Just made char cloth for the first time

[Big Bad Stu]

I have been experimenting with making char cloth for a few weeks, when time permits. Today I got it right .

I tried a large tin and a smaller tin for comparison. The large tin was one a mug came in at Christmas, the smaller one was a tin which used to have air rifle pellets in. Both tins had holes punched in the top with a nail.

The raw material I chose was 100% cotton car polishing cloth from Halfords (no connection etc.). It has a nice open weave and you get loads for about £4.00.

I used my group buy collapsable fire box with the grill in place. After getting a fire going and nice and hot I put the air gun pellet tin on and it began to smoke from the hole almost instantly. I left it in place until the smoke has cleared and for a while after. Then I took it off and repeated the process with the large tin. Due to it's size the large tin seemed to take a lot longer.

The results were better from the smaller tin, though the larger tin produced good results. The charring was less uniform, some of the cotton remained brown suggesting it could do with a little more heat.

Both sets of black charred cotton caught a sparks easily from a traditional flint and steel and blew easily into a coal.

For the first effort (which was unsuccessful) I used a pair of old pants, as they had lycra in them they wouldn't catch a spark. This taught me that the raw material is very important. I understand that as well as polishing cloth 100% cotton denim jeans and tea towelswork well.

All in all I have had a very rewarding afternoon!

Stewey

 

[spamel]

Nice one! It's always fun to get a bit of firecraft sorted out. yesterday, i tried a bow drill set. Due to the wind, the ember was blown away as soon as I lifted the hearth board. Tried again today and had a good coal that lasted easily five minutes by itself. i didn't have a tinder bundle as I was outside my back door! i then made my brother have a go who has never done this sort of thing before and he had a small ember but it had burnt out before he lifted the hearth board. he wasn't vigorous enough in the use of the bow, but for a first attempt it was very promising.

i also started construction of a pump drill. never used one before but I just need a good fly wheel to be made from a largish branch and then that will be another way of making fire to try out! I'd like yto get hand drill done this year too!

As you are trying charcloth, have you ever heard of the copper pipe method? It is quite basic and very effective, i can explain if you like.

 

[Ogri the trog]

Good News Stew,
Always gladens the heart to have a play with fire.
Spamels "Copper Pipe Method" is a good one to use for constant replenishments when you're out and about as the kit you use is even smaller than a small tin.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[littlebiglane]

I have been experimenting with making char cloth for a few weeks, when time permits. Today I got it right .

I tried a large tin and a smaller tin for comparison. The large tin was one a mug came in at Christmas, the smaller one was a tin which used to have air rifle pellets in. Both tins had holes punched in the top with a nail.

The raw material I chose was 100% cotton car polishing cloth from Halfords (no connection etc.). It has a nice open weave and you get loads for about £4.00.

I used my group buy collapsable fire box with the grill in place. After getting a fire going and nice and hot I put the air gun pellet tin on and it began to smoke from the hole almost instantly. I left it in place until the smoke has cleared and for a while after. Then I took it off and repeated the process with the large tin. Due to it's size the large tin seemed to take a lot longer.

The results were better from the smaller tin, though the larger tin produced good results. The charring was less uniform, some of the cotton remained brown suggesting it could do with a little more heat.

Both sets of black charred cotton caught a sparks easily from a traditional flint and steel and blew easily into a coal.

For the first effort (which was unsuccessful) I used a pair of old pants, as they had lycra in them they wouldn't catch a spark. This taught me that the raw material is very important. I understand that as well as polishing cloth 100% cotton denim jeans and tea towelswork well.

All in all I have had a very rewarding afternoon!

Stewey

Yes - air rifle pellet tins are probably the best for me too. Small and portable and because they screw on they don't pop off when the pressure inside builds up a bit too much for the hole you have made. Denim makes the best charcloth IMHO too.

Well done. Most rewarding though isn't it!

 

[Big Bad Stu]

Spamel,

Tell me more about the copper pipe method, it sound good and I can get off cuts from plumbers on site!

Cheers for all of the encouragement, now I just have to get the coal to ignite a tinder bundle - how about dry bracken? The local hills are covered with it right now.

I feel my firecraft is shifting up a gear.

Littlebiglane I will try denim, all mine seems to be 2% lycra and after the underpant failure incident I was reluctant to try it.

Ogri after I finished making the char cloth the wife and I had a brew from embers on the stove.

Cheers

Stewey.

 

[spamel]

Well, simply, you get a length of copper pipe of however long you want. Mine is about six inches, but I suppose you could go longer if you wish. Crimp one end in a vice or with the use of a hammer until it is sealed. Doesn't have to be water tight, but you know what I mean! If you like, just before the two sides of the pipe touch, place a small nail in the gap, then crimp around it and when you pull the nail free you will leave a small hole, just like you have in the top of your tin.

Then all you do is cut up your wifes' finest linen, roll it into a sausage and put it inside the pipe. Then, take the pipe in your fist and drive the open end sharply into some clayey ground. This plugs the open end with a plug of earth, thus sealing the pipe. Chuck the pipe in the embers and observe. It works in the same way as the tin. Once it is done, remove from the embers and allow to cool. Pack away with the plug of earth still in place to protect the charcloth from damage nd moisture. Or tap it out into a pouch for storage. A very simple way of making small quantities of char cloth on the hoof.

 

[Shewie]

Well, simply, you get a length of copper pipe of however long you want. Mine is about six inches, but I suppose you could go longer if you wish. Crimp one end in a vice or with the use of a hammer until it is sealed. Doesn't have to be water tight, but you know what I mean! If you like, just before the two sides of the pipe touch, place a small nail in the gap, then crimp around it and when you pull the nail free you will leave a small hole, just like you have in the top of your tin.

Then all you do is cut up your wifes' finest linen, roll it into a sausage and put it inside the pipe. Then, take the pipe in your fist and drive the open end sharply into some clayey ground. This plugs the open end with a plug of earth, thus sealing the pipe. Chuck the pipe in the embers and observe. It works in the same way as the tin. Once it is done, remove from the embers and allow to cool. Pack away with the plug of earth still in place to protect the charcloth from damage nd moisture. Or tap it out into a pouch for storage. A very simple way of making small quantities of char cloth on the hoof.

Good one Spamel, not heard of this method before


Rich

 

[spamel]

Good one Spamel, not heard of this method before


Rich

Can't take the credit though, it was posted by somebody else here a long time back.

 

[Mungo]

Here we go: http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18725&highlight=copper+charred

Great tutorial - lotsa pictures too!

Cheers,

Mungo

 

[spamel]

That's slightly different as you don't char everything in one go. It's more of a char as you go the char tube! Brilliant idea though, I've been meaning to make one for a long time now, so may give it a go sometime. I don't remember that post though, they look excellent!

 

[Big Bad Stu]

Brilliant, Spamel :You_Rock_

I will definately give that a try, I will be on the scrounge next week!

Around here clay will not be a problem.

Many thanks

Stewey.

 

[Mike Ameling]

A friend came up with a different method of making charcloth that did not use any container. Here's what Karl said:

IF ya got spare cloth, roll it on a stick, start the torch, let it burn, then while burning, stick it in the hole, cover, pat the mound, let it sit, uncover, blow off dirt and ya got charcloth, leave the fragile stuff on the stick for support, roll off gently what ya need, as it turns black to brown to tan as ya use it, keep an eye on it. When the cloth is getting tough to tear and more and more lighter colored, may need a refreshing by fire.

Karl came up with this method when he was researching early history to find any references to charcloth and tin containers used to make them. He couldn't find anything before the mid 1800's, and that's when stick matches were really starting to take over.

Simple process. Roll some cotton or linen cloth onto a stick and get it burning. When it's burning pretty well, bury it in the dirt to smother the fire. After it has completely cooled, dig it out and gently shake the dirt off.

The outside will be well charred, and then gets progressively less charred as you unroll it - turning from black to gray to brown to tan. To use, carefully unroll a couple inches, tear it off, and strike your sparks into it. As you use up the outside layers, it will become less charred, and a little harder to catch sparks. When it gets too little charred and harder to catch sparks, just burn the outside again.

You do waste a little cloth, but this method doesn't require any container.

Just something to consider.

Mikey - yee ol' grumpy blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[Prophecy]

Nice one Big Bad Stu, you inspired me to make Char Cloth for my first time tonight too!

I used my Hobo Stove for it, using the charcloth tin like a billy can on top of some ss skewers (which actually warped under the heat...?) but the first try wasn't that successful - I think I packed the tin too tight with too much cloth. I removed some cloth and tried again - perfect.

 

[Big Bad Stu]

Mike,

Thanks for the tip, it may work over here in the summer, at the moment the soil is too wet and you would just end up with a soggy mess. Roll on July I say.

Prophecy,

I am glad to be inspirational, I hope you shared my sense of achievement when it all went well.

Stewey.
(who can't sleep )

 

[Matt Weir]

Nice one Stu. It's good to see you have got the hang of making charcloth as it's such a fantastic and easy way of creating an ember. I also use a pellet tin.

 

[Toadflax]

but this method doesn't require any container.

Also, from 'Essential Bushcraft': the quickest way to make it is to set light to a small piece of cloth then stamp the fire out when it has burned to the required colour.

I've never tried this, I've always used a boot polish tin.


Geoff

 

[Ogri the trog]

Cheers for all of the encouragement, now I just have to get the coal to ignite a tinder bundle - how about dry bracken? The local hills are covered with it right now.

I feel my firecraft is shifting up a gear.

Stewey.

Dry bracken is one of the better natural tinders for me. You could even mix it with the dead stalks of last summers long grasses and sedge that seem to be everywhere here too. Bracken and grasses burn away to very fine ash which does not limit air getting into your fire - which I find leaves/paper and some bark tinders are apt to do.

Good Luck

Ogri the trog

 

[Big Bad Stu]

I will give bracken a try tomorrow when I take the hound out for a walk at lunchtime.

Stewey.

 

[rich59]

i also started construction of a pump drill. never used one before but I just need a good fly wheel to be made from a largish branch and then that will be another way of making fire to try out! I'd like yto get hand drill done this year too!

Spamel - good projects! :You_Rock_ Here is a picture of a servicable pump drill I made in case it gives you some ideas.

 

[spamel]

Nicely done. Give me five and I'll try and get a picture of mine so far. Don't laugh at the flywheel though!