Tinned log

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

Ahjno

Vice-Adminral
Admin
Aug 9, 2004
6,861
51
Rotterdam (NL)
www.bushcraftuk.com
Everyone of you who've seen Ray Mears series probably remember the one where he's in Scandinavia and meets up with a blacksmith who makes him a knife. Later on he (Ray) makes his own handle of little pieces of wood and leather washers.

Now IIRC in that same episode he's out making charcoal (for the blacksmith's fire) and he's brewing up on a standing log. The log, about 40-50 cm in diameter, has a cross sawn into it which is filled with birchbark and other tinder materials. After lighting the fire the log starts to burn from top to bottom.

My question: anyone ever tried to do the same but than in a hobostove and using a smaller diameter of log (say 10cm)? Just came up with that idea when I was browsing the web and saw those Greenheatgel tins; and since I'm confined to my study books :yuck: till (atleast) late spring ... I can't get out and try :soapbox:


:bye:
 

Wayland

Hárbarðr
Hmmmm....
4166.gif
......That sounds like something to experiment with......
chop.gif
 

decorum

Full Member
May 2, 2007
5,064
12
Warwickshire
I take it that you mean that you'd burn the nurding (the name for the type of fire iirc) contained within the hobo stove.

I've used nurdings before - but not in a hobo (but then again I think I'm the only person who doesn't like hobo stoves :sulkoff: ). Even with unfettered access to the slots they can be a pain in the posteriour to get to catch light and I don't know whether I'd fancy faffing about trying to get to the tinder (which you need to keep adding) if I didn't have a synthetic aid (hexy etc). However, eventually there's always the bit(s) that burn through and fall off and the hobo would stop some of that happening and still provide a stable platform.
 

spiritofold

Banned
May 7, 2004
701
1
52
Winchester
www.spiritofold.co.uk
We went for a walk in the rain today, and at one point it started tipping down.
We stopped underneath some scots pines for a little shelter. I was thinking to myself at the time that i was i had a bigger saw with me so i could cout some of the branches of to make some of those cooker logs....

Next time...
 

Peter_t

Native
Oct 13, 2007
1,353
2
East Sussex
i tried it once years ago when i didnt know alot about bushcraft, must have been about 10cm accross too. i spent ages cutting the slits with a hacksaw (much too narrow) and i think i tried to light it by holding a lighter to it? i cant remember now but i remembered i couldnt get it to burn very well. it just smoldered alot and i had to constantly blow on it.
i havnt tried it since but iv been back to the place i got the log from and it turned out to be larch not pine anyway lol.
i gess you cant be good at bushcraft if you dont know your trees

pete
 

Dan1982

Full Member
Jan 14, 2006
1,002
125
41
Cumbria
I would imagine that a larger cut would enable the air to circulate and therefore burn better. Gonna have to give this a go!!

Dan
 

Peter_t

Native
Oct 13, 2007
1,353
2
East Sussex
without a chainsaw it will be a pain to get the slits big enough. unless you split the log into bits and stand them up? but then youl have stability problems. althow if youv got your hobo stove this isnt a problem. but then again if your going to use a hobo stove will this method have any advantage?

pete
 

Barn Owl

Old Age Punk
Apr 10, 2007
8,245
5
58
Ayrshire
As Wayland says,

Split into four then either bind, or tap each piece into ground making your space what you like.
This will provide stability too.

The fire log Ray showed was for snow and ice conditions.
 

decorum

Full Member
May 2, 2007
5,064
12
Warwickshire
It isn't in a hobo stove but this demonstrates hand made wide slots :D ... Pics copied from the original thread here. The nurding appears to be unstable ... in pics 2 & 3 it's in a hole and can't topple :D


s2020173hn0.jpg


Having just wedged the splits.

nurdingandpot01cj4.jpg


Prior too lighting the wedges were cut flush(ish) with the top of the log.

nurding01sv4.jpg


Several hours later ....
 

Husky

Nomad
Oct 22, 2008
335
0
Sweden, Småland
That's an old foresters trick (well obviously no older than the chainsaw) which was used for coffeebrakes in the age when there was time for them during logging. To light it just spill a little splash of chain oil and a splash of petrol down the middle (this is not cheating, this is bushcraft for loggers).
The idea is that you don't need to hang the pot above the fire as in Decorum's picture but just stand it on top of the log once lit. This requires the slots to be big (or many) enough to alow sufficient airflow.
In my job we often have "inspirational days" when we try to spread new information and tecniques to forestowners and workers. The best way to get people to come is that they know they will always be offered freshly boiled coffee. We just prepare a number of logs in advance and load in the car and when it's time we just light one and put the kettle on.
It can be an idea to keep one in your car for an emergency. You can offer people hot food, drink and warmth on a tarmac parkinglot in a blizzard if you should need to...
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE