Fire extinguisher breath

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Andy B

Forager
Apr 25, 2004
164
1
Belfast
Hi,

Stupid question I'm sure, but I seem to have a bit of a problem making embers into fire by blowing. Perhaps I'm some kind of Anti-fire breather :-D (get it? :oops: )

Anyway, does anyone else have this problem? What am i doing wrong.

I have tried blowing hard soft and medium, if that possible. Example I had a bit of cotton wool smouldering and glowing and i blew on it and the little git went out many many times.

Help oh knowledgeable ones, I bow to your thoughts.

Cheers Andy.
 

Lithril

Administrator
Admin
Jan 23, 2004
2,590
55
Southampton, UK
Cotton Wool going out??? urmm have you tried rubbing vaseline into it... I almost melted the plastic handle on my fire stick when I cast a shower of sparks onto some impregnated wool and it roared into flames and stuck on the handle of my fire stick :oops: Havent tried it with a coal yet but the damn stuff goes up like a fire ball with sparks :shock:
 

Andy B

Forager
Apr 25, 2004
164
1
Belfast
Good lord...sounds class :p

Yeah I thought that the cotton wool going out was weird, which lead me to belive I had some kind of magic power :evil:

By the way I just say some of your wales trip photos Lith, looks brilliant my friend, you look like a pro in your hat :-D
 

Gary

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 17, 2003
2,603
2
57
from Essex
Andy sounds like you might be doing both or one of two things wrong.

Firstly are you blowing your ember as soon as its made - i.e while still breathless from sawing? If so your blowing moist air into it - you need to wait until your breathing has calmed down - let the meber smoulder until then.

Secondly it also sounds like your not feeding the ember - try to squeeze your tinder bundle so fibres are being constantly feed intot he ember.

HOPE THAT HELPS!
 

Andy B

Forager
Apr 25, 2004
164
1
Belfast
Gary,

I think you might have cracked it you genius! :idea: I never thought of that :oops: and now that i do it makes alot of sense. I did entertain the idea that because i was breathing heavily that there was no oxygen in my breath which would put it out.

I can't wait to try it now, thank god I'm normal :-D

The tip about squeezing the tinder in round is a cracker to, I reckon i was treating it to softly trying to let the air round it and in actual fact taking the fuel away :-? cheers mate.
 

Adi007

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 3, 2003
4,080
0
Don't be too delicate with embers ... it needs fuel to burn and the best way to do that is to compact the fuel around it.
 

Kath

Native
Feb 13, 2004
1,397
0
I was doing this a lot a few weeks back. Thought I'd caught a jinx or something. :oops: But I was just concentrating too much on air, not enough on getting fuel into it.
 

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