Sparks from Pyrite

[allenko]

Hi all,
I was in one of those "Shoppes" you know the ones that sell everything from telescopes to bush hats and crystals etc.
Well I picked up some iron pyrite for a quid and eagerly went home to upset the wife and start fires in the bathroom sink (you know you've done it)

There I was pyrite in one hand carbon steel in other accompanied by the obligatory piece of well prepared charcloth (al la Roving Rich of the BCUK meet-up 2004 vintage)

damn me if I could get any semblance of a spark from the above materials.

Question:

Is there differences between the types of iron pyrite one can obtain?

Have I picked "Fools Pyrite" instead of could the carbon in the steel be an issue?

 

[jakunen]

Afaik, there is only one type of pyrites, but natural variation does mean that one piece may spark better than another.

I've got a load here and will try them out. If I find a few good sparkers I'll let you know and send you one of them.

 

[martin]

I think you need to be using flint on the Pyrites!

 

[jakunen]

I thought TMN used a steel on his when he did it on TV...

Yiu can even just use two pieces of pyrites according to his book, but it does say to use flint. If you use steel it must be high carbon and correctly tempered, but he doesn't say to what density...

 

[Ed]

You can use a steel against a pyrite to get a spark, flint also will work as will pyrite on pyrite. Remember the sparks from pyrites are alot cooler than those of a fire steel and you get a much less amount of sparks so it may take you a few attempts to get the charcloth burning with a nice coal....... actually it can take ages.

;-)
Ed

 

[Gary]

I thought TMN used a steel on his when he did it on TV...

Yiu can even just use two pieces of pyrites according to his book, but it does say to use flint. If you use steel it must be high carbon and correctly tempered, but he doesn't say to what density...

I showed you that on your course too - cant you remember - tut!!

 

[jakunen]

I showed you that on your course too - cant you remember - tut!!

Umm, you did?

Erm, ok, don't remember but I'll take your word for it...erm,:sad6: :sulkoff:

 

[Gary]

Tut tut!

 

[jakunen]

Hey, I remembered the water filtration, fire by frcition and everything else I put in my write up...can't I be forgiven for just one little bit of forgetfulness???

 

[Gary]

Yes you did mate.

Iron pryites I use a steel with them - sparks are weak but they do work.

As an after thought I should point out that flint and pyrites are the 'true' technique and you strike the Pyrite with the flint - but as I say I prefer to use a steel and pyrites.

 

[Realgar]

"Is there differences between the types of iron pyrite one can obtain?"

Sort of - you get the large cuboid crystals, they can work but tend to shatter horribly. The nodules with needle crystals radiating out from the centre are mechanicaly a lot more stable. Presumably pyrite discs would also work.

I've done a lot of playing over the break. You get better sparks with pyrite if you use something akin to the knapping technique - sort of throwing the flint whilst still holding it loosely in the hand so that it makes a glancing blow. Difficult to explain but you're not quite gripping the flint whilst it's in motion, this seems to encourage the sparks to head downwards rather than drifting off at random.

You'll also find that not only do some nodules work better than others but some spots on the nodule will behave better. I have to confess I'm not using flint - I'm using a teardrop shaped flake of quartzite.

I haven't tried a steel with pyrite yet - largely because I've misplaced my sacrificial file that I intended to make a steel from.

Realgar