Fire Piston Fun

[firemaker]

I have been getting lots of ideas about pistons and how to make them more compact for my personal kit. This is one of my latetist, what do you guys think?

Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Ogri the trog]

Firemaker,
Very nice examples.
How about a hidden "pick" to tease the ember out of the chamber? like a posh toothpick but made to your standards.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[BobFromHolland]

looks like a brilliant peice of kit to me!

What's the wood you've used? And how do you keep the lids from falling off?

 

[Wayne]

Could you post a pic to give an idea of scale.

As usual your work looks stunning.

 

[firemaker]

The caps are held on by the cork seals (tight fit). Cocobolo wood in this case. The size of the piston is 5 inches long I've worked out how to make them shorter now. And yes I am working on a way to add a posh tooth pick to them I'll have that worked out soon, sort of a swiss army piston---cool. Now if I could add a GPS to it, thay would be perfect.

 

[jason01]

Beautiful work, if you did that without a lathe mate you have my utmost respect, I wouldnt even attempt it without something to turn them on. Another option would be to make one out of hydraulic tube/brass pipe or sth similar, I've even thought about lining wooden cylinders with thin wall tube for a perfect seal. Air guns often diesel if they have just been oiled, same principle.

Anyway, I have just made myself a couple of cylinders

the one on the right is scrap (dont ask) the one on the left is coming along ok, its been bored out and reamed to 3/8" and about 4" deep at the moment. I couldve made the cylinder much smaller but I wasnt sure what size bore I'd end up using.

Firemaker, is your piston and the top one piece of wood or is the piston a seperate piece of dowel fitted to the top? I'm tempted to make it in two parts to save on the old cocobolo. Also can I ask is the bottom of your cylinder open with the lower cap removed, I cant quite tell whether theres something in there sealing the bottom of the cylinder bore?

Ive posted pics of mine unfinished because my (watching my language now) POC Clarke lathe has just packed up after only a little use Grrrrr, its got to go back and I might not replace it, but I might try and bodge it back into life to finish off my piston first. You get what you pay for of course and everytime I buy Clarke products I say never again but inevitably the cheap prices tempt me back! So my piston may or may not get finished!!!

 

[firemaker]

That is very smooth work. Great job. I would not give up on the lathe yet. It is obvious you have a nack for it.

Although I can and do make fire pistons by hand, and have done so recently, it is much more time consuming than it is worth for standard designs. I primarily use a lathe for that.

It is hard to find information on how to make these. I've found scarse information on it, but what I did find, I was able to make a working fire piston with a little experimentation. The cap and the rod are two seperate pieces, lathed independantly. I cut a piece of square stock up into a few 1/2" square rod blanks and lathe to just a hair under 3/8" for a smooth, sliding fit. Then I lathe the cap and cylinder from one piece of stock. The square piece is bored on both ends, one end becomes the cap, with the more shallow bore, and the other the barrel. With a good steady drill press and vice, I would just bore the hole at 3/8" diameter to whatever depth you want and leave it at that. Do not ream or sand. It causes variations in the bore diameter. This is only one of the ways of doing this.

There is nothing sealing the bottom. It is not drilled through. It is a little bit longer to compensate.

I admire your stick to it attitude! :You_Rock_ Good luck and I hope this helps you. Have fun and dont give up. Keep us up to date on your progress.

firemaker

 

[jason01]

Many thanks firemaker! I will try to finish it but Im a bit exasperated with this damn lathe, the switch unit has gone flaky (at the moment it only runs intermittently with my finger on the button) and the overall build quality is not good, thats after only a few days use so I'm not sure I want another the same and I cant justify buying a decent one.

The first piston went wrong with the boring, I managed to drill it off centre, off square and out of round lol but then I realised the tailstock on my lathe was a nr 1 morse taper fitting and I remembered that I just happened to have 2 #1 morse taper shank drill bits lying around which by pure coincidence where both 3/8" together with a matching reamer, so the 2nd one came out true and smooth internally, then the switch gave up

 

[British Red]

Well, got my care package from Firemaker last night (very similar to the one shown at top of thread).

WOW fantastic stuff - brilliantly made, great instructions, keep for tinder and lube and even a pick.

Never used one before but yes, it really does work! Fantastic stuff.

If anyone is toying with the idea of one, I'd certainly contact firemaker - well worth it

Thanks again mate

Red

 

[ungula]

they are an Italian man, you excuse pre my English bad one to me, I have found information on the firepiston and are interested to make. I have tried to make the firepiston, as from information found in Internet, but without result, I have realized some in plexiglass, I have a good jam, but heat on the tip of the piston, approximately 35.C, of it I have made in wood, using a packing o ring, but I do not obtain jam both I have realizes them you to the lathe, in order to obtain greater precision as I can make in order to obtain the fire as you speak?
thanks
Marco

 

[Ogri the trog]

Hi Marco, Ungula, Welcome to BCUK,
When you have a good fit between piston and cylinder, don't forget to lubricate the o-ring to get good speed of compression.

Good luck

Ogri the trog