Denim Char Cloth...

[The Big Lebowski]

Just wondered if anyone else has tried Denim as a medium for char-cloth?

I have nothing to compare it against, as its the first i've made but boy does it take a spark well! normally one strike and you get a really hot ember that burns bright.

Just a heads up if you have some old jeans lying around

Regards, TBL.

 

[Loenja]

thanks will try it. :You_Rock_

 

[Ogri the trog]

Being a 100% cotton product, denim should work well.

It is worth being aware that things like "hard water areas" and treatment with chemical "softeners" while washing can have a detrimental effect on how well it performs as charcloth.

Glad you got it to work TBL

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[HeltorChasca]

I had great success making char cloth with some old dust sheets that the rats got out in my shed. 100% cotton and a loose weave so sparks catch really easily.

A friend folded up his old jeans and baked them black in the kitchen oven. It stunk their house out, but it worked a treat...! Rather him than me..........hc

 

[redneck]

Being a 100% cotton product, denim should work well.

It is worth being aware that things like "hard water areas" and treatment with chemical "softeners" while washing can have a detrimental effect on how well it performs as charcloth.

Glad you got it to work TBL

ATB

Ogri the trog

I never knew that, that's very interesting and could explain why some charcloth I've made performs well while others ( like cotton tea towels) perform rather poorly in comparison.thanks, that's food for thought.

 

[ged]

It is worth being aware that things like "hard water areas" and treatment with chemical "softeners" while washing can have a detrimental effect on how well it performs as charcloth.

I never knew that, that's very interesting...

Oooohh! I'll second that. Thinking about it for a moment it makes a lot of sense, some of the stuff they put in dry powder fire extinguishers is exactly what you'd expect to get out of your hard water, and AFAICT most water softeners make the water so salty you're not even supposed to drink it!

So the next question is, will it be worth soaking your cloth in rainwater a few times to get the salts out before turning it into char? Anyone ever done that?

 

[Toddy]

Our water comes from the Daer reservoir up on the Lanark moors. We used to get whisky coloured water after heavy rains in the days before it was routinely chemically treated. To treat it, the water process folks use Alum to help flocculate the peat out before it hits the filters and then they add some chlorine. (I do a lot of natural dyeing, I had to suss this lot out to understand why the tap water was causing me grief ) The remaining Alum and Chlorine is still way below any limit that would make the water unpotable or a health risk, but it's enough to alter the colours I get from dyes.
So, rainwater is a good thing It's not just soap and fabric conditioner that's likely to be in the cloth.
That said, a little won't stop it working, just maybe not as well as might be.
I find denim very good for charcloth, so are old tshirts, checked cotton shirts and the like, but I still find linen best of all.

cheers,
M

 

[huffhuff]

My preferred char cloth is actually that of denim (mainly because i'm too fat to fit into all my old jeans now so got lots of stock). The spark takes very easy (even from flint and steel) - i'm happy with it as a firelighting medium.

In fact, I am scaling up my manufacturing. I'm going from a treacle tin to an industrial coffee tin - does anybody see an issue with this? Obviously I need to pack the tin tight, but I don't want it to fail and render the material useless.

Cheers

Ben

 

[ged]

scaling up my manufacturing. I'm going from a treacle tin to an industrial coffee tin - does anybody see an issue with this?

Apart from obviously needing a bigger fire, the only issue I see is the structural integrity of the tin. If it's anything like the coffee tins I've used (for all sorts of things, for years) it will be of relatively lighter construction. If it fails then probably the whole batch will be lost at once. I have an old Ovaltine tin that might be better but you can't have it because it's what I keep all my small hose clips in.

What do you do with all that charcloth?!

 

[Tadpole]

My preferred char cloth is actually that of denim (mainly because i'm too fat to fit into all my old jeans now so got lots of stock). The spark takes very easy (even from flint and steel) - i'm happy with it as a firelighting medium.

In fact, I am scaling up my manufacturing. I'm going from a treacle tin to an industrial coffee tin - does anybody see an issue with this? Obviously I need to pack the tin tight, but I don't want it to fail and render the material useless.

Cheers

Ben

Do you use large quantities’ of char-cloth over a short period? I’ve found that unless it is stored really well (packed in ziplock bags) it will lose its ability to take a spark readily. Once dried the cloth will naturally absorb moisture from the air quite quickly, unless kept in an airtight container. It will work, but take more to get it going.
Not all denim is the same, some contains elastane, so be wary of using women’s stretch jeans as they tend to melt rather than char

 

[The Big Lebowski]

LoL! you can almost hear the DOH's from members that have SWMBO's jeans in one hand, scissors in other

The denim i used was from a very, very old pair that where falling apart, you know, the type that rip on worn sections very easily.

Made up another two batches today burning the tin for as long as i could over a spirit stove and stand, came out really well, possibly better than 1s't batch

TBL.

 

[The Big Lebowski]

Two short video's... (I was bored LoL )

Intensity- Gets very hot, very quickly!

View My Video

A few slithers of Birch Bark- Man make fire!

View My Video

The second video was a genuine 1 strike, first attempt at fire.

'Scuse the grubby hands, been making more batches of cloth, TBL.

 

[Silverhill]

Denim is probably one of the best charcloth materials that I've used for both taking a spark and longevity. I've used some very thin old cotton shirts that were really poor and turned to flakes and dust really quickly, but the denim seems to keep a little of its strength for some reason (possibly threadcount?)

Sorry to go a bit off topic ;

I'm just putting this out there...But does anyone else find making charcloth really, really satisfying?
Or am I just a freak?

I have two Twinings Tea tins that I use on a rotation basis, and use my chiminea to provide the fire. I find tending the fire, whilst doing a little whittling absolutely superb.

 

[dave53]

i make my charcloth out of old initail towelling have yet to try it regards dave

 

[The Big Lebowski]

I'll have some with me next week dave, you are more than welcome to a chunk.

TBL.

 

[launditch1]

Ive found denim makes good charcloth.You just need to 'cook' it for longer.
Linen is also a good one to try but overcook it and it goes all powdery!

 

[dave53]

lets do a swoppsie regards dave

 

[The Big Lebowski]

One thing i do have is denim and fire LoL! I knew those flares would come in useful oneday...

Learning how you do a few odd's and sods will be more than enough as payment, so i may pick your brains at the meet

You are more than welcome to a batch, i'll knock up one as soon as i have some more white spirits.

Have a look at the video above, maybe i just got lucky on my first attempts, but it takes a tiny spark to get going, and really heats up!

Regards, TBL.

Edit, i'll make some up anyways and put it in a zippy, but i'll bring some fresh denim, and the char tin with me... something to do around the campfire!