Fire blowing tube

[tombear]

Hi folks
If I may I'd like to pick your collective brains. OK I could do a bit of trial and error but I thought I'd do it this way.

Off my local Surplus stall I've picked up a couple of boxes of Tubing, rubber 1/8 inch internal diameter, x 1/32 wall thickness x 50 feet.

Is this wide enough to make a effeciant blow tube for fires?

What lenght is "best", I was thinking a arms lenght.

How long a brass end piece at the working end do you recomend?

What sort of mouth piece do folk use?

If the tube is suitable would anyone like a couple of feet or yard to make their own? They cost me 50p a box so a SAE would be all I needed.

If anyones interest drop me a e.

ATB

Tom

 

[Sniper]

Not quite sure what you mean exactly, if you are talking about a blow poker then you would want a length of metal tubing about 1/4" in diameter and 2 - 2.5 feet long, with a bit of tape round the mouth end so you don't cut your mouth when using it. Afraid I have no idea how you would use rubber hose for this, except as a short length for a flexible mouthpiece maybe? Possible better use for that tubing would be as shock cord or bungee for a tarp.

 

[Nonsuch]

I've got a piece of brass tubing about six inches long and then about 2 feet of plastic tubing pushed over one end. Hodl the brass tube in the fire and blow down the plastic tube. Much more comfortable to use than an all metal low poker and much less likely to suck instead of blow !.....

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

I use a broken metal arrow. Works for me

 

[kimbo]

I saw a guy, on a one day forging course, use the lanyard hole of his knife to great effect. Just put it to his lips and blew through it, it did make a massive difference in concentrating and directing his breath.

A neat little trick I'll be using in future.

Oh, it was 'Jasons' who's on this forum BTW so kudos to him.

Kim

 

[tombear]

2ft sounds about right (the further I keep my face fur and glasses from the fire the happier I am ) . I've seen telescoping jobs for sale in the US but fancy something that will pack up really small, ideally inside my tinder box.

I had a trawl on the net but couldn't find a pic but they seam to be used by some scouts.

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/scoutnotebook/fires/advanced.html

It's just occured to me that if 1/8th" isn't wide enough then I could make a brass end to fit the tube on my platypus water bag thingy , I think I may have a manky / old / spare one to try with.

Thanks folks!

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Well, 5 mins faffing answered my own questions, I knocked up the blower below

from some brass tubing from my aeromodling supplies, the working end is 3.5 inchs long x 1/8th" and the mouth piece a inch of 1/4" tubing.

And the tube isn't wide enough to work properly. :-{C )

From blowing down various dia of tube 1/4" worked best, there was no percieved benefit from wider.

Anyway, does anyone have a couple of feet of 1/4" surgical rubber to spare? I want it to be a light as possible so I may substitute Ally' tubing for the mouth piece.

ATB

Tom

 

[dr jones]

i made something similar but i used an old telescopic car ariel and the rubber tube. folds down nice and compact but also mean you dont have to put your hand too near the fire to direct your blow pipe .

 

[tombear]

As it happens the engine on the wifes Mondeo died a death 2 days ago and its now only fit for the breakers. If I get the chance I'll have it away with the ariel! Either that or one of the kids remote controls (for their toy planes not them, thats a future project ;-{D) will have a accident...

ATB

Tom

 

[Dave Budd]

I have a pair of lips and the ability to kneel. that'll do me

 

[Asa Samuel]

would the rubber not melt?

Howsabout just hollowing out a peice of 2ft elder?

 

[Goatboy]

Hiya, good thread, I use an old spare DAX aluminium tent pole section... It can also be pressed into use along with the spare tent one ( same length / diameter) to fix a busted tent pole... when the tent is there too. Like my kit to do two jobs. Goatboy.

 

[tombear]

I've been told that fishermen use rubber tube for something (what?) and on ebay tackle stores do sell various sizes in 50 foot lenghts so I will pop into my local shops and see if I can get a yard or two, rather than a whole pack that will never get used.


I've seen folk using rubber tube to syphon water from in accesable places, as a sling but what other uses could I get out of it? Would it be suitable to make a sling shot?

ATB

Tom

 

[dr jones]

would the rubber not melt

the rubber bit goes in your mouth and a car ariel extends about 2 feet so the tube doesnt go that near the flame ( saves sticking your head down near the fire )
ATB Rolly

 

[Thijzzz]

I use a foot of brass tubing with a leather strip rolled around the upper 10 cm to hold and put to my mouth.

:thinkerg: About cheap telescopic ones: couldn't you use a sterea antenna, bit then just the 3 thickes parts, pull the thinner ones out.......?

Edit: Whoops, dr jones uttered that already.

 

[ol smokey]

Iron mongers shops or pet shops sometimes stock plastic tubing for use with goldfish tanks, that's what |I use with a bit off an old broken matal arrow at the end which goes into the flames or at least the fire end. I found that the best length of the plastic tube was about two feet, so that you do not need to get your face too near the fire or crouch down too far. Being able to coil it up is good for carrying. But I think my invension was fround upon. by some of the bushcrafters who prefer to use a hollow elder stem (more natural)
but not always to hand when you need it, to my way of thinking.