Making a Fire Piston the Native Way

[BOD]

For those who want to learn these skills, Stuart and I videoed this for Worldwild TV.

Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NKq4ChNOew&feature=channel_page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK2yqcKdUZc&feature=channel

 

[stevesteve]

OK watching at 05:08 on the first video... how does he still have all his fingers!
Cheers,
Steve

 

[stevesteve]

OK now watched both all the way through.

I am not sure I have ever seen such an impressive example of carving something finely engineered with just a sharpened screwdriver and some knives. Effective too with fire at the end of it all.

Thanks for posting that.
Cheers,
Steve

 

[Gailainne]

Really enjoyed watching that, a man who knows his tools and how to use them. The use of water to not only swell the fibres but to check compression (produce steam) was fascinating.

The use of natural products, the physics and chemistry involved of allegedly non-sophisticated, third world people would put western graduates to shame, wonderful stuff.

What was the wood he used ?

 

[Ogri the trog]

Thanks for taking the trouble to post this up Bod & Stuart,
Truely fascinating.

One minor comment for Stuart - after all that effort, there really is no need to show such open disdain that the guy wants a cigarette

Cheers again

Ogri the trog

 

[Galemys]

That just made my day

You told me Jamri was good but it´s just amazing to see him at work

Cheers,

Tom

 

[MartinK9]

Just returned from a Meet at Swift valley to find the Fire Piston waiting for me.

Many thanks once again to all involved

Martin

 

[Buckshot]

That's seriously impressive stuff!
I will treasure it Ash

Didn't know our base camp was on You tube!
Michael's going to school now with the address to show his mates!

As ever a brill post

Cheers

Mark

 

[jean baptiste]

very very great

 

[Black Sheep]

WOW

I tried to make one using my lathe any modern tools and it didn't work

Hats off to this chap

Richard

 

[VirusKiller]

Bushcraft in the purest sense. Awesome stuff.

 

[Lake]

This is really amazing. What type of wood is suitable for homemade pistons? I want to try make one in my free time.

 

[Ed4sobrevivencia]

I have to say that you accomplished something I've dreamed about for years. Great work!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us. I can't say how thrilled I am that you found someone who could build them and got it on film. A million thanks to you, him and all others involved.
Thank you so much for trading the pistons. Of all the pistons I have made, none are prized by me as the one he made. He really knows how to use his tools and watching him at work was inspiring to say the least.
As for the gasket, now I've got another plant I want to grow Is wetting the fiber the usual way to prepare the gasket prior to using it? How would that work in the field, licking it?

The bamboo piston arrived well, I picked it up from Cliff at the airport. It wasn't a hard decision to drop the job I was working on to run over to see him and get it. ha ha.

So many questions....

fun fun fun!
Ed

 

[BOD]

....

As for the gasket, now I've got another plant I want to grow Is wetting the fiber the usual way to prepare the gasket prior to using it? How would that work in the field, licking it?

The bamboo piston arrived well, I picked it up from Cliff at the airport. It wasn't a hard decision to drop the job I was working on to run over to see him and get it.

Ed

Glad the piston arrived safely Ed. I thought a bamboo piston would appeal to Cliff as well.

Wetting the fibre is the usual way to prep it.

In the field spit on it if there is no water around rather than licking it.

Give the fibres time to swell. Remember that S. California is a lot drier than the environment in which this bamboo grew (lowland forest near a lake) and there will be shrinkage.

Best place to keep it would be in the bathroom/ shower where it can have a chance to absorb the humid air. Not directly in the shower stall of course.

On the move a fire piston does not need to be kept dry like matches and if it gets immersed during a river crossing that's not a problem as the video shows.
It's best to keep your tinder dry though but even damp tinder it can be dried out by repeated compressions which will "steam" away the moisture.

Of course a fire piston has the smallest carbon footprint of any fire lighting tool (apart from two rocks) due to its longevity and the use of sustainable tinder!!

You can use any fibre but the original one is very strong. I believe that braided it would make a good thong for the fire thong having seen some native kids using it to wear away bark.

If you can't get it try another Artocarpus species like jackfruit or breadfruit and see how that does.

 

[Tony]

Got mine as well thanks, it's great, I had a quick play with it but i need to spend longer getting used to it, maybe soak it more.

Thanks to all involved :You_Rock_

 

[crazydave]

I am impressed by his knifework and the way he's extended his blades to make them usefull though. a proper native craftsman. a lot of metalwork there though so not totally authentic as I'd like to know the history and how the tribes made them before metal.

it'll keep the armchair brigade busy over winter though along with A&E

 

[BOD]

Crazydave,

Quite right it is not paleolithic but bronze or iron age.

However, the old method is still known and you can read about it here when I interviewed another tribe.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36224

Actually, from the video and what the other guy says it is posible to do it with wood and stone tools only but you need to be very good i.e. shed the limitations of the modern age!

Just start with a Mora !

Tony, just like learning the bow or hand drill the first few times it is a learned art. once you master it you are king! Stuart is now proficient. i beleive galemys is too

 

[Ivan]

I had a look at Ed's little bamboo fire piston today. The piston knob appears to be some type of palm wood, judging the cell structure. Sadly, our native California Fan Palm wood would be much too soft and porous for the job.

 

[wedgie]

very good there should be more things like this. as this helps to preserve and pass on a traditional skill

 

[Colin.W]

Actually, from the video and what the other guy says it is posible to do it with wood and stone tools only but you need to be very good i.e. shed the limitations of the modern age!

Just start with a Mora !

Tony, just like learning the bow or hand drill the first few times it is a learned art. once you master it you are king! Stuart is now proficient. i beleive galemys is too

A few years ago whilst on my return from Norfolk as I approached a turning to Grimes Graves, there was a sign advertising a flint knapping exhibition. Seeing how quality flint was dug with nothing more than antler picks and bare hands was a real eye opener but more amazing was the display of knives, scrapers, axes, spear tips and drills this chap had made and demonstrated how it was probably done.