The Great Big Fatwood Match Project [Fail}

[MarkinLondon]

After watching one of Survival Lilly’s often-misguided-but-completely-entertaining YouTube videos, I decided to take a stab at making Really Big Matches. The idea is simple enough: Use a small piece of fatwood to make a match, then all I need to do is strike the match, let the fatwood catch, and start my fire. Good plan, eh?


So I grabbed several boxes of matches, scraped all the fiery red stuff off; made a paste; smeared the paste onto the fatwood and let them dry. All that was left was to use them and be the Ultimate Laid-back Wet-Morning Firestarter Hero. Simple.


It’s important to note that this project was a complete failure. The matches would never light and I ended up tossing them all in the trash. Good photos, though!

 

[Dark Horse Dave]

Brilliant write-up - had me chuckling!

 

[crosslandkelly]

Should have used Swan Vesta's Mark, ah well at least you have some decent kindling for your next fire.

 

[Macaroon]

Wouldn't have had anything to do with the Maker's Mark in the background, would it?

I notice it's just far enough out of shot that we can't see how much it went down during the project!

 

[MarkinLondon]

Wouldn't have had anything to do with the Maker's Mark in the background, would it?

I notice it's just far enough out of shot that we can't see how much it went down during the project!

Look at the shot glass

 

[crosslandkelly]

What medium did you use for the paste?

 

[Robbi]

is that one shot glass per great big match ?

 

[MarkinLondon]

What medium did you use for the paste?

Just water. I added a bit until it was a paste. If I ever did it again, I would grind the red match junk MUCH finer and use a bit less water. A smooth coating is the key. Don't underestimate the abject failure of the fatwood though. Even when lit with a lighter, the sulphur lit up, but didn't light the fatwood; it was too thick. But when it was thin enough to light, the stick would break. Seriously: this project was flawed from the outset. I never had a chance. Good firm buzz though.

 

[slowworm]

Would splitting the fatwood at one end and then binding in a couple of matches to the split work any better?

 

[MarkinLondon]

Would splitting the fatwood at one end and then binding in a couple of matches to the split work any better?

It might, but I'd be quickly approaching Full Ridiculousness, and while I have a passing relationship with FR, we make every effort to give each other enough room to avoid true conflict.

 

[Robson Valley]

If you can get the match goop to light, you know you have that issue solved. Bash the fatwood between 2 rocks to fray the ends so there's far more fine fiber and surface area. As you know, it takes a fair heat to get any thick stick to light.

Don't feel bad = I'm told that I can start a forest fire with a cigarette butt. Some days, I can't light a wood stove with a propane torch.

 

[MarkinLondon]

It's important to know this: I have no plans to revise this goofy idea. I am, however happy to watch someone else try it If you can scrape all those little matchsticks without laughing your **** off for more than ten minutes, then you deserve any success you find. Go for it!