15mm copper pipe

sandbag47

Full Member
Jun 12, 2007
2,104
140
57
northampton
hi all i've seen guys using a thin piece of hollow metal tube to blow at a base of a fire.
my question is can i use a 15mm piece of pumping pipe to do the same thing or is it big ?
i've tried it on my fire at home and it seems to work ok..
let me know thanks

sandbag47
 

calibanzwei

Settler
Jan 7, 2009
885
0
45
Warrington, UK
I would think that anything (that doesn't burn or melt) that allows air to be directed at the base of the fire can be used. A moistened reed stem would work, for a time :)
 

g4ghb

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 21, 2005
4,323
247
55
Wiltshire
it will work fine SB!

- my advice is to add some tape as a 'handle' the end you are going to hold and blow into as copper is a good conductor! ;)
 

spamel

Banned
Feb 15, 2005
6,833
21
48
Silkstone, Blighty!
15 mm pipe may be a bit wide but if you created a reduction in the pipe you'd get a good jet of air. Chris Claycombe showed me a neat trick where you blow through the lanyard hole on your knife onto the fire. It may only be a small length of tubing, but the lanyard tube is enough to turn your breath into a powerful enough jet to noticeably make a difference to your fire from quite a distance!
 

RAPPLEBY2000

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Dec 2, 2003
3,195
14
51
England
I went on a meet and a guy bought along some copper sulphate to see if we could melt it.

we used a bit of 15 mm copper pipe about a foot long and it worked fine, it took a lot of time and a swapping breathing rota but at the end we couldn't find the copper sulphate.

we used a bit of garden hose to extend the pipe which somehow didn't burn!

we did however find that the end of the copper pipe had melted!
(It was hard work though!)
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
39,133
4,810
S. Lanarkshire
I think my blow pokers are 6 or 7mm internal diam. They work very well, but I suspect that so long as you don't sook :eek: your's will work, if with a lot of puff.

cheers,
Toddy
 

Scots_Charles_River

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Dec 12, 2006
3,278
42
paddling a loch
www.flickr.com
You can buy 50cm branches with the pith removed and one smaller branch left, for fire blowers, in the Alps. It's normally found in toruist tat shops/kiosks.

I gave my parents one, once the kindling lights it really does work and gets coals going sharpish.

Nick
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,308
3,090
67
Pembrokeshire
I use a length of Elder with the pith removed - a long one at home and a short one when out and about.....cheaper than metal and usable as firewood if I run out.....
 

Wild Thing

Native
Jan 2, 2009
1,144
0
Torquay, Devon
I bought a telescopic pen sized thing with a magnet on the end designed for picking up tools etc. that have fallen into awkward places.

I cut off the magnet and the pocket clip unscrews off the top... hey presto, telescopic blow poker for a pound, and the advantage is there is a plastic end to stop the heat transfering to your lips.

Not sure how much heat it will stand or for how long, but I will have to get a fire going and find out.

Phill :bye:
 

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