Greek Fire

[firemaker]

Is anyone here familiar with the Greek Fire Method? I am wondering if anyone has tried this out.

"...a flammable composition believed to have consisted of sulfur, naphtha, and quicklime. Although known in antiquity, it was first employed on a large scale by the Byzantines. Bronze tubes that emitted jets of liquid fire were mounted on the prows of their galleys and on the walls of Constantinople. The Byzantines in 678 and again in 717–18 destroyed two Saracen fleets with Greek fire..."

http://www.answers.com/topic/greek-fire

 

[joejoe]

ther ws a progmam on tv last week. some historian made what he believed it was . totaly lethal, even on water

 

[BOD]

Sounds like just the sort of thing for the kids to experiment with on a Saturday afternoon!

 

[Big Geordie]

" I love the smell of napalm in the morning"

I bet it doesn't clear your tubes as well as CS. Does anyone know for sure? Perhaps one of our US cousins?

George

 

[rivermom]

" I love the smell of napalm in the morning"

I bet it doesn't clear your tubes as well as CS. Does anyone know for sure? Perhaps one of our US cousins?

George

my youngest, Teaboy not Lostboy, keeps making napalm for me. I had a bad accident with petrol a few years ago, third degree burns to my left hand. Teaboy recons that the napalm would have been safer than petrol for the stupidity i was engaged in; trying to light a damp fire. the napalm would have stuck to the sticks, not poured over me.

 

[C_Claycomb]

my youngest, Teaboy not Lostboy, keeps making napalm for me. I had a bad accident with petrol a few years ago, third degree burns to my left hand. Teaboy recons that the napalm would have been safer than petrol for the stupidity i was engaged in; trying to light a damp fire. the napalm would have stuck to the sticks, not poured over me.

Would that be the egg white or the polystyrene variety?

Seriously though, wouldn't it be easier to us bbq lighter bricks, or gel? Or a bit of old tyre...

 

[Wallenstein]

my youngest, Teaboy not Lostboy, keeps making napalm for me. I had a bad accident with petrol a few years ago, third degree burns to my left hand. Teaboy recons that the napalm would have been safer than petrol for the stupidity i was engaged in; trying to light a damp fire. the napalm would have stuck to the sticks, not poured over me.

there's always the possibility that the napalm would have stuck to your hands too

 

[Mike Ameling]

Greek Fire was just burnable oil that had been thickened up a bit with other compounds - jellied. Napalm is just jellied gasoline. But in both cases you still need an open flame to ignite it. The other compounds just helped the flamible oils to stick on most anything they touched.

But also remember that old 1970's phrase from that SE Asian war: Napalm sticks to kids! Some people still go ballistic (or "postal" in modern slang) when they see you wearing the T-shirt with that on it.

An old vehicle tire works great to help get a brush pile burning when cleaning up on the farm. But it is also against local DNR (Dept of Natural Resources) regulations. And using diesel fuel or home heating oil works better than gasoline to also get that brush pile burning. And with far less danger. It is far less ... explosive ... when mixed with air.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith (and pyro) out in the Hinterlands

 

[C_Claycomb]

A little while ago someone posted a link to a YouTube video of someone lighting a brush pile with petrol. It was certainly spectacular.

 

[firecrest]

Here is a youtube of greek fire used in an ancient flame thrower.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=aph-3zEacuw

 

[Nagual]

The legend and myth of Greek Fire has fascinated scientists, historians and story tellers alike for centuries. The hardest part of reconstructing it has been getting it to work underwater. Many reports have it working with a higher ferocity underwater than above. So unfortunately even with the best of intentions, we still haven't copied it as the stories have told us.


Nag.

 

[Leaflitter]

Naphtha is just a Greek to English transliteration of the Arabic word for crude oil or tar, naft. I've always assumed that Greek Fire was primarily surface tar deposits mixed with something that would burn in a breeze, eg, sulphur, and lobbed from a siege catapult or similar. It makes more sense than chucking blazing moth balls around anyway )