Char Cloth - How to make it

[Kiamyr]

Neat tutorial Maver, impressive stuff.

 

[oops56]

Well i guess you cant remember once i said how i do it get kerosene wick 3/4 wide or so cut in sq. I put my in a shoe polish can or a altoids can a 1/8 hole i don't plug it only ofter take off stove i use the Pepsi stoves my best one that heats best is the brass lite well forgot want name its called that one made of brass with the chicken wire on top plus the wick is stronger for char cloth plus the altoids can just right for you flint steel and char cloth.Now cut a piece of leather to fit i. d. of inside can put your char cloth in then leather on top the char cloth stays in good shape plus yor flint steel

 

[jamesdevine]

excellent I give that ago over the Hols. :You_Rock_

james

 

[oetzi]

Hello Maver, one thing I noticed was that you use very thin birch bark. How do you manage to get it that thin? Mine is always a couple o millimeter thick when I sdhave it off a tree, no matter whether I use young, old, live or dead trees.

 

[Kepis]

Hello Maver, one thing I noticed was that you use very thin birch bark. How do you manage to get it that thin? Mine is always a couple o millimeter thick when I sdhave it off a tree, no matter whether I use young, old, live or dead trees.

I tend use the stuff that is naturally flaking off the tree, round my way it's very thin, although the stuff in the pictures was taken from some Birch branches and just peeled off the wood that thin, it's nice for fire lighting, but a bugger when you want to make a canoe

 

[Colin C]

First trial at making charcloth today & used this method (even down to the Golden Syrup tin!)

Used some hesian sacking and worked brilliantly - hugely satisfying, especially seeing it 'catch' when I tried some with my firesteel (first time used in anger for that as well )

I'm hooked......

Many, many thanks for the tutorial Maver

 

[Infragreen]

Cut up some 3/4" squares of cotton cloth and stack'em about 1/4" high.

Wrap them up in aluminium foil (you might use a piece of foil shaped so that you can twist a handle on the wrapped stack). TIGHT, now. You don't want hot gases in your handle, or flames in your stack.

Needle a hole into the stack, to let gases escape.

Now, hold the stack over a lighted candle (use pliers, tongs or twisted handle).

It will start to smoke and smell FOUL, but light the smoke in the flame, and the reek will disappear.

Keep toasting until the flame/smoke from the hole stops.

Let it cool, open the stack and hey, presto!

What cloth I use? Anything that's not synthetic or asbestos! (sheets/denim mostly)

Happy firelighting!

Infy

PS. I'm quite frugal with my charcloth. I prefer to use MAX a quarter piece per lighting.

 

[Martyn]

What do people use as material for charcloth..

Old denim jeans work well for me, I find them quite robust and hold their shape well even when thoroughly charred.

I also find if you pack the tin too tightly, then you get incomplete combustion and only part of the cloth is fully charred. I found if I cut the cloth into strips about 1 inch wide and a coupole of feet long, then packed them very loosely into the tin, more of the cloth charred through.

 

[stone]

Hopefully this isn't a stupid question, but I just put some clothes in the dryer and cleaned the lint trap, and had a thought....does dryer lint work? I'm curious if it would only turn to dust either during the charring process or being handled later on when fire starting??

 

[2blackcat]

Stone,
I would have thought that lint would work better as a tinder than as char .... as long as it's not synthetic

I could be wrong ... and will probably be proved so

 

[stone]

Stone,
I would have thought that lint would work better as a tinder than as char .... as long as it's not synthetic

I could be wrong ... and will probably be proved so

Thanks 2blackcat, I had talked to a friend that had some as tinder, and he mentioned it was very hard to get it lit (probably, like you say, too much synthetic in it). I just wondered if rendering it as a charcloth, whether it would help or not...

Also someone else in our group had told us to add some candle wax to the lint and it would help get it started. I'm curious now, and will have to try these out!

Sorry for going off-topic.

~mike

 

[oops56]

Well in the pic i said to put a piece of leather on top of char cloth so it don't get all messed up. Well i thought i try some flit & steel also my fire piston just so not to get rustie . Well flint &steel went ok two strikes char lit up ok fine made a little fire put that out.Now time for fire piston lub it put in char cloth {jeff the hole in the piston needs to be a little deeper hard to get char cloth to stay in] It took four times to get it glow now i think with my tin box with the leather coveing the cloth is soaking up moisture thats way it took so long with fire piston the heet did dry after a bit. Is there a way to make the leather moisture poof put some thing on it and hope the char cloth dont suck it off the leather into it

 

[ArkAngel]

Brilliant tutorial that, just given it a go today.

Had a few teething problems (put too much in, rolled too tight) but i got some useable stuff in the end.
I'm going to have another go tomorrow. I've got loads of cloth to go at as i swiped a pair of my mate jeans as he was about to throw them out

Just need a flint and steel now...it takes a spark far too easily from a firestick

 

[Tadpole]

Hopefully this isn't a stupid question, but I just put some clothes in the dryer and cleaned the lint trap, and had a thought....does dryer lint work? I'm curious if it would only turn to dust either during the charring process or being handled later on when fire starting??

tumbledrier lint is my tinder of choice, it will light from a spark. I can't see any advantage to char it.

 

[stovie]

tumbledrier lint is my tinder of choice, it will light from a spark. I can't see any advantage to char it.

At last I have a use for my ready supply of navel fluff.....

 

[Nightwalker]

Thanks for this tutorial! :You_Rock_

 

[justdave]

Awesome tutorial. I'll be tryin' that one in the morning after the wife is out.

 

[Big John]

Awesome tutorial. I'll be tryin' that one in the morning after the wife is out.

Not on the kitchen stove I hope - she might notice the smoke filled house when she gets back - it will give out plenty

 

[Silverback]

Superb Maver - Gonna give it a go tonight when my missus goes out - I take it it should be ok on a coleman sportster?

Edit: Followed the tutorial - worked like a dream - big up 2 u Maver :You_Rock_

 

[timtom1]

cheers matey did you see my post about my failed attempt lol