Real World Fomes Tinder Prep?

[Leon]

Not counting the 'boil for 3 days in urine and ash' methods, has anyone found a practical technique for preparing the trama layer of Fomes fomentarius so that it will take a spark from flint and steel? (not firesteel, which works almost without any preparation)
I've been playing with a few bits over the last week or two and the best results I've had came from soaking a piece for several days in water, beating it flat and allowing it to dry before finally charring the edges. This is actually quite reliable, in fact
It is frustrating however, that despite how dry, soft and fluffy (with a bit of roughing up) you get it, it seems not to take the sparks without first being charred.
On the odd occasion an extremely fine fibre has caught but has not been able to last for more than a fraction of a second. :?:

 

[Paganwolf]

put it in the microwave in a small bowl of water with some salt and give it 2 min bursts, keep taking it out till it becomes soft then when it ecomes plyable bring it out put it into a freezer bag and bash it with a rolling pin till it becomes thin take it out and lay it on some tin foil on a radiatortill it drys if neccesary take a pice and rub it between your palms tillit becomes fluffy and hey prestso happy days tinder that willtake the most dullest of sparks :shock:

 

[bushwacker bob]

Why the salt?PW (and many happy returns :wave: ). I have a large Fomes I found a couple of years ago but only harvested it a couple of days ago and bunged in the shed to start drying it. She's gonna be mad if she finds it in the microwave! How many times do you need to nuke it and how big a bit do you do at a time?

 

[Paganwolf]

Why the salt?PW (and many happy returns :wave: ). I have a large Fomes I found a couple of years ago but only harvested it a couple of days ago and bunged in the shed to start drying it. She's gonna be mad if she finds it in the microwave! How many times do you need to nuke it and how big a bit do you do at a time?

i usually take the old dry buggers and nuke about 2" square at a time i cut the spore fibers off so the sweadey stuff remains and nuke that 1 min at a time till it softens then wack it till its thin

 

[Leon]

Sounds like fun, thanks (and ditto re the happy returns).
I agree with 'Bob, though....the timing is imperative here!
Severe personal injury could result if caught :yikes:

 

[Paganwolf]

Tell her its a good way of fumigating the microwave and your sorted !! :rolmao:

 

[Leon]

Tell her its a good way of fumigating the microwave and your sorted !! :rolmao:

): :super:

 

[Jeff Wagner]

Its a shame you boys dont have innonotus over there. Surprising actually since you have birch. Not only will it catch a spark from F + S as it comes from the tree, it smells delightful and the smoke wards off insects.

No one has yet confirmed if you have mulllein, yet this weed is supposedly native to Europe. Its pith is another natural tinder that will catch a spark from F + S without special treatment.

As for the fomes, I have tried boiling it in potassium hydroxide ( wood ashes ) based on published reports however I have not seen an improvement in spark catching ability.

 

[Ranger Bob]

No one has yet confirmed if you have mulllein, yet this weed is supposedly native to Europe.

Six species of Mullein grow in Britain, Great Mullein is the most common. (anyone in the west country may know it as Aarons rod). Black Mullein is also quite common to the south and east of England.

 

[TheViking]

I find that charring it when it's dry, works. Next time you make charcloth then try this too.

 

[Tantalus]

read on a german site that after drying, soak them in saltpetre

then redry and you should have some good easy light tinder

saltpetre is difficult to get hold of in the uk as it can be used to make gunpowder etc

anyone have a source for this?

Tant

 

[outdoorgirl]

Saltpetre is used in vast quantities by the butcher's trade for meat preservation. Try finding your local butchers supply - we used to do a little meat preservation when we kept pigs last year, and I got a huge bag of it then...

 

[george]

Try here http://www.sausagemaking.org/acatalog/Saltpetre__500_grammes.html

George

 

[Jeff Wagner]

Six species of Mullein grow in Britain, Great Mullein is the most common. (anyone in the west country may know it as Aarons rod). Black Mullein is also quite common to the south and east of England.

Thank you for this information. Now I can comment that the pith of the mullein stalk ( at least the variety here in NA ) will catch a spark from flint and steel without treatment. The trick is to prepare a paper thin slice with your knife and position this such that a ragged edge of the pith is as close as possible to a sharp striking edge of the flint. You also want a spark the clings and lingers for a moment on the flint. Mullein pith is the third natural tinder that I have found to catch a spark as it comes from the bush without special preparations. It also works well in fire pistons.

Jeff

 

[Moonraker]

Thank you for this information. Now I can comment that the pith of the mullein stalk ( at least the variety here in NA ) will catch a spark from flint and steel without treatment. The trick is to prepare a paper thin slice with your knife and position this such that a ragged edge of the pith is as close as possible to a sharp striking edge of the flint. You also want a spark the clings and lingers for a moment on the flint. Mullein pith is the third natural tinder that I have found to catch a spark as it comes from the bush without special preparations. It also works well in fire pistons.

Jeff

Jeff, any chance you can confirm exactly which species of Mullein you use? Then I can confirm if it grows in the UK and/ or Europe. Here are the species growing in NA which may help you:

Dasistoma macrophylla (Nutt.) Raf. - mullein foxglove

Solanum donianum Walp. - mullein nightshade

Verbascum L. - mullein

Verbascum blattaria L. - moth mullein

Verbascum densiflorum Bertol. - denseflower mullein

Verbascum lychnitis L. - white mullein

Verbascum nigrum L. - black mullein

Verbascum phlomoides L. - orange mullein

Verbascum phoeniceum L. - purple mullein

Verbascum sinuatum L. - wavyleaf mullein

Verbascum speciosum Schrad. - showy mullein

Verbascum thapsus L. - common mullein

Verbascum virgatum Stokes - wand mullein

Check out all these species on the USDA Plant Database for more info.

Cheers

Simon

 

[Jeff Wagner]

It would be common mullein. Great stuff. Smooth the stems well before trying the hand drill or it will tear up your palms rather quickly. Three passes down the stem to coal formation is the best I've been able to manage. Seven is more the norm.

http://www.cloudnet.com/~djeans/FlwPlant/Mullein.htm

 

[Moonraker]

Thanks for confirming that Jeff.

Nice link too