being fascinated by making fire - had not heard of this method before. He also sent one to a very fascinated Hienz Wolf. I have the letter from him signed 'yours pyrogenically'

Well, I hope you also find it a joy to use!