Maya Dust - next to useless?
- Thread starter Kerne
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Also look for standing dead pines sometimes you can pull dead limbs off and where they attached to the trunk you will find what we in Florida called lighter knot. Shave of some shavings or bust up with the back of your axe. Works almost as well.
Sorry folks SWMBO called down to help her and I came back and thought I was still looking at the fire stick thread. Coped it to where it belongs.
I've never had a problem lighting fresh scrapings from fatwood. Maybe the problem with the maya dust is that it has oxidized and a lot of the volatiles have evaporated. A little carbide paint scraper blade works a treat for scraping fatwood. Same scraper I use for scraping magnesium blocks. It also throws an amazing spark from a firesteel.
I always thought Maya dust was supposed to work, so I'm glad you all say it's not.
What a lot of balls that is then. Why are these guys allowed to sell it if it simply doesn't work?
Works in the desert or areas of drought,nae probs
Just not hereabouts...
Works in the desert or areas of drought,nae probs
Just not hereabouts...
Hmmm...it could be that another problem with the dust is that it absorbs too much moisture. I'd bet that a stick of fatwood would absorb much less moisture than the dust. In fact, I've dunked fatwood in water, then scraped it and lit the scrapings with a firesteel. Sounds like buying it as dust is a waste of money and scraping it ahead of time is a waste of time.
If anyone here makes something out of Lignum vitae and has to plane it*, the shavings are slightly oily to the touch and catch a spark and burn well.
Its not worth buying because of that but if you have some shavings kicking around its
worth giving it a bash.
*Block plane with a very high angle ground on the blade (50 or so degrees) to minimise tear out otherwise the wood you are planing looks gash IMO..
Its not worth buying because of that but if you have some shavings kicking around its
worth giving it a bash.
*Block plane with a very high angle ground on the blade (50 or so degrees) to minimise tear out otherwise the wood you are planing looks gash IMO..
I make my own dust out of longleaf fatwood pine. I have uploaded some vids of me lighting it with a firesteel. I Know you could'nt get a better place to light it lol if you watch the vid you will understand, but i sell the stuff on ebay so i needed the vid to be well lit.
http://www.clipmoon.com/videos/122276b/longleaf-pine-dust-and-kindling.html
http://www.clipmoon.com/videos/122276b/longleaf-pine-dust-and-kindling.html
Get an old smokers baccy pouch and put birch peelings and fluffy seed heads (thistle, fireweed, etc) in as you go along. You'll light it from a ferro rod every time. Take tumble dryer lint if that's your thing, but with the number of available tinders in the woods I cannot see the point.
I think I figured out the Maya dust stuff.........it works better when it's warm
Keep it in your trouser pocket and it seems to work fine
Have to admit though, thistle down or cat tail seedheads and birch bark works for me.
cheers,
Toddy
Keep it in your trouser pocket and it seems to work fine
Have to admit though, thistle down or cat tail seedheads and birch bark works for me.
cheers,
Toddy
What will you use when the dust runs out?
Its another bushcraft gimmick, and not a good one at that.
Its another bushcraft gimmick, and not a good one at that.
I got hold of some to try and see why it was 'supposedly' the wonder firelight stuff.
All I can say is that, well, it works, but
a) it's expensive,
b) it's not that brilliant,
c) it's not native,
d) I can make better from what I find growing locally.
cheers,
Toddy
All I can say is that, well, it works, but
a) it's expensive,
b) it's not that brilliant,
c) it's not native,
d) I can make better from what I find growing locally.
cheers,
Toddy
I think I figured out the Maya dust stuff.........it works better when it's warm
Keep it in your trouser pocket and it seems to work fine
cheers,
Toddy
Seems to me that the answer is here for the reading,
I have no doubt that the product works well when produced, but in the time that it takes to be transported/stored/toted around the woodland for a few years, all the volatile organic solvents have been driven off, leaving plain old saw-dust in a tin!
Processing a Maya stick immediately before your fire if fine, as the sticks last a lot longer as a viable means of fire-lighting, than the dust.
I dug up an old conifer root yesterday and broke it into slivers that certainly smell like the right stuff - a short while drying out and I'll get bak with an answer.
ATB
Ogri the trog
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