Magnifying glass fire lighting with ice??
- Thread starter Paul_B
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I haven't seen that, no, but I do remember an episode of a BBC ROugh Science TV series when they were depositing scientists in wilderness spots and setting them tasks. One of them, Kathy Sykes, managed to melt sand enough to make a lens. No firemaking with it, but could see cells with it. The expression on her face when she realized what she'd done was quite something. The things we can do.
woodspirits
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I did something similar a few years back, i didn't use ice though I had about a half cup of water in a clear plastic bag, sunny day I focused a hot spot like a magnifying glass onto tinder, I got smoke but my work break was over. I think had I carried on it would have ignited, the video clip above shows how it works. 
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D
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Thanks for showing those videos. I was dubious because I know they use water to absorb IR, and I'd tried lighting a fire with a pair of classes and it just didn't work. However, it could be that there isn't enough sun even on a sunny march day in Scotland. On the other hand, the only place you're going to need this is either in the far north where the sun is low, or very high up a mountain.
Local photographer casts ice lenses in the bottoms of beer cans.
Mounted in simple lens boards, the photographic results are quite pleasing. The ice shape does control the light path.
Cast a bunch, keep them in the freezer for bright, sunny, summer days. Get your tinder piles all ready to ignite. Grab one ice lens, run outside and shape it with your bare hands. See if you get a burn.
Mounted in simple lens boards, the photographic results are quite pleasing. The ice shape does control the light path.
Cast a bunch, keep them in the freezer for bright, sunny, summer days. Get your tinder piles all ready to ignite. Grab one ice lens, run outside and shape it with your bare hands. See if you get a burn.
