Sulphur matches

[tombear]

Having got through most of the sulphur matches I made last year I'm about to make another batch (much bigger this time).

Last time I used pipe smokers spills with the ends trimmed to shape but they seem a bit narrow compared to the odd image of original / surviving matches I have seen. Unfortunately none of these images have details of their dimensions.

Does anyone have access to a original to get the size / length (yeah I know this is stitch counting but it's cheaper than therapy), the proportions I can work out from the images.

No doubt there was a lot of variation but I'd like to work to an original if I can.

I'm thinking of making extras to trade for those who don't want the hassle or smell of making their own.

ATB

Tom

 

[jdlenton]

I'd be interesetd in the results when you make some hope you find what your looking for

 

[tombear]

Cheers
I've found a couple more pics from the Science Museum (copyright so can't put them up) but for the size I'd have to guesstimate from the size of the human hand.

Heres a pic I put up before of my old tinder box with the two types of sulphur match I've found. The ones on the right are spot on copies of the ones I saw in the museum at Lancaster (early to mid 19th C I reckon) but the earlier double ended ones are thinner than they ought to be I think.

They work fine. One thing I have learned is don't double dip them as a thin layer lights just as easily as a thick but drips a hell of a lot less when you have got it alight!

ATB

Tom

PS I've seen a drawing of a sulphur melting pot for match making that was credited to Lewes museum so I have e-mailed them to see if they still have it. Its a bit far to go and have a shufti!

 

[g4ghb]

Interesting....... you don't fancy making a tutorial when you make your next batch do you? I for one would love to see the process!

and as you say I'm sure there we loads of variation (probably local variations) just like most old crafts so wouldn't think you would be far off if you just made what seems right to you

 

[hiho]

i also would like to see a tutorial

 

[Chris the Cat]

More please...!
C da C.

 

[British Red]

If its as good as the journey to the rushlight it should be in a book, not a tutorial

Red

 

[British Red]

Tombear,

Would it be terribly cheeky if I asked you also to tell me where you got your sashcord and how you prepared it? I think a salt petre solution was involved and a certain type of cord.

Having had great fun with a couple of neighbours recently getting out the flint and steel (after a few whiskys) I feel some slow match and sulphur matches coming on. If it was saltpetre did you use potassium nitrate or sodium?

TIA mate

Red

 

[jdlenton]

Tombear,

Would it be terribly cheeky if I asked you also to tell me where you got your sashcord and how you prepared it? I think a salt petre solution was involved and a certain type of cord.

Having had great fun with a couple of neighbours recently getting out the flint and steel (after a few whiskys) I feel some slow match and sulphur matches coming on. If it was saltpetre did you use potassium nitrate or sodium?

TIA mate

Red

Thats what it !!!!!!! i was thinking of asking how it was made and used

can i be even cheekier and ask what are the rest of the contents of the tin. I can see the flint, steal and matches but what else is in there

It would be very interesting to know

Again TIA

James

 

[British Red]

hmmm jute? Amadou? Fatwood slivers and....spare cotton cord?

Total guess but I'm going for it

 

[jdlenton]

hmmm jute? Amadou? Fatwood slivers and....spare cotton cord?

Total guess but I'm going for it

lets see if your right when tom get back i recon there's a candle in there but not sure

 

[tombear]

Hi All
sorry for the delay, I got saddled with making the youngest a Roman costume for school tomorrow (found out this AM) so I've been sewing all day.

'Happy to do tutorials when I get the chance, the sulphur is definately a outdoor job, with a stiff breeze to blow it away from you. they are dead easy to make, the sulphur, and for that matter, the potassium nitrate where from gardening suppliers. I'll try not to ramble so much this time ;-{D)

I've e-mailed the Science Museum to see who is in charge of the Bryant and May collection to see if I can find out more details of the examples of sulphur match. I'd like to do some anal retentively authentic ones as well as a whole batch of users. Theres also a wall mounted match holder that seems quite a common item (basically a metal or wooden plate with 2 pairs of holes in it and two cords with a weight on the bottom to keep the 2 cords drawn tight agaist the bundle of matches (1 pic will make sense of it all). Anyway I think it will make a nice winter project to make one as well.

If you Google "Linen Rope" unless the situation has improved you'll only find it at Bondage sites

http://www.bound-to-please.co.uk/linen.html (where I got mine, excellent service)

Or at ones specialising in reproduction military drums such as

http://www.cooperman.com/ropedrums/drumparts.htm

Who were much more expensive.

In my experiance the linen stuff is supperior to the cotton sash cord.

All I did was soak the cord in a strong solution of potasium nitrate then dry it on a radiator. I believe in the original process the cord was boiled before hand to get rid of impurities and lime may have been involved but the version I made catches a spark fine and smoulders away merrily with the odd hiss and spark.

If we get a summer this year I've said I'm going to get the lads to pee in a bucket at the top of the garden and see what I can evaporate out of that. It's far enough from the neighbours not to bother them...

What I kept in the old tin was a steel made by Ragnar, a small paraffin candle, some slivers of Maya stick, plumbers tow (indeed made of Jute), some rough lumps of pale looking flint that never sparked well and some rubbish char cloth made from pure cotton I could never get to light properly.

I also kept the linen slowmatch and sulphur matches in it.

ATB

Tom

 

[EdS]

for BR:


Hattersley Narrow Fabrics for all kinds of wick etc:

http://www.hattersley.co.uk/index.htm

Also the reason why Harris Tweed as 1/2 width as it was Hatersley that developed the smallware loom - and then set up a foundry to make them

 

[British Red]

Thanks gentlemen! Nice to see some really positive interesting stuff on the boards

 

[tombear]

Dear All
just got in and A nice chap at the Science Museum has replied to me with a spread sheet of the contents of the Bryant and May collection and to save me time another which lists all the sulphur matches they hold with some details about them.

Once I have digested this lot I will see about getting more details, images etc.

The spread sheets them selves are fascinating reading, referring to all sorts of firelighting items such as Japanese char made from silk...

More later....


ATB

Tom

 

[Melonfish]

potassium nitrate? so its a mix of KN03 and sulphur? interesting! i'd love to see the tutorial?
don't you also use beeswax on these or am i being silly? (likely)

 

[jdlenton]

Dear All
just got in and A nice chap at the Science Museum has replied to me with a spread sheet of the contents of the Bryant and May collection and to save me time another which lists all the sulphur matches they hold with some details about them.

Once I have digested this lot I will see about getting more details, images etc.

The spread sheets them selves are fascinatig reading, referering to all sorts of firelightng items such as Japanese char made from silk...

More later....


ATB

Tom

those sound very cool indeed would love to hear about your findings as an when

 

[tombear]

Sorry its me talking about two seperate things at once.

The potassium nitrate is just for making the slowmatch and the sulphur is used pure for the matches.

I've read about people (reenactors) dipping the spills in molten wax and then into sulphur powder but I've never seen a primary source that says do it that way or a example that looks like that.

The short version of the tutorial would run

"Get stick. Insert end of stick in sulphur made runny by heating it up, remove stick and allow to cool. Match made."

The proper version will be suitably long winded, refer to primary sources and regional variations and have pics ;-{D)

ATB

Tom

One method of doing large batches was to have a mass of spills with a string tied tightly around the middle of the bundle. then you would twist each end in the oposite direction so the spills would be fanned out at each end, then you would dip the entire end in a big pot of molten sulphur, stand it on the other end until it had cooled then repeat the dipping at the other end, let that cool then twist the ends back so it became a compact mass of matches again for shipping or storage. Ingenious!

 

[tombear]

I'm looking to buy/scrounge /swap a few items for this project

A piece of elm 12" by 5" by 1" or maybe 3/4s of a inch thick
A bunch of oat straws, the thick part 9" + long
A bunch of hemp stalks as above (just the stalks, no leaves please) I believe there is a form being commercially grown now?

Also can any one describe the sulphur covered cotton threads I have seen mentioned. As used in Germany and Mexico?

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Well, this is what happens when you sub contract a job.

Last night I asked herself to see if "Bound to please" had got any linen rope in yet and to use her paypal (I don't have it, it would only lead to trouble...) and wandered off to make some slow match from some cotton sash cord.

Anyway, much later I wandered back down and asked her if it went through and from under the duvet heard a muffled "yes, fine"


Sooooo today I read the electronic invoice and I see that I failed to give a salient detail when I asked her to buy it, how much.


Sooooo in the next couple of days we should be getting 65 foot of best quality linen bondage rope (thats 20 m to you europeans) rather than the 2 or 3 yards I sort of forgot to specify...


Oops.


So if anyone wants to make their own slow match or superior char rope let us know. We paid £1.20 a yard for it.

ATB

Tom