Come on lads, lighten up a bit. I've looked again at the clip, Mojo seemed to start a controlled fire really, pretty much open ground, no "waving" the flare around and I would have thought a very low risk of the nearby area going up in flames
Firelighting, mojo style....
- Thread starter mojofilter
- Start date
-
Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.
- Status
rik_uk3 said:
It isnt a flare, it's thermite, a mixture of powdered aluminium and iron oxide. It's very stable in powder form, but if you get it hot enough (stick a sparkler in it) it starts a powerful exothermic reaction. Once the thermite has burned through, that is it, it's gone. Risk of starting a forest fire in a typicaly damp british forest? Pretty much nil - or about the same as having any sort of fire really.
Martyn said:
Maybe - that's just how it appeared to me, but personally I wouldn't want to risk it.
But is posting a clip of it on an open web forum which is frequented by many people just starting out in bushcraft and relatively inexperienced with starting fires particuarly wise? What if someone saw it and decided to give it a go over peaty soil or on a warm hot day over the humus layer?
Scot has a valid point and even though no harm was done, I don't think a mod should be seen condoning such behaviour on an open forum.
bambodoggy
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Martyn said:
Martyn said:
You are joking surely? You've just finished at the bonfire party...the fireworks have all been fired and the bonefire is dying down. Somehow on your way home you get lost and need to spend the night there....it's 31st Oct (bonefire night) so a bit nippy and you'll need a fire to keep you warm, luckily you have one sparkler left and a pocket full of powdered aluminim and iron oxide.... after draining most of the gas from your 38p bic lighter
to get the sparkler lit you thrust it into the mixture and your fire flares up.....unfortunately.....nothing in the forest is combustable so once the thermites burned through, that is it, it's gone! Ok....so now I'm joking but really, seriously and honestly it's not much of a valid reason is it.
And if you pack it into small containers, then you may find yourselve falling foul of anti-terror laws on carrying explosive devices.
You'd be better served just using the bic
Now if it had been a distress flare that had been used in an emergency (or to show that for education purposes) then fair enough
Well, that's just how I see it.
Cheers,
Bam.
andyn
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
So should we be replacing our firesteel holders on our sheaths with larger ones for holding a spare flare, sorry Thermite, just in case?
ScottC said:
I agree with ScottC, Thermite is no way to light a forest fire !
This is how it's done :-
bambodoggy said:
Thermite grenades as a viable bushcraft accesory? Of course I was joking, I was just seeing if anyone was daft enough to take me seriously.
The Joker said:
Condone it? I'm hoping he will teach me how to do it.
Good grief - the movie was posted to poke a bit of fun at those folks who take emselves abit too seriously.
Looks like it hit the spot.
Lighten up for goodness sake.
QDanT said:I agree with ScottC, Thermite is no way to light a forest fire !
This is how it's done :-
I find it helps if i spray my local woods with agent orange forst, the the napalm takes so much better.
I find this thread an interesting counterpoint to the quotes on "thetimesonline" about toilet paper.
So long as everyone is happy that the actions and opinions on this thread represent the spirit of "Bushcraft" and the purpose of this site then no problem.
I always believe in dealing even handedly. Provided you are happy to have someone do this in your garden or on your land, I fail to see the problem
Red
So long as everyone is happy that the actions and opinions on this thread represent the spirit of "Bushcraft" and the purpose of this site then no problem.
I always believe in dealing even handedly. Provided you are happy to have someone do this in your garden or on your land, I fail to see the problem
Red
thermite is very powerfull stuff i once saw on tv they filled a plant pot with it to use as a slow release mechanism, put a gas bottle underneath it which apparently only explodes if exposed to temperatures over 2500 degrees or something like that and then lit the thermite, it went strait through the gas bottle and blew it up lol
so funny
leon
so funny
leon
ScottC said:
What is someone decided to light any fire with a bow drill on a warm hot day over the humus layer?
Same risk.
The main risk of doing like mojo did, is setting fire to your kit while the thermite is reacting.
Not withstanding all of the sense of humour posts and ignoring the desirability and safety of inducing a violently exothermic reaction and indeed the advisability of doing so whilst a visitor on someone elses property, it might be worth pointing out section 4 (making or possessing explosives in suspicious circumstances) of the 1883 explosive substances act. Now as to whether using thermite to light a "bushcraft fire" would be in contravention of the act would need to be subjected to case law. However I suspect that one would be well advised to seek legal advice before doing so.
Red
Red
Some people take things far to seriously.
Thermite is not an explosive. It just burns very hot creating moltern metal. It is used for cutting and welding metals. Eg joining rail tracks together. It is hard to light, you need magnesium ribbon/sparkler etc.
As mentioned its no more dangerous than lighting a fire. You might not think its very bushcraft but it was meant as a joke. It's not like he threw it into the forest to start a fire.
Thermite is not an explosive. It just burns very hot creating moltern metal. It is used for cutting and welding metals. Eg joining rail tracks together. It is hard to light, you need magnesium ribbon/sparkler etc.
As mentioned its no more dangerous than lighting a fire. You might not think its very bushcraft but it was meant as a joke. It's not like he threw it into the forest to start a fire.
The thermite reaction, a mixture of aluminum powder and iron(III) oxide is known as an aluminothermic reaction, that is, an incendiary mixture of aluminum with another metal such as zirconium, magnesium, titanium, or depleted uranium, which burns at very high temperatures around 2000° to about 3000 aluminothermic reactions can be explosive and have been used in warfare in incendiary bombs.
From the paper on the subject ©2005 by David A. Katz.
From the paper on the subject ©2005 by David A. Katz.
Martyn said:
Umm last time I got an ember with the bowdrill (earlier today by coincidence) it wasn't a potentially explosive material. If you watch the video closely you can see that hot flamming matter drips from the mass as he transfers it several metres across the forest floor to his fire site and it spits out intensely bright sparks a fair distance for the entirety of the clip.
The fire also seems to be dangerously close to one of the trees. All joking aside, it's just not a responsible thing to do from a bushcraft perspective, especially if you then post a clip of it on an open web forum with no explanation about any safety precautions taken (if any) which is then condoned by members of the MOD team
British Red said:
You are quite right, thermite has been used for incendiary bombs Red (see the picture of an incediary grenade pictured above), but they add barium nitrate and sulphur to the mix to make the reaction hotter, far more violent and explosive. I'm pretty sure mojo was using iron oxide, as the other metals are far more expensive - at least I'm pretty sure he wasn't using depleted uranium. As scuba pete says, iron oxide and aluminium is pretty commonly used in industry for weldng stuff. A common firework is far more explosive and probably far more dangerous.
- Status
Similar threads
