Having problems making Char cloth

[fergus77]

i made mine using Mungo's tutorial, worked a treat but found i had to heat the tin for a long time to get moisture etc to drive off well enough.

That night through the tin with the rest of the teatowel into the woodburner in the front room. Within 5 sec's the thing had flames coming out of it

Took it out, put the stick in the hole and the lid shot off with the compression, burnt the missus rug in the process

Neadless to say she was not impressed, think the smell of burning gave it away

 

[Left Turn]

I used some lightweight linen scraps and small hinged tin box (had mints in it). The linen scraps were piled loosely in the box.
I poked a hole in the tin with a push-pin, then tossed it on a charcoal fire in the barbecue. The tin's lid did not fit very tightly (I guess) since lots of smoke came out in all directions and it all caught on fire (fun!) but I ended up with a lot of nice char cloth that has worked well.
I should try this with cotton some time and see what the differences are.
I also want to try Mungo's method.
(Is it possible to have too much char cloth?)

The plastic container next to the char cloth is a 35mm film can filled with pine resin.

 

[tjwuk]

I used some lightweight linen scraps and small hinged tin box (had mints in it). The linen scraps were piled loosely in the box.
I poked a hole in the tin with a push-pin, then tossed it on a charcoal fire in the barbecue. The tin's lid did not fit very tightly (I guess) since lots of smoke came out in all directions and it all caught on fire (fun!) but I ended up with a lot of nice char cloth that has worked well.
I should try this with cotton some time and see what the differences are.
I also want to try Mungo's method.
(Is it possible to have too much char cloth?)

The plastic container next to the char cloth is a 35mm film can filled with pine resin.

Just a note, did it catch on fire? Charcloth is made by incomplete combustion of the material, a bit like charcoal. You want it to smoulder not to burn, so it leaves the 'goodness' or burnable part left intact. If it takes a spark though I guess its done the trick.

As for can you have enough charcloth. Yes when you start to run out of clothes!

 

[Left Turn]

Just a note, did it catch on fire? Charcloth is made by incomplete combustion of the material, a bit like charcoal. You want it to smoulder not to burn, so it leaves the 'goodness' or burnable part left intact. If it takes a spark though I guess its done the trick.

The cloth did not catch fire, just the smoke. But I was sure I'd messed it up and the cloth was burning (this was my first batch) but once everything cooled off, I had useable cloth. It caught easily from my striker.

 

[tjwuk]

The cloth did not catch fire, just the smoke. But I was sure I'd messed it up and the cloth was burning (this was my first batch) but once everything cooled off, I had useable cloth. It caught easily from my striker.

Nothing wrong with that then It made me wonder my first attempt if all was OK, but the proof is in the pudding so to speak.

Good writeup by Mungo, thought it was the same person off blogger!

 

[Paul3103]

I've just done a batch in a syrup tin. Hole punched in the top with a tool off my SAK, and the placed on the griddle of my chimnea.

Worked a treat, but I didn't plug the hole afterwards?

Still worked though.

 

[_scorpio_]

thanks for that Mungo! we had some coal sitting on the fire glowing white hot and an old cotton tea cloth sitting unwanted in the drawer in the kitchen so i had a hmmm... moment and emptied out a tin of air rifle pellets, stabbed a hole in the top, whittled a twig down to fit the hole and rolled up a quarter of a tea towel and stuffed it in. then on to the fire and the tin started burning instantly which burnt off all the labels and stuff and instead of smoke coming out the top it was a flame instead. i thought this meant that the towel would be burned and just ash but after about a minute the flame died down so i plugged the hole, took it out and let it sit in some water for a minute and opened it and it was perfect. thanks for the inspiration!

 

[Paul3103]

Just got my firesteel throught the post, and had a go at lighting my homemade charcloth.

Worked first strike.

Well chuffed, me.

 

[_scorpio_]

after using 6 tea towels to make loads of char cloth i have found one problem. in one of my char cloth attempts a spark got into the middle of the cloth and half an hour later had burned the cloth into uselessness and melted the plastic tub it was in. dunno how it happened only in this one, but if that had gone straight in my bag like some others that would have been a disaster. so make sure that doesnt happen to you.

 

[JamieG]

I make all my char cloth from old denim jeans. So far it has never failed to take a spark.
I have heard of using old egg cartons to make something between char cloth and char coal. Not tried that yet but will do very soon.
JamieG

 

[Miyagi]

Mungo,

Thanks for the pictorial, I'm going to try that tomorrow and add it to my fire/brew kit.

I have three pairs of denim jeans that I have to shorten (short legs you see) so will use the cut offs.

I'd try it today but spent yesterday, last night and this morning on the foreshore and have dhobying and cleaning up to do.

 

[ragamuffin]

i use an old backey tin i had lying around. all i did was squash the lid sides a bit to get a good seal and poked a hole in the top with my opinel no9. i use denim too and it works great.

 

[Nightwalker]

Sounds like you initially had too much air inside, either that or too much air getting in, you don't want to see flame coming out the top hole or the sides that means it's combusting and burning your cloth. I have also written an article and made a video on making & using Charcloth, hope it helps you.

 

[AliMck]

Hi Ashley

Your video is brilliant. Need to find myself somewhere to have a go.


Alison