Making Char cloth.

[Mick w.]

Hi folks, my first ever post on this forum!
I'm just in the middle of making some char cloth; I've got my little tin smoking away on my Pocket Rocket, then it stops smoking....
...how long do I leave it, after it stops smoking, before it's ready and I turn off the gas?

 

[Mesquite]

Hi folks, my first ever post on this forum!
I'm just in the middle of making some char cloth; I've got my little tin smoking away on my Pocket Rocket, then it stops smoking....
...how long do I leave it, after it stops smoking, before it's ready and I turn off the gas?

Once it stops smoking, take it off the heat, plug the hole then leave it till it cools down.

 

[ged]

Welcome to BCUK.

AND TURN THE GAS OFF NOW!

 

[walshy155]

I just get as much cotton in a small tin with a very small hole at the top as I can and throw it in the fire or even the coals, when it stops smoking it is OK and done.

 

[Mick w.]

Cheers folks, it's off now. I read somewhere to leave it for a good while before opening, so it doesn't get a rush of oxygen and go up. So, I'll have a little look later. I'm hoping to find a bit of tinder to keep in the tin with it, ready for when my honey stove arrives. looking forward to that!

 

[tim_n]

I always stick in a tin with a small hole in it - I've even done it in old food cans and just stuffed the lid back on

When I do it on gas I light the smoke with a lighter and you'll get a little flame and no smoke. Ignore anyone who says you shouldn't do it, I've been doing it since I began and no ill has happened except I've not breathed in the nasty smoke from making char cloth (really stinks). The container is too hot to open straight away, but when the flame has gone out, it's char (or ash if the hole is too big)

Never had to plug the hole or anything either. It's really dead simple and never had a failure yet...

Make sure you're using cotton though... or other natural tinders. We've done it with all sorts (honeysuckle, clematis, thistleheads etc) all take a spark after the process.

When I do it on the fire, I don't tend to light it because the fire generally does it itself.

It's ready when you can open the container without burning yourself.