Looking for different fire starting methods

[cheapeats]

I am putting together a fire starting methods meeting for my scout troop. I am looking for some interesting techniques or methods to have my patrol leaders demonstrate. So far I have the battery and steel wool, glycerin and pottasium per magnate, and bowdrill. I have some char cloth, cattail fluff and false tinder fungus as well. I am also thinking about showing how everyday items that scouts may have in their packs like cotton wool, pocket lint, crisps, alcohol pads etc. I am looking for both flash and substance as I am trying to keep some boys interested. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[JohnC]

I did a similar thing a year ago, we included lighters, both full and empty to illustrate the advantage of a lighter, till it ran out (everyone was asked to light their bit of bark/cotton wool and two guys had dud lighters). and matches, including a box of soaked ones, same idea. The battery and steel wool was a big hit, We used a shallow steel drum to burn stuff in. I found starting with lighters>matches>batterys>sparkers>firedrill worked well.
We used birch bark to demonstrate its "flammability", and I used a fair bit of cotton wool in vaseline to take sparks etc. as well as othre fluffy natural materials.
We followed the fire lighting meet with a fire meet where we used the lighting technique to start fires, and talked about sizes of fires and types for cooking etc.
We also did some bow drill and fire plough stuff, mainly to show the friction aspect, for some of the smaller lads it was easier having a set up to allow teams of 2-3 to use the drill set.

 

[IJ55]

Wetfire. That will keep them sat bolt up right when they realise a little block the size of a stamp can be sliced down for at least five if not more fires.

Magnesium ribbon - I have 20 meters in my tinny kit for just in case. Bright and hot.

Tinder card. Also an excellent source of fire starter.

 

[cheapeats]

John Thanks for those ideas I was also planning on following up with some bushy cooking techniques in May.

IJ55 I don't know what the Tinder card is could you please explain? I have some scrap magnesium from some turning at work that they should get a kick out of.

 

[SimonM]

With the magnesium....remember to tell them not to look directly at the flame or they will get arc eye.

Simon

 

[IJ55]

http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/product278.asp

Its a fiber type impregnated and extremely versatile little fire starter. A small amount is all thats needed.

Very cheap and ideal for those times when theres very little 'fluff' around for starting your kelly kettle / bush fire.

 

[rik_uk3]

Sawdust mixed with melted candle wax is good, moulded in old egg boxes they make a solid fire lighter. The only problem is you may need mom and dad to get involed to make them at home (if its a Scout project that is)

 

[sirex]

Sawdust mixed with melted candle wax is good, moulded in old egg boxes they make a solid fire lighter. The only problem is you may need mom and dad to get involed to make them at home (if its a Scout project that is)

round here the most popular method for firelighting goes like this:
1) steal car.
2) ......
...... etc.

 

[Barney]

teabags a good one from this lot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98kXym5hBXI&feature=related

 

[Backlash]

Wow thanks Barney for posting, just recently got my firesteel and am having trouble lighting things. (sorry for being a bit off topic)

MaRk.

 

[Barney]

Hi Backlash

Your welcome

 

[cheapeats]

Not to fret I think a good thread is like a good river it wanders a little but gets to where it needs to go and sometimes those suprise turns can help it get there faster.

 

[Barney]

Magnifying glass,

There happy now

A favorite of boys everywhere for years

 

[helixpteron]

I found this technique very effective, the Jute ignites well!

 

[mace242]

I am putting together a fire starting methods meeting for my scout troop. I am looking for some interesting techniques or methods to have my patrol leaders demonstrate. So far I have the battery and steel wool, glycerin and pottasium per magnate, and bowdrill. I have some char cloth, cattail fluff and false tinder fungus as well. I am also thinking about showing how everyday items that scouts may have in their packs like cotton wool, pocket lint, crisps, alcohol pads etc. I am looking for both flash and substance as I am trying to keep some boys interested. Any help would be appreciated.

I was taught there are six ways of starting a fire (I'm waiting to be proved wrong by one of our pyromancers) and if my memory serves they are (with examples that I think will work):

Friction - I'd use bowdril
Spark - Flint and steel
Chemical - glycerin and pottasium permagnate
Electrical - battery and steel wool
Pressure - Fire piston
Heat - Sun and magnifying glass

I figure if you do one of each then you'll cover it.

 

[Mike Ameling]

I was taught there are six ways of starting a fire (I'm waiting to be proved wrong by one of our pyromancers) and if my memory serves they are (with examples that I think will work):

Friction - I'd use bowdril
Spark - Flint and steel
Chemical - glycerin and pottasium permagnate
Electrical - battery and steel wool
Pressure - Fire piston
Heat - Sun and magnifying glass

I figure if you do one of each then you'll cover it.

Hmmm ... only 6 ways? I wonder where that one old blacksmith method would fall.

Take a small rod - like 1/4 or 5/16 inch diameter. And them HAMMER the end of it - starting with it COLD. Rotate the rod between hammer blows. Hammer it fast, but not too hard. You are not trying to flatten or spread out the metal, just keep hammering it.

What you are doing is putting ENERGY into that iron rod with each hammer blow. That "heat" then builds up. If you do it fast enough and long enough, you can get the end of your iron rod hot enough to glow red - well over 1200 degrees! Then touch it to your normal tinder material to get it burning.

It is an impressive display. But it also wears out your arm fast. You will need the time spent turning it into a full fire - to rest your arm. And, like any fire, you really do need to have everything prepared and laid out before you start.

And that magnifying glass/lens really does catch the eye of kids - IF you have enough sunlight.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[backcountrybowhunter]

Recently I was doing some google research for a specific type of fire by friction- trough method. Anyway, ran across this page here:
http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/PSAS_2002/pdf/vol_014/14_229_253.pdf
Hope it helps!

 

[mace242]

Hmmm ... only 6 ways? I wonder where that one old blacksmith method would fall.

Take a small rod - like 1/4 or 5/16 inch diameter. And them HAMMER the end of it - starting with it COLD. Rotate the rod between hammer blows. Hammer it fast, but not too hard. You are not trying to flatten or spread out the metal, just keep hammering it.

What you are doing is putting ENERGY into that iron rod with each hammer blow. That "heat" then builds up. If you do it fast enough and long enough, you can get the end of your iron rod hot enough to glow red - well over 1200 degrees! Then touch it to your normal tinder material to get it burning.

It is an impressive display. But it also wears out your arm fast. You will need the time spent turning it into a full fire - to rest your arm. And, like any fire, you really do need to have everything prepared and laid out before you start.

And that magnifying glass/lens really does catch the eye of kids - IF you have enough sunlight.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

Isn't that still pressure or friction? Something to do with compression or expasion of the molecules in the metal? Something I'd love to see though.

 

[cheapeats]

Backcountry it seems like you forgot a link?

 

[Native Nathan]

a variation on the battery and steel wool, just for interest

You need a maglite torch with working batteries
2x 2cms of snare wire
Steel wool, the finest you can aquire.

what you do is take the cap off the maglite so it is in candle mode.
remove the bulb (remember to palce in the cap you removed)
insert the 2cm length of snare wire in to the holes whre the bulb went (one in each)
then the magic part.....simply touch the two spike (snarewire) and watch your steel wool burst into flames..

Hope fully the kids should be totally amazed now and their interest should have peaked.