A new way of fire by friction using two flat pieces of wood, two tampons and some ash

[Galemys]

Hi all,

At the American paleoplanet forum a ´Jesenius´ from Slovakia posted about a form of fire by friction that I never had heard of using two flat pieces of wood, two tampons and some ash. It was apparently shown on a tv-show by survival expert Rudiger Nehberg. Jesenius included a youtube-link of a survival-topic in a German-speaking program in which a small clip of the method is partly shown for exactly 3 milliseconds…

Jesenius wrote:
I have viewed on german tv curious method of friction fire. I never seen it before. It was women cotton tamp rolled in press between two wood boards about 60-80 cm long. I was amazed, how easy that survival expert created fire using this method. I hope that tv will repeat it and I'll try record it or, I'll try it in sommer time....
This is what I wrote about. I have found old survival clip that shows this method for few seconds (from 48-51 exactly). In German language, sorry.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kJswRUbYYH0
From:
http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/2770/t/Fire-by-all-possible-ways.html

Basically the method is as follows (crude translation from German sites):

Unroll the tampons until you have two sheets of cotton, 5 x 10 x 1.5 cm. Apply some ash or fine charcoal on one of the 5 cm sides and roll both tampons from this ashy side away from you on a flat piece of slightly roughish wood (some 40 x 10 cm) until you have one very tight wound piece of cotton. Take another piece of flat wood (30 x 8) place the tampon between the two pieces of wood. Grab the the upper wood with both hands and use this with great pressure (use body weight) and speed to roll the tampon between the two flat pieces. Roll away from yourself in the direction of the roll (otherwise the tampon will unwind again) relieve the pressure when rolling the tampon back to the start position. After 100 strokes the burning smell becomes noticeable, after 200 the supertampon can be cut through at the hottest spot, one of the halves can be peeled open and blown into a coal.

A Google search (in German) yielded some more links
http://rk19-bielefeld-mitte.de/survival/survival/09.htm

Mit Watte aus zwei Tampons. Tampons aufbröseln und ein Polster von 5 x 10 x 1,5 cm bilden. Auf der 5-cm Kante einen schmalen Streifen Asche oder geschabte Holzkohle streuen und von dieser Seite aus stramm zusammenrollen. Nur in Aufrollrichtung darf Druck ausgeübt werden. also merke dir die Richtung.Watterolle unter Druck mit der Hand so lange über ein 40 x 10 cm großes leicht angerauhtes Brett in einer Richtung rollen, bis die Watterolle so fest wie der Tampon selbst ist.Watterolle mit einem 30 x 8 cm Brett mindestens 200 mal unter großen Druck in Rollrichtung hin und her bewegen, beim zurückrollen Druck verringern. Rund-Polster an der heißesten Stelle aufschneiden, leicht auseinanderbrechen und sanft in die Öffnung blasen, bis der erste Funke aufspringt

Here is a longer description, also in German, signed by a `Sir Vivor`, apparently a nickname of Rudiger Nehberg:
http://sirvivor.si.funpic.de/forum/...73&t=164&sid=214f238a7f600a1a0ffba94b3de96bad

I haven´t tried it out yet so any more information about this method is greatly appreciated, cheers,

Tom

 

[h2o]

thats a new one to me but id like more info on the subject

 

[Toddy]

Hmmm, I'm kind of dubious.
Why not just use cotton wool sheet? or the stuff from the tumble drier?

Most tampons are actually made of rayon and the have a sewn in string......that is intended not to come free which would seem to defeat the purpose.

Strikes me an evhibitionist stunt for no good reason.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Mike Ameling]

In theory ....

Fine cotton batting, with crumbled charcoal sprinkled in, and then heat added from compression and friction.

In theory, it should work.

That tampon part would just be ... exhibitionism ... or for some of that visual "shock" factor.

Mikey - yee ol' grumpy blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[Galemys]

Why not just use cotton wool sheet?

Normal cotton wool works as well (according to the more explicit information by ´Sir Vivor´). I think it was meant for a survival situation where there is more chance to happen to have a tampon with you than cotton wool (if there are any women in the group that is). Furthermore ´Sir Vivor´ also states that the cotton wool from pharmacist´s isn´t always made of cotton wool and then this method would not work.

I wonder if active charcoal, like that found in Norit anti-diarrhoea tablets would work as well as ash. That would be easier to find in someones personal pharmacy kit than ash.
For now, the only information that I have found comes from German speaking sites and according to those sites it does seem to work.

Cheers,

Tom

 

[oops56]

Sound to me that you should get lost with a lady.

 

[Toddy]

Not if her need is more immediate that yours.....I can just see her face now,

"Scuse me love, but I need to set fire to this " :twak:

cheers,
Toddy

 

[forrestdweller]

i tried this method once-using poplar seed fluff instead of tampons-, but had no succes. i do not know where this method originates, but as i met ruediger nehberg once at a dia show i'm sure it works. he is not only ad survival expert, but also engaged in human rights projects and an absolutely fascinating person!!!(the nickname SIR VIVAL was given to him by somebody else!!!)

"disappointed by the monkeys, god created man. then he renounced to further experiments." mark twain

 

[edispilff]

Yikes, i'm getting this precognitive inkling of "bush"crafters alone in the forest overstocked with women's toiletries.

Headlines:
"Man weathers snowstorm with tampon"

 

[chem_doc]

Just as an aside: Rayon is made from cotton. It's like "cotton with an attitude."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayon

Doc

 

[Galemys]

Time for a resurrection of this old thread!

Thank's to OakleafNL at the Dutch Bushcraft forum who posted a youtube-link, here is some video material of Rudiger Nehberg making fire with cotton wool, ash and a flat piece of wood (it's in German & the firemaking starts at appproximately 31:50)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QaZei3-AWA&feature=player_embedded

Cheers,

Tom

PS The rest of the video is good as well, a kind of Ray Mears' tracks but with children as apprentices

 

[bikething]

hmmm, this reminds me of a paragraph in a book about surviving the German labour camps during the war..

There was a vague description of one of the inmates having a skill for lighting a cigarette (matches were not available to the inmates) by taking a cotton thread from the edge of a jacket or shirt, twisting it, and rubbing it between 2 flat bits of wood to create an ember that was used to light the cigarette - but there was no real detail about the method..

His reward for providing the light was the first two puffs on the lit cigarette!

 

[Firelite]

That is a really interesting process. Thanks for raising this, I will definitely be trying it shortly - I've never seen that before.

 

[scottymatthews]

Hello. I know it's been a while since you posted this, but do you remember the name of that book you are referring to? Thanks for any help.

 

[Tommyd345]

I feel you just type into YouTube 'fire roll method' or something similar, you'll find load s of videos. I have tried it ,self with an unravelled cotton ball and some ash. Extremely easy method of getting an ember.