Fire from Ice !

[Roving Rich]

Well if this works it the coolest thing i've come across... all week.
Yes fir from ice !, check out the link.
http://www.primitiveways.com/fire_from_ice.html
Rich :biggthump

 

[woodsitter]

Wow, that’s cool. I do have some doubts about practicality. If it’s cold enough to freeze water, this usually means that the intensity of the sun is very low. That would make it difficult to ignite a fire with concentrated sunrays. On the other hand it is possible to make a very large lens. I did make some nice fires with a lens of my binoculars, but now of course I have this mini version where I can’t get of the lens and they are to small anyway.
I think I’ll try this, but I don’t think it will be easy to produce a good big lens with just a knife and a rock. Maybe if you use a bowl shaped pot, you can freeze a instant lens!

 

[giancarlo]

I've seen them trying to use this method on the BBC program Called "Rough Science" (incidently on tonight at 7:30, BBC2), in the 3rd series.

They had a real problem trying to create "clean" ice, which didn't end up frosted.
They tried boiling it and freezing in a bowl, didn't really work too well.
They tried freezing it in a balloon to try and get an instant convex lense, but the ballon acted as insulation and it was very hard to get it to freeze.

Just found the site and a link to the experiment:
Rough Science - Ice Lense Experiment

A bit of info you don't need in there, but explains a little bit more.
Like to give it a try though

Cheers
Carlo

 

[Raz]

I remember that from the film "The Edge"

The coolest way I saw to light a fie was to polish the bottom of a coke can with chocolate, then being perfectly concave like a satellite, it focuses all the light/heat to one point!

 

[giancarlo]

Thread Hijack
Like this one Raz:
http://wmuma.com/tracker/skills/fire/cokeandchocolatebar/
Tis good that.. going to ahve to try that too... would rather eat the Toblerone though

Cheers
Carlo

 

[Roving Rich]

Right, i just have bought a can of coke and a bar of cadbury's finest, give me five minutes and i will be polishing.
Cheers
Rich

 

[Stew]

I would use this as an excuse to go buy a drink and chocolate but there's no sun, just thick grey cloud! :-(

 

[Raz]

Thats the link!
Well found, brilliant site that.

 

[Nod]

That's brilliant. I'm going to try that once the sun comes out.

And carrying coke and choc is so much easier than carting that mini freezer around in your bergan in order to make perfectly clear ice :-D

 

[stevec]

there was a bit of chat on equiped to survive a while back about the possibilites of using an ice lens. also one about using moonlight

 

[Roving Rich]

Thank Wendi for the link, i was just exploring.
I've been polishing the coke can for two days with dairy milk! i was in the chat room and Giancarlo says you are using dark chocolate aren't you. Doh!!!!! :aargh4: #GRRRRRRRRR
I'll be shopin for more chocolate tonight
I can't see the moon working for fire lighting, there just isn't the intensity of light.
Cheers Rich

 

[Stew]

Try using toothpaste. It seems to work quite well for me.

 

[woodsitter]

you need the infra-red light of the sun to get heat. Moonlight i far more blue than red, it can't be of much use.

 

[ditchfield]

Yes, you are right.
The discussion at equipped was really a one sided debate. Everyone agreed that it wouldn't work :-D.

 

[Nod]

Try using toothpaste. It seems to work quite well for me.

Yeah, I echo Stew's post, toothpaste works really well.

We used to use it for removing the ridges on brass belt buckles in our kit as they were supposed to be all smooth and shiny. Toothpaste a bit of card and a few hours and the ridges were already being smoothed out.

 

[Richie]

Reminds me of when I bulled my boots in the Army!!!

 

[Roving Rich]

As we enter day four of the polishing vigil, moral is low, the tedium is starting to get the better of me. The wise cracks and jibes can be ignored, but having moved onto dark chocolate temptation is rising......
Rich

 

[Stew]

Seriously, get out the toothpaste.

I decided that I would have a can polished up ready for a sunny day (oh how daft I am!!) and it only took me couple of hours.

I did try chocolate to start with but a) It was hard to work with as it needed softening and b) I couldn't bear to waste it.


Stew sits here waiting for the sun to put his hat on!

 

[Roving Rich]

What, and be beaten by a bar of chocolate and a coke can! Never, i will never give in, No surrender... you will have to prize my cold dead chocolate covered fingers from around the can! Once more into the tuck shop dear Friends once more....
Rich :shock:
(Rich is suffering from a rare and acute case of coke can psychosis, the only known cure is woodsmoke and starlight with the sound of a light breeze whispering in the leaves above...)