Tinder help.

[hog]

Can anyone help ?
Got a great ember tonight with the old hand drill but my tinder (wood shavings and paper kitchen towel ) let me down.
What is a good combination for an ember as delicate as a hand drill one ?
Many thanks
Hog.

 

[Robbi]

do you have a tumble dryer ?

 

[mountainm]

Thistle down is out about now. char cloth, or just burnt cotton wool.

 

[hog]

Yes , thanks to both of you, will start to Lint gather and be on the look out for thistles.
Just come back inside fron drilling practice, managed to once again transfer the glow and then blew it into oblivion, not blowing too hard just tinder malfunction !!!

 

[ged]

I've had mixed results from the tumble dryer, but good charcloth will do the trick.

 

[hog]

Will try charcloth tomorrow, have a bit for my flint stone and steel, want to try not to use that though.

 

[2trapper]

Charcloth for first instance or hemp rope. It catches also the slightest spark

 

[ReamviThantos]

Are you having trouble getting an ember from the punk debris, check out the forum threads to find out if you're drill set is the correct wood types, confirm your technique is correct by reference to you tube or get in touch with someone local to show you in person. It is a case of perseverence if you wish to master this technique and some are more natural at it than others. The old adage if at first (ad infinitum) you don't succeed try, try again will given time pay dividends eventually.... usually

 

[Robbi]

Are you having trouble getting an ember from the punk debris, check out the forum threads to find out if you're drill set is the correct wood types, confirm your technique is correct by reference to you tube or get in touch with someone local to show you in person. It is a case of perseverence if you wish to master this technique and some are more natural at it than others. The old adage if at first (ad infinitum) you don't succeed try, try again will given time pay dividends eventually.... usually

check the OP, sound to me that Mr. Hog can get an ember no probs, just his tinder is a little lacking

 

[ReamviThantos]

Woops proof reading fail... sorry.

 

[Firelite]

If you have to use white paper (stick to kitchen roll because toilet roll always seemed worse to me) then use two sheets and tear up one of them into thin strips and make a nest for the ember. fold the other sheet in half and use that to support the nest. Remember you need to to feed the fire, so don't be too gentle with it - You need to find the balance between crushing the ember and really feeding it. Look for the creamy smoke and you're nearly there. If you can get some of the commercial blue paper like they have in garages or labs then that seems to work even better.
ATB and good luck - you've cracked the hardest part.

 

[hog]

Thank you all Gents, will 'rob' a bit of blue roll from work today, its def just my bad tinder chice thats the problem, will have another go after work and on the weekend.
My Wife get excited about a new washing machine...me, about an ember from rubbing wood together, talk about cave men.

 

[mountainm]

Thank you all Gents, will 'rob' a bit of blue roll from work today, its def just my bad tinder chice thats the problem, will have another go after work and on the weekend.
My Wife get excited about a new washing machine...me, about an ember from rubbing wood together, talk about cave men.

I'd say cotton wool was better than paper of any kind. Half burnt (stamped out) cotton wool even better than that...

 

[zed4130]

lol i tell my wife im cleaning the washing machine but we know the score

 

[Perrari]

I have had the same problem before when practising with a bow & drill, I then used cotton wool pads with success. If you get a pad (most women have them to remove make up) then split both sides apart about 2/3 of the way through, which will create a pocket and the wool is really fluffy on the inside also which helps to get it burning

 

[shaggystu]

really really fine dry grass, they sell it in pet shops, they tend to call it hay (as recommended to me by one of our very own professional pyromaniacs)

 

[Stringmaker]

really really fine dry grass, they sell it in pet shops, they tend to call it hay (as recommended to me by one of our very own professional pyromaniacs)

That's what I use; great stuff.

I also put a small nest of very fine sawdust inside that as the primary tinder. High surface area is your friend.

 

[ocean1975]

If your going to the trouble of getting an ember from the hand drill ,then you should be using natural materials i think.
On a dry sunny day there should be no problem finding suitable materials to use

 

[Robbi]

On a dry sunny day there should be no problem finding suitable materials to use

now there lies a problem

 

[hog]

now there lies a problem

Ha ha youre right even the dry damp days are without sun.